With King Charles’ Coronation less than two weeks away on May 6, Britain is gearing up for an almighty celebration.
Here we present the weird, wacky and wonderful ways in which the country’s tourism industry is honouring the historic event – and giving tourists the royal treatment.
Royal-inspired undertakings range from a Hilton hotel crafting a 40kg chocolate carriage to Tesco launching its first-ever pub – The King in the Castle – in honour of the event.
Scroll down for the crowning glories of the UK tourist industry’s Coronation offerings…
A CORONATION-THEMED CABARET SHOW
Pictured is the cast of ‘Kings & Queens’, a Coronation-themed production run by The London Cabaret Club
The London Cabaret Club is marking the royal event by running a special production of ‘Kings & Queens’ in Bloomsbury Ballroom in central London.
The production will feature ‘notable monarchs throughout history including Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, King George V and Queen Elizabeth II’ and will end with a scene that shows the ‘inauguration of the forthcoming King as the UK welcomes in a new era’.
‘Dramatic vintage costumes’ and ‘explosive, expertly choreographed dance routines’ are promised. The show is running from May 5 to May 7, with ticket packages ranging from £75 to £270 per person. Visit thelondoncabaretclub.com.
HILTON’S 40KG CHOCOLATE CARRIAGE
The Hilton London Bankside is exhibiting a chocolate Coronation carriage that’s ‘adorned with sugar paste patterns and His Majesty’s coat of arms’
Step into the lobby of the Hilton London Bankside, set south of the River Thames in central London, to admire the hotel’s chocolate Coronation carriage.
It’s ‘made up of over 40 kilos (88lbs) of chocolate, adorned with sugar paste patterns and His Majesty’s coat of arms, finished in a lavish gold powder’. The hotel says: ‘This intricately designed sculpture took a monumental 25 days to build, standing at an impressive 181cm (71in) tall and 181cm (71in) in length, featuring a regal design inspired by that of the King’s official Coronation carriage.’
Rooms at the hotel are priced from £377. Visit hilton.com.
A LONDON EYE POD WITH A THRONE
Riders can ‘sit in a re-creation of the 700-year-old Coronation Chair’ in the Coronation-themed London Eye pod (shown in the rendering above)
The lastminute.com London Eye is offering guests the chance to ride in a redesigned pod – called the ‘Coronation Capsule’ – that replicates ‘the grandeur and Gothic design of Westminster Abbey’.
A statement notes: ‘The sky-high majestic capsule will be transformed creating the illusion of ribbed vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows and carved stone columns.’
Riders can ‘sit in a re-creation of the 700-year-old Coronation Chair’ and ‘hold replicas of the Crown Jewels’ to ‘act out their very own Coronation and take the ultimate stately selfie’.
The experience is running from April 29 to May 8. Tickets cost £60 per person and include a glass of Champagne. Visit londoneye.com.
GET ‘THE ROYAL TREATMENT’ WITH CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING AND AN ASTON MARTIN OUTING
Buyagift is running a contest that includes a two-night stay in The King Charles Room at the five-star Rubens at the Palace hotel
Gift voucher company Buyagift is running a competition for two people to enjoy a royal-themed weekend away that’s worth £2,500. The package, called ‘The Royal Treatment’, includes a two-night stay in The King Charles Room at the five-star Rubens at the Palace hotel near Buckingham Palace.
The lucky winners will get an Aston Martin driving experience, a private helicopter tour of London and a clay pigeon shooting experience. Back at the hotel, there’s Champagne afternoon tea and a ‘fine-dining experience’ to be enjoyed.
There’s one caveat, however. In order to win the experience, you must share a name with a member of one of the 26 monarchies worldwide – there are 603 names in total, including Alice, Felix, and Carl.
Entries are welcome until May 7. You can enter the competition via the submission form on the Buyagift website.
FREE COCKTAILS IF YOU HAVE A ROYAL NAME
Couples with the names Charles and Camilla will be presented with a free cocktail at the Japanese restaurant Jiji in London (above)
Luxury holiday home company Habitat Escapes is offering free monarch-inspired drinks to guests with royal names
Luxury holiday home company Habitat Escapes is offering free drinks to guests with royal names at both Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds and Silverlake Estate in Dorset.
Any guests who have the same name as a monarch from the past 100 years will receive a free cocktail that has been ‘designed to encapsulate the personalities of previous monarchs’.
Habitat Escapes reveals that among the offerings are ‘the Elizabeth II-inspired raspberry and rose refresher, the English Rose – the perfect drink for those who, like the late queen, embody the classic beauty and elegance of an English rose’, and ‘for those with green fingers’, there’s a rosemary gin fizz named The Gardener, which ‘pays homage to King Charles III’s environmentalist side’.
It’s not the only zany drink offer out there – couples with the names Charles and Camilla will be presented with a free cocktail and a serving of salmon and tuna tartare at the Japanese restaurant Jiji in London’s Islington neighbourhood to mark the Coronation.
Diners must show identification to prove their royal name and to claim the reward.
A HESTON BLUMENTHAL ROYAL MENU
Heston Blumenthal has designed a four-course menu that’s inspired by the dishes served at previous British Coronation banquets. Above is a reinterpretation of fflampayne, a dish served at The Coronation of King Henry V in 1413
Famously inventive chef Heston Blumenthal has crafted a Coronation menu at his restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel.
The four-course menu features reinterpretations of the dishes served at previous British Coronation banquets.
Highlights include a take on the Coronation chicken tart that was served for the Coronation of King James II in 1685, a twist on the veal sweetbread served for King George IV’s Coronation in 1821, and Blumenthal’s version of fflampayne, a dish served at the Coronation of King Henry V in 1413.
Available from May 1 until June, the menu is priced at £155 per person. Visit mandarinoriental.com.
STAY IN THE STUNNING ROYAL SUITE AND SEE THE CROWN JEWELS WITH THE HOTEL CAFE ROYAL
Stay in the ‘opulent’ two-bedroom Royal Suite at Hotel Cafe Royal as part of the hotel’s ‘Crown Jewels Experience’
Hotel Cafe Royal beside London’s Piccadilly Circus is offering a ‘Crown Jewels Experience’ for those with cash to splash – it’s priced at £12,995.
Described as the ‘ultimate experience of luxury and exclusivity’, it begins when guests check in to the ‘opulent’ two-bedroom Royal Suite.
When night falls, a chauffeur-driven limousine will ‘whisk the guests away for an exclusive after-hours visit’ to the Tower of London led by one of the King’s Beefeaters. It’s followed by a Champagne reception and private viewing of the Crown Jewels and Royal Collection at the Jewel House, guided by a royal expert.
The following morning, a breakfast that’s ‘fit for a King’ will be brought to the Royal Suite by a personal butler. The package is available until October 1. Visit hotelcaferoyal.com.
WATCH ARCHIVAL FILM FOOTAGE OF THE ROYALS
Watch archival footage of the royal family at London’s Victory House Hotel on the Coronation weekend
Throughout the Coronation weekend, each floor of London’s Victory House Hotel will have archival footage of the royals playing on giant screens.
These film reels will include unseen footage of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the royals.
After you’ve checked out the films, the wine bar downstairs offers views of Leicester Square, so you can watch the festivities surrounding the Coronation Procession, which will pass through nearby streets.
Rooms at Victory House Hotel are priced from £359. Visit victoryhouselondon.com.
A GOLD LEAF CORONATION COCKTAIL
Royal Lancaster London’s The Monarch cocktail is adorned with gold leaf, ‘adding a touch of shimmer and elegance to every sip’
Royal Lancaster London, a five-star hotel set beside London’s Hyde Park, is launching a specially crafted Coronation cocktail called The Monarch.
To make the drink ‘truly regal’, it’s adorned with gold leaf, ‘adding a touch of shimmer and elegance to every sip’.
Priced at £18, the ‘exquisite’ cocktail features King Charles’ ‘favourite drink, the classic martini, with a royal twist’, says the hotel.
It adds: ‘Our expert mixologists have infused the vermouth with the finest Darjeeling tea, known for its delicate and floral aroma and being his majesty’s favourite tea.’ Visit royallancaster.com.
TESCO’S FIRST PUB, LAUNCHED IN HONOUR OF THE CORONATION
British supermarket Tesco is opening its first-ever pub to help Britons celebrate King Charles’ Coronation
Supermarket chain Tesco is opening its first-ever pub to celebrate the historic event – though it’s worth noting that it’s a temporary pop-up.
Located near Farringdon Tube station in central London, The King in the Castle pub will be open on May 4 and May 5.
Punters can tuck into a Coronation-themed menu, enjoying dishes such as ‘Camilla’s King Prawn Curry’ served with basmati rice (£6).
Proceeds will go to the supermarket’s charity partner, The Prince’s Trust, which was founded by the King to support young people across the UK.
Hotel room prices correct at the time of writing.
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