A right royal snub? Brits plan to watch Charles’s coronation on TV but stay away from street parties

Street parties to mark the coronation of Charles III in May could be a rare sight and poorly attended despite efforts to enthuse the country, a new poll suggests. 

New analysis for MailOnline suggests six-in-10 people plan to tune into coverage of the historic regal showpiece at Westminster Abbey on May 6. 

This includes a majority of all age groups apart from those aged 18-24.

But the poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies found that fewer than a third (30 per cent) of the public thought it likely they would attend street parties set up locally to mark Charles’s ascension to the throne.

This is despite an extra bank holiday weekend being created to mark coronation of the 74-year-old King and Queen Camilla.

Among the age groups least likely to attend parties were older voters, aged 55 – 64 and 65+, who were most likely to have hoisted and attended parties to mark his mother’s Platinum Jubilee before her passing last year. 

King Charles III is due to be crowned, along with Camilla, after being the longest-serving heir apparent in British history

But the poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies found that fewer than a third (30 per cent) of the public thought it likely they would attend street parties set up locally to mark Charles’s ascension to the throne.

Among the age groups least likely to attend parties were older voters, aged 55 – 64 and 65+, who were most likely to have hoisted and attended parties to mark his mother’s Platinum Jubilee before her passing last year.

Big screens will be put up around Britain to allow communities to watch the King’s Coronation together – with more than 30 locations already confirmed.

The public screens will be held across all four nations of the United Kingdom, with more set to be added over the next two months to encourage festivities on May 6.

Announcing the move last week, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazier said the Coronation will be a ‘magical moment’ in the country’s history to showcase the ‘Best of Britain’.

More than £1million has been made available by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for the screens, although the sites in London are yet to be confirmed.

However there are confirmed screens at Cardiff Castle, Belfast City Hall, Piece Hall in Halifax, Jubilee Square in Brighton and Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens.

Other screens will be at Darlington Market Square, Millennium Square in Leeds, Bristol Cathedral, De Montfort University in Leicester and Dewsbury Library.

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort takes place at Westminster Abbey in London in 50 days’ time on May 6. It is the first such event for 70 years.

The three-day celebratory weekend will see local authorities host events including cultural festivals, live music, community workshops, art showcases and creative games and competitions.

There will be a Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7 featuring ‘global music icons and contemporary stars’.

The concert broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer with thousands of members of the public will be in the audience.

Iconic locations across Britain will also be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

Across the weekend tens of thousands of Coronation ‘Big Lunches’ and street parties will be held in the UK and across the Commonwealth.

That day will be overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. The Queen Consort has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013.

Big Lunches take place across the UK annually and last year they raised more than £22million for local charities.

And Monday, May 8 – a bank holiday – will see the Big Help Out take place across the UK, encouraging thousands of people volunteer to support causes they care about.

They will be able to pay tribute to the King’s service with organisations including the Scouts, Royal Voluntary Service, National Trust and RNLI.

The celebratory weekend for the Coronation will see local authorities host events including cultural festivals, live music, community workshops, art showcases and creative games and competitions.

The Government said funding for the screen sites has been offered to the mayoral combined authorities in England and the next top ten largest urban areas by population.

Funding has also been offered for locations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and further screen sites will be announced in due course.

The Government said each local authority could decide whether or not to put the funding towards one larger big screen site or a number of smaller screening sites.

Officials added that details of activities taking place alongside screenings will be announced by each local authority in due course – and some screening sites will also show the concert on May 7.