Lionel Richie has praised King Charles III ahead of his Coronation on Saturday May 6 in the United Kingdom. The American Idol judge will perform during Sunday's celebrations at Windsor Castle, and told reporters that he was over the moon to be invited to the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".
"To be a part of it is everything. This doesn’t happen every day. So, am I excited about this? Absolutely. This is not like any other time in life or any occasion. Once the lights hit and the music starts it’s just going to be magical. I have to pinch myself. We’re walking in history," he added.
Lionel also praised the King’s work over the decades, adding: “Believe it or not, he cares. He’s hands on.”
"I’ve known His Majesty for a couple of years, so it’s fun to be here."
Lionel has been involved with the Prince’s Trust as an ambassador since the 1980s, and was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace where he met with other guests including Queen Consort Camlla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent.
Guests included “Coronation Champions”, exceptional volunteers recognised for their work by the Royal Voluntary Service, of which Camilla is the president. Camilla wore a navy and white Bruce Oldfield dress and Philip Treacy hat, while Charles wore a morning suit with a top hat for the garden party, the first of Charles' reign as King.
When is King Charles' coronation taking place?
King Charles III's coronation is taking place on May 6 2023, at 11am UK time. The decision to hold the coronation on this date has led to the creation of a special coronation bank holiday weekend in the UK for people to celebrate, which runs from the May 6 - 8.
The King's coronation will run across the entire weekend and be full of celebrations, street parties and star-studded performances at the coronation concert at Windsor Castle. The music bash takes place on the East Lawn at Windsor Castle on Sunday May 7. The UK's government website states that the coronation concert will begin at 8pm local time.
What will happen at Sunday May 7's coronation concert?
Sunday May 7's coronation concert will feature a celebratory musical event similar to the Party at the Palace of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, but this time outside Windsor Castle. The star-studded line-up will include performances from Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
The concert will also include an orchestra and dancers as well as The Coronation Choir, which will be made up of members of community choirs from across the nation, including refugees, deaf people, NHS staff and the LGBTQ+ community.
The evening's event will be taking part in the grounds of Windsor Castle in front of a crowd of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests and broadcast across BBC television and radio stations. Meanwhile, millions more will be tuning in at home.
Who will be attending the King's coronation?
King Charles III's coronation is expected to be a scaled-back affair with significantly reduced guest numbers. More than 2,300 people will be among the congregation at Westminster Abbey on the day.
Guests will include members of the royal family, foreign royals, heads of state, overseas government representatives, Government ministers, first ministers and former prime ministers. For a full list of who is attending, view the confirmed coronation guest list.