麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Why are A-list pop stars declining to perform at King Charles' Coronation?

Share

We are less than two months away from the Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla. The Save the Date cards are about to go out, the Crowns are being resized and Westminster Abbey is getting a thorough spring clean.

But there is one issue that Coronation planners are really having to get to grips with 鈥 and I don鈥檛 mean will Harry and Meghan be in attendance (that鈥檚 an article for another day鈥) It鈥檚 the entertainment. Who will be warming up their vocal cords to perform for the King and Queen on their big day?

When it comes to party planning, the Coronation Concert is pretty big. Taking place on Sunday, May 7 at Windsor Castle, staged and broadcast live by the BBC, it is the jewel in the Crown of the Coronation weekend.

Taking place the day after the pomp and ceremony of the Coronation Service and the Processions, it鈥檚 a chance for the King and Queen, the rest of the Royal Family and the nation at large to let their hair down and get into the party spirit of the weekend.

But the concert has been plagued with problems as A-list superstars have reportedly been turning down the invitation to perform for the 2,000 or so invited guests left, right and centre:

Elton John: Elton John has performed for the Royal Family before, most notably at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales but it鈥檚 thought that touring commitments mean that this time around he won鈥檛 be able to lend his voice to the occasion.

He is performing in Germany as part of his only 48 hours before the Coronation so there likely won鈥檛 be enough turnaround time to be part of the concert.

Robbie Williams: He鈥檚 usually asking people to let him entertain them but this time around it looks like Robbie won鈥檛 be entertaining anyone at the Coronation Concert. His website lists his , suggesting he is therefore unavailable for the King and Queen.

Ed Sheeran: Ed Sheeran performed at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant last year, singing the song 鈥淧erfect鈥 to Queen Elizabeth II but it鈥檚 thought no such serenading will be on the cards for the Queen Consort. that and logistics mean he cannot be part of the celebrations this time around.

Adele: Adele is currently performing every weekend at her residency so perhaps it鈥檚 no surprise that she can鈥檛 take the time out to perform for the King and Queen at the concert.

In an email to CTVNews.ca on March 6, Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether Sir Elton John, Adele, Harry Styles and the Spice Girls were invited to perform at the event.

This reportedly comes as a huge blow to King Charles III who reportedly had Adele and Ed Sheeran at the top of his wish list. , 鈥淗e was very keen that they were part of the concert.

There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment. They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe. It鈥檚 such a shame.鈥

WHY ARE SUPERSTARS DECLINING TO PERFORM?

But the big question is why have so many superstars turned down the opportunity to perform at the Coronation? Entertainment expert and broadcaster JJ Anisiobi thinks there鈥檚 much more to it than 鈥渂usy schedules and logistics."

"The reason I think most of these stars have declined to perform is that they are aware of the very public turn against the Royal Family,鈥 JJ tells me.

鈥淲hen the Queen died that was a massive thing for most people. For a majority of people alive today, the Queen was the only Monarch they have ever known. And with her gone we鈥檝e now lost that doting cuddly old-grandma figure which has now been replaced by Charles.

"It鈥檚 going to take him a lot of years to build up the goodwill that the Queen had built up around the world. People are also asking the question, 鈥榳hy do we need the Royal Family?鈥 The U.K. is struggling with the cost of living crisis but we have a Royal Family with houses going spare. Prince Andrew and his scandal hasn鈥檛 helped. As much as I love Harry and Meghan, their public fallout with Kate and William has helped dampen the appetite for the Royals, especially amongst the younger generation.鈥

WHO WILL PERFORM FOR KING CHARLES?

The question now becomes 鈥 who WILL perform at the Coronation? Well, not everyone has decided that they don鈥檛 want to be a part of this historic occasion 鈥 the organizers have managed to sign up some pop royalty.

A slimmed-down version of Take That with Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are set to take part and will also have everyone dancing on the ceiling when he opens the show. JJ Anisiobi thinks that old school legends like Richie could be the key to making the Coronation Concert a success.

鈥淚f someone like Adele performed at the Coronation she would get a big backlash. Ed Sheeran 鈥 also would get a backlash, it would be seen as unpopular, it isn鈥檛 Cool Britannia anymore. [The organizers] need to go for someone like Shirley Bassey ... or someone like Enya might do it. If they are willing to pay enough money Celine Dion would do it but you鈥檙e looking at 拢15-20 million (Cdn$24-32.5 million).鈥

With less than two months to go, organizers have a huge job on their hands to make sure they get the A-listers that they so desperately need to make sure that the Coronation Concert draws the crowds and the viewing figures that they want.

The Coronation is about pomp and ceremony but making sure the Royal Family stay relevant as they move into a new era is also hugely important.

Correction

Howard Donald is now identified as a member of Take That in place of Jason Orange.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.