Coronation concert highlights, from Tom Cruise to Katy Perry
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WINDSOR, England — In one of the more surprising moments heralding this country’s new sovereign, Hollywood royalty Tom Cruise assured actual royalty King Charles III that he could be his “wingman” anytime. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The “Top Gun” actor’s message was among the highlights of Sunday evening’s concert celebrating the weekend’s coronation. Some 20,000 members of the public, ticket holders via a lottery, gathered with the royals on the grounds of Windsor Castle — the first time a concert has ever been held here. Many more watched on the telly at home.
They enjoyed an eclectic mix of dance, music, spoken tributes and skits. And there were gasps from the audience during a dazzling drone show, which lit up the night sky with the colorful outlines of a whale, lion, rabbit, flower and other images.
During his prerecorded sketch, a nod to Charles’s training as a jet pilot in his early 20s, Cruise flew a small vintage craft through thick clouds. He addressed the new leader with a salute, a greeting that played on huge screens on the castle grounds.
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“Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty,” Cruise said, “you can be my wingman any time.” (Fans hoping to see the actor materialize in their midst were disappointed.)
Charles and Camilla watched the extravaganza from the royal box — probably a welcome change of pace from Saturday, when they were center stage. At one point, with Lionel Richie singing, the couple got up to dance.
In the most emotional moment of the night, Prince William paid tribute to his “pa” and said the late Queen Elizabeth II was “fondly keeping an eye on us; she would be a proud mother.”
William also praised his father’s charity work, dedication to diversity and the environment. As he spoke, some in the crowd chanted: “You’re next, and you know you are!”
The event was the lesser U.K. concert of the week. The city of Liverpool is hosting the Eurovision song contest, with its finale on Saturday. That concert could be watched by around 160 million worldwide, including Charles and Camilla, who revealed themselves to be Eurovision fans during a recent visit to that city.
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Back in this one, it was the likes of Take That — a beloved British band billed as pop “royalty” — that got the crowd going. Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville hosted, kicking off things by saying that Charles has a lifelong passion for the arts. “He’s a painter,” Bonneville noted. “An artist. An artist formerly known as prince.”
The range of artists reflected the king’s wide interests. They included the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Welsh Grammy winner Bryn Terfel. Performing together for the first time was a mega-wattage combination: the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal College of Music and Royal College of Art.
But there was a lack of A-list British stars to give it extra oomph and there wasn’t a moment as memorable as the Paddington Bear sketch at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
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“There wasn’t anything wrong with the performances per se,” wrote the Guardian’s music critic Alexis Petridis. “But not even a spectacular light show, replete with illuminated drones hovering above Windsor Castle, could distract you from the sense that the show was cobbled together from what they could get.”
The event was organized and hosted by the BBC, the taxpayer-funded broadcast entity that constantly panned to the royal box, where Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 8, were seen waving flags and swaying to the music.
One of the standout acts of the night was Katy Perry, who arrived onstage to sing “Roar” as drones formed the lion above Windsor Castle. Charlotte sang and her mom, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, danced along as Perry belted out her signature hit. “Gawd bless Queen Katy Perry,” ran a headline in the Evening Standard.
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Perry attended the coronation on Saturday, as well, wearing a large hat at Westminster Abbey and seeming to briefly struggle to find her seat. The moment quickly turned into a meme.
The fans inside the palace walls were in a jovial mood — joining in loudly on the verses of “God Save the King” and soaking up the atmosphere with the majestic backdrop of Windsor Castle, a favorite home of the late queen.
Paul Truesdale, a 45-year-old nurse, was there to cheer on his fellow choir members as they went onstage with the Coronation Choir, a group of amateur and community singers from across the country. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” he said.
There are still a bit more royal festivities to come. Monday was made a bank holiday for the coronation and is being billed as the “Big Help Out,” a day when people are encouraged to volunteer in their communities.
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Source: The Washington Post
