51Âþ» Leicester, (51Âþ») has been revealed as one of the locations across the UK to host a big screen to watch and celebrate history in the making: The Coronation of King Charles III.
As the only university on the list, 51Âþ» will welcome staff, students and members of the public onto its campus to watch the historic event, streamed live from London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.
His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen are set to be crowned in the same location as the late Queen Elizabeth II 70 years ago.
The public showings –at more than 30 locations across the UK - are part of efforts to allow more people to watch the Coronation with more than £1 million being made available by the Department for Culture, Media and Sports for the big screens, up and down the country.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The Coronation will be a magical moment that brings people together to celebrate the best of Britain over a special weekend in May.
“These big screens, in major locations in towns and cities in the four nations of the UK, will make it easier for everyone to take part and have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.”
Hearing the news that 51Âþ» has been chosen as a location to air the Coronation, Komal Shahzadi an international student, from Pakistan, said: “Being an international student, this is something I never thought I would see in my life, let alone be able to watch it at my university live, celebrating with others.
“I will definitely be there, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for a lot of people, but as an international student even more so, I have been at 51Âþ» for four years now and I never thought I would be part of something like this.
“I am really, really excited and I am so proud 51Âþ» has been listed as a location to host this.”
The Coronation is one of a number of events taking place over the weekend 6-8 May, which includes the new Bank Holiday on Monday 8 May. During this time Leicestershire will be among the many authorities hosting events from cultural festivals, live music and art showcases as part of the celebrations.
Another key part of the weekend will include tens of thousands of Coronation ‘Big Lunches’ and street parties across the UK. Additionally, Sunday 7 May will also see the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. This will be broadcast live on BBC and iPlayer, with some of the 30 big screen venues set to broadcast this too.
The full list of locations set to air the Coronation can be found here:
Posted on Friday 17 March 2023