By Michael Sanchez
The British Embassy in Manila organised a live public screening of King Charles III’s historic coronation at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City on 6 May. Filipinos and British citizens attended the “Coronation Picnic” which featured musical performances, a King Charles III exhibit, cricket games and raffle prizes.
“It’s a way to welcome His Majesty the King and Queen Camilla to their new roles, the beginning of a new era,” British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said. The audience applauded her warmly after giving parts of her speech in the Filipino language.
Waving Filipino and British flags, attendees had a taste of British culture while waiting for the live stream of the coronation. There was a photo exhibit of King Charles and members of the royal family. Young Filipino bands played popular British songs.
There were booths serving British food and mini-games of cricket and football, the two most popular sport in the UK. Attendees also joined in a quiz about UK life and culture with prizes and giveaways provided by sponsors such as Philippine Airlines, Shell, Range Rover and Pru Life.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that the city was honoured to host the event as many residents are “fans” of the royal family.
There were hundreds of people who attended the event. It started at 4:00 pm and ended at almost 10:00 pm just after the coronation live stream.
About the author
Michael Sanchez owns and operates an IT consulting and staffing company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños and took his Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Cambridge. He is one of the directors of Tinig UK.
