Last-minute coronation party ideas to celebrate King Charles

We’ve even got some tips on finding local events and street parties, if you’d rather join up with others and celebrate the coronation as a community…

Should you fancy turning your hand to a little cocktail mixology over the weekend, we’ve got a simple recipe inspired by royalty that’ll wow your guests.   

Queen Camilla named one of Saga’s own cruise ships – Spirit of Discovery – in Kent (back in 2019). The ship is hosting her own celebrations throughout the weekend. And in honour of her royal affiliations, the bar manager has created a special cocktail for the occasion. Kent, and its abundance of apple orchards, provided plenty of inspiration for the cocktail.  

You can easily pick up the ingredients from most supermarkets – though you will need a cocktail shaker. It’ll make a welcome change from the lashings of Pimm’s that will likely be passed around across the weekend.  

A new survey by Saga reveals that despite the King’s coronation coming up, four in five Brits over 50 (82%) aren’t planning on hosting guests at their house to celebrate. Some put this down to the stress that comes with hosting – 60% admit they can suffer from anxiety when having guests over. 

If you love the idea of celebrating the coronation but don’t want the hassle – or have left it too late to host something at home – then don’t worry. Research from Ocado recently revealed almost two thirds of Brits are set on attending local street parties, so you’ll be in good company.  

An official, interactive map has been developed to help you find local events linked to the Coronation Big Lunch (if you’re keen to share food with your community at some point over the weekend). You can also discover ways to take part in The Big Help Out on Monday 8 May if you’d like to spend time volunteering.  

The map has a useful search function that allows you to input your postcode and choose the type of event you’d like to attend, and find out when they are happening.  

What sets a normal party apart from a royal rumpus? The patriotic bunting, of course.  

Any barbecue, family feast or drinks while watching the coverage of the coronation can be immediately transformed into with some bunting. It’s the simplest visual cue, and an ideal last-minute coronation party idea to transform your home and garden. 

You may prefer a subtler hint to the monarchy with a plain red, white and blue design, but there will be plenty of Union Jack options still available in the shops. Many of us will already have some sitting in a box from last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Perhaps if you have time and you’re feeling crafty, you could make some yourself with scrap fabric you have lying around – this is also a great way to try a more sustainable approach to your celebration. 

If your street is hosting an event, popping up some bunting at your front door or windows will also let your neighbours know you’ll be supporting the activity.  

While everyone else scrambles to find the ingredients to make their own coronation quiche, why not curate a ‘best of British’ cheeseboard? It’s far quicker and easier! 

“We know Charles is a champion of British cheese,” says Ocado’s food expert Laura Rowe. “A picture-perfect cheeseboard is the icing on top of the cake when it comes to coronation ‘tablescaping’.”  

Rowe suggests choosing cheeses originating not far from royal residences, such as Sandringham, in Norfolk, and Highgrove, in Gloucestershire: “A creamy Colston Bassett Stilton, Cave Aged Cheddar from Wookey Hole in Somerset and a brie-like Baron Bigod from Suffolk.” All three are available from cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield, which has a royal warrant. 

Cheeseboards require no meal prep – just present on a striking wooden board with a selection of preserves (we love chilli jam), some grapes and crackers.  

Worried your garden might need a little TLC before you invite people over? According to M&S Home Insurance, nearly a quarter of us will be planting new trees and flowers to spruce up our outside spaces in time for the coronation. 

If you’ve left it a bit late to start sowing seeds, another last-minute coronation party idea is to pot some ready-grown red, white and blue bedding plants. You can give your hanging baskets and planters a monarchical makeover in a matter of minutes. The process of planting will likely bring more benefits than just looking good, too. 

“Immersing our hands in soil, gardening and being in nature brings joy and happiness, lifting our spirits and benefiting our physical health,” says Clare Matterson, director general of the RHS, which has been encouraging people to create coronation containers. 

“Given King Charles’ well documented love of gardening, we’re calling on the nation to get planting in the week of his coronation.” 

If you’re gathering guests in your garden for the coronation, they’ll need somewhere to sit. If you’re looking for new garden seating ideas, Dobbies’ senior Buyer Lynsey Abbott suggests following the coronation’s theme of “welcoming in the new, while retaining loved traditions”. 

Choosing wooden garden furniture to keep your guests comfy is an easy way to achieve this. Abbott says it’s incredibly durable, making it a fantastic investment for your garden.  

“While wood is a timeless choice and will give your space a sophisticated look and feel, it can also be styled with trending accessories to give it a modern edge, making it great for coronation parties but also summer entertaining for years to come.”  

She adds that garden furniture should last you beyond one season, “so think about the practicality of your choices when it comes to shopping for your next set”. 

Alternatively, if you haven’t got the budget to buy new, you could give tired wooden chairs or a bench a creative coronation makeover with a lick of paint. You could even create a golden ‘throne’ for a guest of honour as a last-minute coronation party idea.

Your garden party guests are sipping your signature cocktail, choosing their favourite cheese and sitting comfortably on your new garden furniture. Next, how about some regal rhythms to really set the scene? 

If you want to emulate the official proceedings at Westminster Abbey, then Classic FM has published a list of the 12 new pieces of music King Charles has personally commissioned. Each piece puts British composers and performers in the limelight. That list can be found here, along with the full order of service.  

If you’re looking for music that’s a little more upbeat, King Charles also previously revealed some of his favourite songs during a hospital radio show. This was broadcast as part of a national Thank You Day in 2021, celebrating those who helped during the pandemic. 

The full list, reported by the BBC, is: 

• Givin’ Up, Givin’ In – The Three Degrees 
• Don’t Rain on my Parade – Barbra Streisand 
• La Vie en Rose – Edith Piaf 
• Upside Down – Diana Ross 
• The Voice – Eimear Quinn 
• The Click Song – Miriam Makeba 
• You’re a Lady – Peter Skellern 
• La Mer – Charles Trenet 
• Bennachie – Old Blind Dogs 
• Lulu’s Back in Town – Dick Powell 
• They Can’t Take That Away from Me – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 
• Tros y Garreg/Crossing the Stone – Catrin Finch 
• Tydi a Roddaist – Bryn Terfel 

Of course, you could always take a more literal, light-hearted approach to a regal playlist, featuring songs from Prince, Queen or Kings of Leon. Or, for a bit of anarchy, there’s the Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen!