Celebrities including Ant and Dec, Katy Perry, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson are among a host of stars in attendance at the King’s coronation.
Around 2,300 guests were invited to Westminster Abbey, including world leaders, celebrities, UK politicians, foreign royalty, everyday heroes and the royal family.
Image: Katy Perry
Image: Ant and Dec
Arriving bright and early, actor and comedian Stephen Fry was one of the first famous faces to arrive at the abbey.
I Kissed A Girl singer Katy Perry, who will perform at the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday, was one of the early US stars to arrive, wearing head-to-toe lilac.
TV royalty Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were full of smiles as they mingled in the abbey. They are currently presenting I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, but have been invited in their capacity as goodwill ambassadors for the Princes Trust.
The Geordie duo have hosted the charity’s awards 10 times and are involved in a programme to make the media industry more accessible.
Actress Dame Emma Thompson, who is good friends with the King, arrived with her husband, actor Greg Wise, chatting to other guests as they took their seats.
The Oscar-winning star wore a bold red jacket, along with her damehood medal and insignia.
Image: Dame Emma Thompson and her husband Greg Wise
Image: Singer Lionel Richie
Dame Judi Dench wore a pale lavender ensemble and brimmed hat, Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith wore blue, while Australian singer Nick Cave wore a dark suit and tie.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, best known for hit musicals including The Phantom Of The Opera, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, was also there.
Image: Andrew Lloyd Webber, his wife Lady Madeleine, and Labour leader Keir Starmer
Image: Nick Cave and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
The award-winning composer, who has written the coronation anthem, said writing the music acted as an “antidote” to his loss of his eldest son, Nicholas, in March.
Singer Lionel Richie, who will also perform at Sunday’s coronation concert, told Sky News: “This is not an everyday occurrence. I’m walking into history. This is the greatest show on earth right now. To have an invite to this is everything.”
Richie, 73, wore a top hat to mark the special occasion.
Dame Joanna Lumley, who will be commentating on the historic event for Sky News, said: “I’m so excited… saying God Save the King will be the most exciting bit. Hearing the choir, all the new songs, the old songs, will be ravishing. I’m also looking forward to seeing the Queen’s dress – it’s supposed to be spectacular!”
Other famous guests at the abbey include British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, former Play School presenter Floella Benjamin, Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones, and director general of the BBC, Tim Davey.
Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading was in the audience, as was First Lady of the United States Jill Biden, who came with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden.
US President Joe Biden did not attend, with Washington denying his absence was a snub after his four-day trip to Ireland last month.
Image: Vogue’s Edward Enninful walking into the abbey with Katy Perry
Image: First Lady Jill Biden (R) and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden (L)
Spice Girl Melanie Brown was also spotted outside the abbey, chatting to press.
David and Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Rowan Atkinson, Bear Grylls and magician Dynamo were also rumoured to be on the guest list.
The King will be crowned at Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury during a coronation ceremony dating back centuries.
Image: Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading
Image: Baroness Floella Benjamin (R)
The King’s youngest son, Prince Harry, who stepped back from royal duties in March 2020 and moved to the US with his wife, Meghan, is also expected to attend.
The event is the military’s largest ceremonial operation since Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, with 9,000 servicemen and women deployed and 7,000 of these performing ceremonial and supporting roles.
It’s a significantly slimmed-down event compared with the more than 8,000 guests at the Queen’s coronation 70 years ago.
The Salt Path author Raynor Winn’s fourth book has been delayed by her publisher.
It comes amid claims that the author lied about her story in her hit first book. Winn previously described the claims as “highly misleading” and called suggestions that her husband had Moth made up his illness “utterly vile”.
In a statement, Penguin Michael Joseph, said it had delayed the publication of Winn’s latest book On Winter Hill – which had been set for release 23 October.
The publisher said the decision had been made in light of “recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth’s health”, which it said had caused “considerable distress” to the author and her family.
“It is our priority to support the author at this time,” the publisher said.
“With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, has made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October.”
A new release date will be announced in due course, the publisher added.
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Winn’s first book, released in 2018, detailed the journey she and husband took along the South West Coast Path – familiarly known as The Salt Path – after they lost their family farm and Moth received a terminal health diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD).
But a report in The Observer disputed key aspects of the 2018 “true” story – which was recently turned into a film starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson.
Image: Raynor and husband Moth (centre) with actors Jason Isaacs (L) and Gillian Anderson (R). Pic: Steve Tanner/Black Bear
Experts ‘sceptical of health claims’
As part of the article, published last weekend, The Observer claimed to have spoken to experts who were “sceptical” about elements of Moth’s terminal diagnosis, such as a “lack of acute symptoms and his apparent ability to reverse them”.
In the ensuing controversy, PSPA, a charity that supports people with CBD, cut ties with the couple.
The Observer article also claimed the portrayal of a failed investment in a friend’s business wasn’t true, but said the couple – whose names are Sally and Tim Walker – lost their home after Raynor Winn embezzled money from her employer and had to borrow to pay it back and avoid police action.
Image: Anderson played Winn in a movie about the couple’s journey. Pic: Steve Tanner/Black Bear
It also said that, rather than being homeless, the couple had owned a house in France since 2007.
Winn’s statement said the dispute with her employer wasn’t the reason the couple lost their home – but admitted she may have made “mistakes” while in the job.
“For me it was a pressured time,” she wrote. “It was also a time when mistakes were being made in the business. Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry.”
She admitted being questioned by police but said she wasn’t charged.
The author also said accusations that Moth lied about having CBD/CBS were false and had “emotionally devastated” him.
“I have charted Moth’s condition with such a level of honesty, that this is the most unbearable of the allegations,” Winn wrote on her website.
Heaton Park, just north of Manchester City centre, is tonight hosting 80,000 fans who’ve come to see the Gallaghers’ homecoming.
“I would honestly say it’s a real cultural moment of the 21st century,” says Sam, who’s from Manchester and has come here with a group of friends – including one who has travelled from Australia for the gig.
Image: Oasis fans wear band T-shirts with the almost obligatory bucket hats. Pic: Reuters
This will be the fourth time Sam has seen Oasis play, although obviously not for many years, and he says he can’t wait for the moment the band comes on to the stage.
“The reaction from the fans, that’s going to be really special,” he says. “This band means so much to the North West.”
Like many people attending tonight’s concert, Sam is wearing a bucket hat.
Liam Gallagher’s iconic headgear has become a part of the band’s cultural legacy and they are certainly on display here, with street vendors popping up all around the park’s perimeter.
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Another fan, Dean, tells me he feels incredibly lucky to have got a ticket at all.
“I had seven devices out when the tickets were released and I didn’t get one,” he says. “And then about three days ago, a friend of mine messaged to say she couldn’t make it.
“So I made it. £120 with coach travel there and back – perfect.”
Image: Dom has flown from half a world away to be in Manchester tonight
Dom is another fan who has come from Australia for the gig.
“We’re frothing to be here, like so stoked,” he says, “The atmosphere is going to be electric.”
R&B singer Chris Brown has denied further charges following an alleged bottle attack in a London nightclub.
The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) to music producer Abraham Diaw, during a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.
Brown also denied one count of having an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place.
Image: Chris Brown arriving at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. Pic: PA
The Grammy-winning US musician last month pleaded not guilty to a more serious charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent to Mr Diaw.
The attack allegedly happened at the Tape venue, a private members’ club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on 19 February 2023.
The plea hearing is part of preparations for his five to seven-day trial, which is due to take place from 26 October 2026.
Brown’s co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 39, on Friday pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Mr Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm.
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Akinlolu, a rapper who goes by the name Hoody Baby, has previously pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Image: Brown’s co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu arrives at court. Pic: Reuters
The defendants sat side-by-side in the dock, looking straight ahead during the hearing in London.
Around 20 fans sat in the public gallery behind the dock for Friday’s hearing, with several gasping as Brown walked into the courtroom.
The Go Crazy singer was able to continue with his scheduled international tour after he was freed on conditional bail in May.
He had to pay a £5m security fee to the court as part of the bail agreement, which is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court and may be forfeited if they breach bail conditions.
Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the Tape nightclub when he was struck several times with a bottle, and then pursued to a separate area of the venue where he was punched and kicked repeatedly, Manchester Magistrates’ Court previously heard.
Brown was arrested at Manchester’s Lowry Hotel at 2am on 15 May by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.
He is said to have flown into Manchester Airport on a private jet in preparation for the UK tour dates.
Brown was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on 21 May.
The singer, who rose to stardom as a teenager in 2005, won his first Grammy award for best R&B album in 2011 for F.A.M.E..
He earned his second in the same category for 11:11 (Deluxe) earlier this year.