After her brilliant spectacle coronation from King Charles III with an ancient religious ceremony, the coronation celebrations took a more… mundane turn on Sunday, with thousands of picnics and street parties held across the UK in honor of the new royal couple.

Social gatherings, part of a British tradition known as the Great Dinner, were to bring neighbors together to celebrate the coronation even as support for the monarchy waned. Critics complained about the cost of the coronation at a time of exorbitant cost of living amid double-digit inflation.

Sunday’s celebrations included thousands of dinners, as well as a nightly concert at Windsor Castle featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Take That, a popular 1990s boy band. holiday.

The King and Queen were not expected at any of the meals, but they planned to attend a concert that would include a performance by his son Prince William, heir to the throne.

The King’s siblings, Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Anne, Princess Royal, and their spouses have taken over the duties of a grand dinner for the royal family. Edward was at Cranley and his sister was at an event in Swindon. The king’s nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, were to attend the meal at Windsor.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted US First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden at a large dinner outside his office. Other guests were Ukrainian refugees and activists.

Like other outdoor party areas, Downing Street was decorated for the occasion with the Union Jack.

Source: Associated Press.