Traveling from Canada, Australia, France and beyond, many international royal fans are celebrating the coronation of King Charles III by heading to London, a city that knows how to capitalize on its most famous residents.
“It’s a dream come true!” explained Ludivine Decker, a 24-year-old Frenchwoman, a few days before her departure for London.
Originally from Metz in the north-east of France, the communicator will make the trip alone because her friends do not share her passion for the British royal family.
Too young to visit the UK for William and Kate’s wedding in 2011 and still a student during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee last year, the coronation is ‘a now or never’ time to attend a royal celebration , she told AFP.
She plans to watch on one of the giant screens set up in the heart of the capital and be outside Buckingham Palace to see the King and his close family make an appearance on the balcony.
Decker expects a “festive” and “family” atmosphere, and will stock up on souvenirs for this historic event.
London already welcomes millions of international tourists each year and could attract 250,000 more for the crowning glory, according to the Center for Retail Research.
They are expected to spend more than £322m ($401m) on accommodation, food, shopping and attractions.
Anna Bloomfield, an Australian in her 40s, had already arrived in London before the ceremony.
She admires King Charles “for all he had to go through just to be part of the royal family”.
Bloomfield has packed a tent for its own endurance test – waiting in all weathers to secure a prime spot to watch the royal couple go by.
Kathryn, a 54-year-old executive assistant from Toronto, Canada, can’t wait to experience “the pomp and ceremony that the British are famous for”.
The royal fanatic also wants to ‘show my support’ for Charles.
“He has already shown his desire to modernise, to streamline, to reduce excess and to make the modern royal family resemble the cultural and religious makeup of Britain today,” he said. she stated.
“He’s open-minded, environmental, he lives in his time,” added Decker, who praised the “humanity” of Charles’ charities.
Unique experience
Demonstrating Coronation craze, European travellers’ internet searches for flights to London over Coronation weekend are 65% higher than for the same weekend in 2022, and 105% for hotels, according to the data from the American search engine Kayak.
And “the French seem to be the most interested,” the company added, with Americans making up the bulk of visitors outside Europe.
According to Patricia Yates, chief executive of Visit Britain, which promotes tourism, the coronation’s boost to the country’s drawing power is immeasurable.
“Millions and millions of people will see the coronation on their televisions and hopefully be inspired to come to London to see the royal residences…and see the special exhibitions held there,” she said. told AFP.
They include royal robes at Kensington Palace and special wax figures at Madame Tussauds, while hotels and cafes will serve a special coronation “afternoon tea”, and many shops will sell souvenirs at the effigy of the royal family.
About 600,000 people visited Buckingham Palace after William and Kate’s wedding to see the wedding dress on display, Yates recalled.
Added to this is “a real appetite for international travel, and an appetite for experience” following the Covid-19.
“And what better experience than… seeing a monarch being crowned,” she added.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
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