Royal concerts are usually a glorious mash-up of British and international music with the aim of pleasing anyone and everyone’s musical tastes, and the Coronation Concert, held in the grounds of Windsor Castle to 20,000 flag-waving fans, certainly did not disappoint.
Here are my top five takeaways from the night:
Lucy Illingworth performs on stage during the Coronation Concert on May 07, 2023 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The most moving performance of the night came from 13-year-old Lucy Illingworth, a blind and neurodivergent pianist who stunned the crowds with her rendition of Bach's Prelude in C Major.
The pianist, who is part of Queen Camilla's patronage the Amber Trust, was born with cancerous tumours in her eyes and is largely non-verbal. The newly crowned King and Queen were left speechless and visibly moved by the incredible performance.
The Coronation Choir gave us probably the most stirring performance of the night. The 300-strong choir made up of the best amateur choirs from up and down the UK, including a deaf choir, LGBTQ2S+ choirs, health-care worker choirs and refugee choirs, performed the Emelie Sande track "Brighter Days."
The Commonwealth virtual choir involved singers from more than 40 Commonwealth countries who submitted their participation via video. They sang along to Steve Winwood and his hit "Higher Love."
If that doesn’t make you want to join your local choir, then nothing will.
Tiwa Savage performs during the concert at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Sunday, May 7, 2023, celebrating the coronation of King Charles III. It is one of several events over a three-day weekend of celebrations. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
Nigerian Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage looked absolutely incredible in a green gown designed by Lanre Da Silva, singing "Keys to the Kingdom." That's the track she recorded with fellow Nigerian singer Mr Eazi, from Beyonce’s album, "The Lion King: The Gift."
Savage performed accompanied by an orchestra that included violinists, drummers, and backup singers who sang in the Yoruba language.
“It’s truly an honour to be representing Africa and the Commonwealth at such an historic event. I look forward to joining the celebrations and bringing Afrobeats to Windsor Castle for the first time,” Savage said ahead of the concert.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Savage moved to London at the age of 11. After graduating from the University of Kent, she found herself back in Nigeria in the early 2010s to make her mark in the emerging Afrobeats scene and since then she has produced four hit albums and 23 singles.
Take a bow, Queen.
Two unexpected guests more than stole the show – yes, I am talking about Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The famous couple turned up with host Hugh Bonneville, made a myriad of inappropriate jokes and insisted they should be shown to the Royal box where their seats were, whilst the Royal family looked on, absolutely loving it.
Charlotte and George appeared to be big fans too, and giggled whilst Miss Piggy left our host Hugh a little red in the face. Later, whilst British pop group Take That did an epic performance of their hit "Never Forget," Kermit the Frog was caught by the cameras in the cutaway of the night throwing a few shapes.
The Muppets at the Coronation Concert --- who would have thought it?
WINDSOR, ENGLAND - MAY 7: Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks on stage during the Coronation Concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 7, 2023 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau-Pool/Getty Images)
Prince William made a poignant and simple speech during the concert, saying his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II would be looking down on Coronation with pride, and expressing his own pride for his "Pa" and his dedication to service.
He also led the audience in a resounding cheer of "God Save the King." The best part of the speech, for me, was his resounding dad joke and the beginning of the speech when he said unlike Lionel Ritchie he wouldn’t be here “all night long”.
And he wasn’t wrong. He kept the speech short and sweet at under two minutes so he could get back to dad-dancing (on the ceiling).
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of "difficult" negotiations has led to a "final offer" with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.
According to the minister of forestry and parks, Alberta is experiencing "heightened wildfire risk" this year, with 148 fires already extinguished and more still burning.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
Kenya's military chief, Francis Ogolla, died in a helicopter crash in the western part of the country on Thursday, President William Ruto announced in a televised address.
Nigerian soldiers rescued a woman who was abducted by extremists a decade ago while she was a schoolgirl in the village of Chibok, the army said Thursday. Her three children were also rescued.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A moderately strong earthquake struck central Turkey on Thursday, the country’s disaster management agency said, causing damage to some buildings. There were no immediate reports of any deaths or serious injuries.
Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year's prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with a depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza, a heartrending photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece.
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a 'fraud' for portraying himself as a friend of the working class, the head of the country's largest labour organization said Thursday, urging unions to do everything they can to expose him before the next federal election.
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
The Ottawa Hospital is hoping artificial intelligence will help reduce physician burnout and increase access to care for patients.
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
An ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a tonne, researchers reported Thursday.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
For the most part, Taylor Swift has kept a lot of details about the album close to the chest, but as cryptic as she’s been while rolling out her 11th studio album, there are still some things we can glean about 'The Tortured Poets Department' from Swift herself.
A Manitoba teacher is selling off his colossal board game collection that he’s amassed through more than a decade of scouring thrift stores, pawn shops and garage sales.
Solving a longstanding construction worker shortage will be key to boosting housing supply, experts say, as Canada's national housing agency continues to forecast housing start levels that fall short of growing demand.
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Google has fired 28 employees involved in protests over the tech company's cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, according to statements from the company and campaigners.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Ten beagles rescued from animal testing in the United States arrived in Alberta on Wednesday, thanks to a Canadian charity.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
The NFL draft will be offensive. We’re not talking about hurt feelings. This draft has the potential to set a record for most offensive players selected in the first round.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Calls for action against Israel in international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas will be stepped up by Palestinian officials at the annual FIFA congress next month.
Tesla will ask shareholders to reinstate a US$55 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a judge in Delaware this year and to move the electric car maker's corporate home from Delaware to Texas.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
As predicted, a new proposal to charge for parking at Vancouver's Spanish Banks Beach has been met with swift backlash from the community.
Police are warning the public against replica firearms in open spaces after officers were called about two men who allegedly had a gun near a North Vancouver construction site earlier this week.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Toronto police are investigating a stabbing in Etobicoke that left one person dead Thursday afternoon.
Gas prices jumped an average of 14 cents per litre overnight in the GTA, climbing to levels not seen in nearly two years as the switch from winter fuel to a more expensive summer blend pushes up the price at the pumps.
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
A Medicine Hat family physician has been sanctioned by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta after being found guilty of sexual touching of a vulnerable patient.
A Calgary woman who won $1 million on a Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball draw says she hasn't been able to sleep in days.
The driver killed in a head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when the vehicle collided with a second vehicle, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
The suspect accused of murdering six people at a home in Barrhaven made another brief court appearance Thursday afternoon.
The head of the National Capital Commission remains optimistic that the Ottawa Senators will eventually build an arena at LeBreton Flats, but he says there is a Plan B if the hockey club decides to go elsewhere.
The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is celebrating what it calls a 'significant win' in court after a judge stayed parts of Quebec's language laws that apply to English school boards across the province.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Motorists are facing higher prices in many parts of Quebec as gas stations switch from winter to summer gasoline.
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According to the minister of forestry and parks, Alberta is experiencing "heightened wildfire risk" this year, with 148 fires already extinguished and more still burning.
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Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says an agreement in principle has been reached on a new contract for public school teachers.
The case of the teen charged in the death of Tyson MacDonald in southeastern Prince Edward Island has once again been adjourned.
Nova Scotia's opposition parties are calling for the justice minister to resign after he said domestic violence is not an "epidemic."
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The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating a homicide in the city’s North End on Thursday morning.
The Mobile Overdose Prevention Site operated by Sunshine House has been in operation since late 2022, and now a report is being released sharing the results of its first year.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of "difficult" negotiations has led to a "final offer" with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.
A letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon is calling on the provincial government to reduce money spent on out of province travel nurses and further support homegrown health-care staff.
Attendees are concerned the provincial government is not properly consulting First Nations on a number of issues such as hunting and trapping laws, crown land sales, as well as forestry and environmental affairs.
Don’t be alarmed if you see some strange new creatures in Waterloo Park.
Gas prices across Ontario have spiked to levels not seen in nearly two years as the switch from winter fuel to a more expensive summer blend pushes the price at the pumps.
People living in the community of Ayr say they are dealing with a safety concern due to transport trucks travelling through their downtown.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of "difficult" negotiations has led to a "final offer" with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.
A Saskatchewan village and a contractor it hired are facing significant fines after conservation officers discovered they dumped demolition waste at an illegal landfill.
The RCMP says the spring storm that dumped piles of snow and whipped up high winds in many parts of Saskatchewan has led to a series of car crashes.
WARNING: Please be aware that some details of this story are upsetting. An animal cruelty investigation is underway in northern Ontario after a box of dead puppies was found at a landfill site, police say.
The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Members of London Acorn chanted slogans and called for urgent action from all levels of government to prevent the loss of affordable housing units.
A 42-year-old South Bruce man is facing charges after a weapons call in Kincardine last month.
Speaking in Muncey on Thursday, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones said $6.4-million will help people in London, Lambton and Chathamk-Kent.
Emergency crews freed one person trapped in their vehicle after a collision involving a transport truck on Highway 12 in Orillia Thursday afternoon.
A Barrie police officer charged with discreditable conduct following an OPP investigation made a court appearance via teleconference on Thursday morning.
Police advise vehicle owners to be cautious about selling privately after a recent incident where the seller did everything right when faced with a scammer.
Two parents and a personal support worker in Windsor have been charged in connection to the death of a 29-year-old woman. On April 19, 2022, police were called to a home in the 2600 block of Meadowbrook Lane near Lauzon Parkway for an 'unresponsive female.'
One person has been taken to hospital after Windsor fire crews responded to a house on Alexis Road. The call came in shortly after 12 p.m. and multiple units responded.
Damage is estimated at $300,000 after a house fire in the Fontainebleau area.
A Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf with her violin, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks.
Mounties near Victoria say they arrested an intoxicated man who was threatening people with a knife Tuesday on the Galloping Goose Trail.
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.
An Alberta woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on a highway north of Coaldale, Alta., on Wednesday morning.
A 65-year-old northern Ontario woman says her winning lottery scratch ticket is the best present she has ever received.
A northern Ont. city councillor says she fears many women will go without the proper health care after town loses access to mobile cancer screening.
For the next several months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie will be cracking down on people who improperly use accessible parking spaces.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
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