Why are A-list pop stars declining to perform at King Charles' Coronation?

We are less than two months away from the Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla. The Save the Date cards are about to go out, the Crowns are being resized and Westminster Abbey is getting a thorough spring clean.

But there is one issue that Coronation planners are really having to get to grips with – and I don’t mean will Harry and Meghan be in attendance (that’s an article for another day…) It’s the entertainment. Who will be warming up their vocal cords to perform for the King and Queen on their big day?

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When it comes to party planning, the Coronation Concert is pretty big. Taking place on Sunday, May 7 at Windsor Castle, staged and broadcast live by the BBC, it is the jewel in the Crown of the Coronation weekend.

Taking place the day after the pomp and ceremony of the Coronation Service and the Processions, it’s a chance for the King and Queen, the rest of the Royal Family and the nation at large to let their hair down and get into the party spirit of the weekend.

But the concert has been plagued with problems as A-list superstars have reportedly been turning down the invitation to perform for the 2,000 or so invited guests left, right and centre:

Elton John: Elton John has performed for the Royal Family before, most notably at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales but it’s thought that touring commitments mean that this time around he won’t be able to lend his voice to the occasion.

He is performing in Germany as part of his European tour only 48 hours before the Coronation so there likely won’t be enough turnaround time to be part of the concert.

Robbie Williams: He’s usually asking people to let him entertain them but this time around it looks like Robbie won’t be entertaining anyone at the Coronation Concert. His website lists his busy tour schedule, suggesting he is therefore unavailable for the King and Queen.

Ed Sheeran: Ed Sheeran performed at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant last year, singing the song “Perfect” to Queen Elizabeth II but it’s thought no such serenading will be on the cards for the Queen Consort. Ed has reportedly said that touring commitments and logistics mean he cannot be part of the celebrations this time around.

Adele: Adele is currently performing sold out shows in Las Vegas every weekend at her residency so perhaps it’s no surprise that she can’t take the time out to perform for the King and Queen at the concert.

In an email to CTVNews.ca on March 6, Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether Sir Elton John, Adele, Harry Styles and the Spice Girls were invited to perform at the event.

This reportedly comes as a huge blow to King Charles III who reportedly had Adele and Ed Sheeran at the top of his wish list. A royal source told OK! Magazine in the U.K., “He was very keen that they were part of the concert.

There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment. They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe. It’s such a shame.”

WHY ARE SUPERSTARS DECLINING TO PERFORM?

But the big question is why have so many superstars turned down the opportunity to perform at the Coronation? Entertainment expert and broadcaster JJ Anisiobi thinks there’s much more to it than “busy schedules and logistics."

"The reason I think most of these stars have declined to perform is that they are aware of the very public turn against the Royal Family,” JJ tells me.

“When the Queen died that was a massive thing for most people. For a majority of people alive today, the Queen was the only Monarch they have ever known. And with her gone we’ve now lost that doting cuddly old-grandma figure which has now been replaced by Charles.

"It’s going to take him a lot of years to build up the goodwill that the Queen had built up around the world. People are also asking the question, ‘why do we need the Royal Family?’ The U.K. is struggling with the cost of living crisis but we have a Royal Family with houses going spare. Prince Andrew and his scandal hasn’t helped. As much as I love Harry and Meghan, their public fallout with Kate and William has helped dampen the appetite for the Royals, especially amongst the younger generation.”

WHO WILL PERFORM FOR KING CHARLES?

The question now becomes – who WILL perform at the Coronation? Well, not everyone has decided that they don’t want to be a part of this historic occasion – the organizers have managed to sign up some pop royalty.

A slimmed-down version of Take That with Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are set to take part and Lionel Richie will also have everyone dancing on the ceiling when he opens the show. JJ Anisiobi thinks that old school legends like Richie could be the key to making the Coronation Concert a success.

“If someone like Adele performed at the Coronation she would get a big backlash. Ed Sheeran – also would get a backlash, it would be seen as unpopular, it isn’t Cool Britannia anymore. [The organizers] need to go for someone like Shirley Bassey, but she’s in her 90s, or someone like Enya might do it. If they are willing to pay enough money Celine Dion would do it but you’re looking at £15-20 million (Cdn$24-32.5 million).”

With less than two months to go, organizers have a huge job on their hands to make sure they get the A-listers that they so desperately need to make sure that the Coronation Concert draws the crowds and the viewing figures that they want.

The Coronation is about pomp and ceremony but making sure the Royal Family stay relevant as they move into a new era is also hugely important.