It is a royal durbar. And everyone is invited. Royalty of every hue will be present at the coronation of King Charles III. From the King and Queen of Bhutan to King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. India will be represented by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The convention demands that the President of India attend the coronation—protocol about seniority is taken very seriously. An invitation was issued to President Draupadi Murmu, but, she will not be able to attend the ceremony and Vice President Dhankhar will attend instead. Murmu was present at the funeral of the Queen last year.
The High Commissioner Alex Ellis called on the Vice President on May 3 to discuss preparations for the coronation, according to a tweet put out by the British High Commission. One of the highest ranking Indian officials in terms of protocol, Dhankhar's attendance is an indication of how important the relationship is for India.
Around 2,200 people are expected to attend. And it is almost a no-frills affair. At Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation—which was attended by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru—in 1953, there were more than 8,000 guests. Nehru’s decision to attend the coronation was criticised. India was a young country and had just thrown off its colonisers. The memory of the past was still fresh and Nehru’s interview where he seemed to term it as “pageantry’’ did not go down well. In a new India—very much now spaced at the high seat—the colonial debate only centres around the Kohinoor, which the future Queen will not be wearing.
However, Dhankar will not be the only Indian at the event. Actor Sonam Kapoor is also invited and will perform a spoken piece. She is the only Bollywood celebrity to be invited for the ceremony. "I am honoured to join the Commonwealth virtual choir for this ceremony, celebrating His Majesty's love for music and art. It's a momentous occasion that signifies a commitment to a positive, inclusive, and optimistic future for the United Kingdom, with the Choir's music paying tribute to the royal legacy and promoting unity, peace, and joy," Kapoor said in a statement.
Other performances include those from Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
