Having navigated our way through Easter we now head towards May which brings us not one, not two, but three Bank Holidays – fantastic I hear you cry!

It can’t have escaped your notice that the extra Bank Holiday is dedicated to the celebration of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort. But if, like me, your invitation to attend the ceremony got lost in the post then now is the time to start planning your own celebration.

One of the great things about the whole weekend is the opportunity for us to feel proud of our heritage and truly celebrate everything which this type of very British ceremony brings to everyone.

In September last year we all mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II and for many of us she was the only Sovereign we had ever known in our lifetime. Whether you were a staunch Royalist or a casual observer, she touched the hearts of every single one of us. Now we have the opportunity to witness the Coronation of His Majesty the King and participate in some way in a ceremony which has remained largely unchanged in over 1,000 years and remains the only event of its type in Europe.

Despite the tradition aspects of the ceremony I do like the little nod to the modern era with the use of what is described as a ‘relatively modern’ horse drawn carriage which has both air conditioning and electric windows……all the mod cons!

It is these little quirks, sitting alongside the fact that the King will be crowned with the solid gold, 17th Century St Edward’s Crown, which is only used at the moment of coronation that make this a truly ‘British’ affair.

I don’t know about you but I feel a little bit privileged to be able to witness this event and even though I won’t be lucky enough to attend I feel that we will all be playing our part in some way, whether that is by watching the live coverage on TV or having a street party.

A lot of wholesalers I have spoken to recently have said they intend to celebrate in style with many already getting the bunting ready to adorn the trade counter and hoisting up the banners to welcome their customers over the coming weeks – do send in your pictures as it would be great to see how you’re celebrating.

So let’s all embrace the feeling of goodwill which comes with such an occasion – it is after all an occasion which doesn’t happen often.

Tracey

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