Watch my interview with the BBC on my Coronation experience here
A few weeks ago I received an email with an invitation to the Coronation, I was convinced they had got the address wrong and after some clarification discovered that Isobel and I had been invited as a guest of the Royal Household Patronages. We were to watch the Coronation procession from the grandstand at the Queen Victoria Memorial. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
King Charles has always been a Rural Champion. He was a pioneer of Organic Farming practices on the farm he rented at Home Farm in Cirencester, well ahead of his time and now leads the way on regenerative, sustainable farming. As the 'landlord' of the 52,000 hectare Duchy of Cornwall estate he stewarded the hundreds of farming families who call the estate home, supporting them to become profitable, productive and nature conscious farms.
Responding to the needs of the rural communities, in 2010 he setup the Princes Countryside Fund which has given out £11.2 million to farmers and rural communities. PCF's programs like the Farming Resilence training support farmers to become more profitable and productive, securing the families farms future. We are told that King Charles has specifically requested farmers to attend the Coronation which is why we received an invitation.
The Coronation itself was an incredible celebration of Britain and the Commonwealth. We joined 4,000 other invitees of the Royal Household, due to the procession we needed to be in our seats by 8:30am and weren't allowed to leave till 15:00. Being a truly British event, it of course rained the entire day, however the atmosphere was fantastic. The coordination of the police, multiple regiments, calvary and commonwealth soldiers was beautiful, the fly-past was the icing on the cake. We returned home late in the evening full of joy and hope for our wonderful Nation.
After years of political wrangling, pandemic strife and the death of her Majesty, it was wonderful to come together to celebrate the Coronation of the King.
God Save the King.
