King Charles Has One Surprising Regret from His Coronation Last May

King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Coronation — (Image credit: Getty)

King Charles’ Coronation last May seemed to relatively go off without a hitch—not bad, anyway, for it being the first one in 70 years—but he did have one thing he’d like to change. At a reception at Buckingham Palace celebrating the key behind-the-scenes players who made the Coronation happen five months ago, the King shared that he wished he’d brought a specific item to the Coronation Concert, held the day after his Coronation on May 7 at Windsor Castle. (Lionel Richie and Katy Perry headlined the event.)

“He said next time he would like to be closer—or bring his binoculars,” said Neil Walter, who was in charge of parking for the concert. (Spoiler alert: there won’t be a next time, Your Majesty—not one where you'll be in attendance, anyway.)

On Thursday, the King, Queen Camilla, and Princess Anne hosted a reception for both those involved in planning the Coronation and Queen Elizabeth’s funeral the September prior. Everyone from royal photographers to musical composers to government officials and volunteers were invited to be recognized for their service, People reports.

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At the reception, Walter chatted with the King, who said that he felt his seat in the royal box was too far away from the stage. The concert was attended by 20,000 people and, despite their seats being set quite a ways back from the stage, the members of the royal family in attendance—including the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte—appeared to have a great time, clapping along to the music and waving Union Jack flags, joining the rest of the crowd in standing up and dancing along to Richie’s performance of “All Night Long.”

Prince William Kate Middleton Prince George Princess Charlotte

Opera star Andrea Bocelli performed “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in a duet with Bryn Terfel—a special request from the King and Queen. “The King and Queen Consort have demonstrated their appreciation of art and good music—which are gifts from the heavens—and that, as they lift the spirit, contribute to spreading good,” Bocelli said. “This is, per se, already a reason for all of us to be excited.” Of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” Bocelli said it was “a touching, intense, and evocative score, a true tribute to solidarity.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.