The coronation of Charles III in a neighborhood near you

While all eyes will be on Westminster Abbey on Saturday for the coronation of King Charles III, the celebrations will not be confined to the heart of the City of London. Sign of the continued presence of the monarchy or simply the desire of citizens to be part of history with a capital H, block parties will take place all over the United Kingdom and in the countries of the Commonwealth. To give the lavish ceremony a community cachet, streets will be closed to facilitate gatherings between neighbors and friends.

“Whether you are for or against the monarchy, it is still a historic event. We may not have the opportunity to relive it in our lifetime. »

Geneviève Labbé, a Quebecer who has worked in London for 14 years, will go to a casual brunch with friends, mostly Canadians, on Saturday to watch the event on television, in the Putney district, in the suburbs of London.

Almost all of his acquaintances and work colleagues go to such parties, in the form of BBQs at friends’ houses or events organized in London pubs. His apartment building organizes one in the inner courtyard, just like the private golf or business clubs frequented by the financial elite of the city. City.

“I’m not a monarchist,” she laughs, even though her son is also called Charles. Like many of those close to her, she becomes aware of the rarity of the event, a centuries-old tradition, and wants to witness it: “to be part of it”, she says.

A little as if the England team went to the final of the Football World Cup: everyone would be in the street celebrating, even those who are far from being fans of the sport, illustrates t -She.

They will of course be thousands to gather throughout the procession on Saturday, but not all of them can or want to go to the capital.

Neighborhood community associations organize all kinds of gatherings, such as the one in Barnes, South West London. BBQ, music, activities for children and wine tasting are on the program.

Buckingham Palace itself has prepared coronation kits with pennants, games for children, recipes, invitations and even a selection of music. The monarchy endures as long as it is celebrated rather than reviled – the palace understands this well. Thousands of community or street parties have been recorded on the official coronation site.

Beyond the British borders, parties are also preparing, without the same enthusiasm. In Quebec, unsurprisingly, no ceremonial activity is planned, and it is difficult to find events highlighting the coronation, apart from that of the English pub Burgundy Lion, which has partnered with the British Consulate General to view the coronation in a group at Montreal.

But in the east of the metropolis, a young antique dealer specializing in equestrian and English-style objects, Karine Robidas, is doing like many Britons and is organizing a chic afternoon tea at her house on Saturday with her friends. Her living room is decorated with Union Jack flags. She has carefully prepared her scones and sandwiches and brought in her high-end coronation-themed cookies from London.

But this is not a celebration of the monarchy, nor support for the institution, she says.

She’s more of a history buff: “I’m an antiques dealer,” recalls Ms. Robidas.

She is well aware that the king and the monarchy are not liked in Quebec and that the subject is controversial.

But for her, the event “goes beyond: I like or I don’t like Charles” and gossip about royal couples. It is an opportunity to celebrate one’s own passion for history, its traditions, its rituals and “to have this connection with the past. »

“This is the first time in 70 years that we have had such an event. It’s fascinating. It marks history. »

She points out that when Queen Elizabeth II died, almost every item in her online store related to the royal family was purchased. “My shop emptied” in the weeks following the sovereign’s death, she said, as if people wanted to have a souvenir.

To see in video