Although a date has yet to be announced, plans for the King’s coronation – codename Operation Golden Orb – will be well underway. Just as Charles has had 73 years to prep for his new role, the behind the scenes machinery of the monarchy has had decades to figure out the best or most appropriate way to mark his coronation.
The new King has been making noises about his reign being a more modern, slimmed down affair. Will this also apply to his coronation state banquet, the slap-up feast to celebrate the ceremony? Queen Elizabeth’s coronation banquet in 1953 was a multi-day event held on both the 3rd and 4th of June in Buckingham Palace with additional evening receptions held on two nights later in the month. Some 8000 people attended including heads of state and Commonwealth representatives as well as the Royal Family.
Le diner à l’ancienne
As you might expect 70 years later, the menu for the 1953 coronation sounds very old fashioned to a 21st century audience. For a start, the menu was written in French, the official language of court. Among the dishes were ‘tortue Claire Sandringham’ or mock turtle soup; ‘délices de sole Prince Charles’ or poached sole and ‘carré d’agneau à la Windsor’, also known as roast rack of lamb. Coronation chicken, perhaps the dish most widely associated with the 1953 event, was not on the official menu but was served to guests after the ceremony.
The official banquet was washed down with Pol Roger Champagne from 1934, Chateau Lafite from the same vintage and a tawny port from 1927. One imagines that if the new King has sparkling wine at his banquet then it will likely be English rather than French.
The Royal family would have no problem providing the produce for the banquet from their own estates. The King’s former Duchy of Cornwall estate passed into the ownership of Prince William when Charles became King. However, it seems unlikely that Wills would begrudge his old man a couple of flocks of organically reared lamb for the banquet if he asked nicely.
Of course, King Charles could use the banquet to demonstrate his green credentials and eschew the carbon-heavy footprint of a meat-based menu and go veggie on the big day. That might help relations with Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex is said to be a flexitarian who tries to eat a vegan diet during the week but won’t say no to a chicken dinner at the weekend.
A millennial meal?
It is perhaps more difficult to see her hubby Harry beaming happily were he to be served smashed avo on toast at the banquet. A man who once partied naked in Las Vegas seems likely to be unimpressed by the prospect of a booze-free drinks list. Even if many of his millennial peers are opting for abstinence when it comes to the demon drink. Besides, an oat-milk smoothie might tick a Gen Z wish list but it doesn’t sound particularly regal. Especially if the alcoholic alternative on offer was along the lines of a rather more plush vintage Champagne.
Don’t be too surprised if the menu is decided by a reality TV cooking show. Forget the competition for the Platinum Jubilee or platty joobs pudding. This is the big one. The judging team will have to feature a turbo-charged line-up of crack plate fiddlers. We are talking Prue Leith, Mary Berry and Andi Oliver doing the heavy lifting while Gregg Wallace dons a Pearly King suit and pops up sporadically to poke at a hapless contestant’s abysmal ‘boeuf à la Balmoral’ and shout, ‘You’re having a bubble bath, me old china. King Chazzer ain’t gonna want to get his choppers around that!’
Feature image credit: David Iliff. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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