Cypriots generally cynical over upcoming coronation

Cypriots are disenchanted with the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, as most have said they will not even be attempting to watch the first such event in over half a century.

While some British expat communities will be holding small events to watch the event, and some are very happy to follow along, most Cypriots have told Cyprus Mail they will not be tuning in.

A 23-year-old Cypriot student studying in the UK, Andreas Neophytou said: “No. The king? What does he have to do with a modern democratic society?”

Meanwhile, the UK is preparing for a mega show, expected to be watched and attended by millions, but also protested by other members of the public.

Commenting on the extravaganza, expected to cost between £50-100m, Sophia Nicolaou, a 35-year-old marketer, said: “If I was there, I would probably throw tomatoes.”

She added that she couldn’t believe at how much this event would cost, while there are other sectors in the UK that are “taking cuts left and right.”

A recent poll carried out by YouGov revealed that 52 per cent of Londoners did not believe the Coronation should be paid for by taxpayers.

Another student in Cyprus, John Steliou, 21, told the Cyprus Mail he was not even aware it was happening on Saturday.

“I don’t follow the royal family to be honest,” he said.

One shop manager, Eleni Gypsiotou, 30, said she didn’t care about the whole coronation.

A milder take, but still without the expected enthusiasm, was given by Stefania Andreou, who said that she would watch a bit of it, but not much else.

Meanwhile, the event will be attended by President Nikos Christodoulides, invited as one of the dignitaries to follow along.

The ceremony is expected to make reference to the commonwealth of nations, among them Cyprus.

During the anointing ceremony, which is considered sacred, a covering will be placed in front to keep it out of the view of the public and cameras. The covering is said to have a tree stitched on, with the leaves containing the name of country in the commonwealth, including Cyprus.

However, the state broadcaster CyBC will not be showing the coronation on their channels, while other foreign media, mostly American would be streaming live.

On Wednesday, the UK government decided that anti-monarchy groups will be allowed to protest at the King’s coronation.

Republic, which campaigns to abolish the monarchy, accused the home office of sending an intimidatory message, as the police operation is expected to be on a massive scale on Saturday.

The operation around the coronation will be one of the largest in the history of the Metropolitan Police, with protests and any threats to crowds to be closely monitored.

The guest list for the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on May 6 is expected to be around 2,000-strong.

Fellow monarchs from Europe, including King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, will also attend the ceremony, while foreign leaders from other countries are set to have an almost centre-stage seat adjacent to where the royal family will be sitting in Westminster Abbey.

Among the leaders set to attend with Christodoulides, according to reports in the UK, are French President Emmanuel Macron, US First Lady Jill Biden, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, all pegged to be sitting in the same area.