A weekend to remember as Portsmouth celebrates

Whoever said the British monarchy was losing popularity in Britain? Portsmouth and the surrounding areas have come out with a resounding thumbs up for the new King. And this has been reflected throughout the nation.

With street parties galore, there is no doubt which way the national sentiment swings.

Hundreds of families came out on Sunday to enjoy the fun at the Big Lunch in Victoria Park and the street party in Aylward Street waving their Union flags with many sporting paper crowns, particularly children.

It was the making of a perfect royal weekend with Saturday spent watching the coronation on TV and Sunday celebrating the event.

The TV on Saturday gave a minute-by-minute view of the great event – one that many of us have never experienced before and may never again.

The ceremony was steeped in history which reaches back 1,000 years. There were those ‘Game of Thrones’ moments as King Charles sat on a throne which harks back many centuries.

Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North, played a prominent role in proceedings, handing the new King his ‘sword of state’.

There are some who are still alive who experienced the previous coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. One such person is Michael Portsmouth, who we feature on page 5. He is pictured with his book on the Queen, given to him by his headmaster. It is reassuring that the popularity of the royal family is so evident among our population. There are those who would like to see it go. One dare not imagine the spectacle of a president instead of a King.

The British are the best in the world at pageantry and this weekend it was displayed in all its immaculate glory.

Long live the monarchy.