Stephen Fry leads stars’ tributes after ‘magnificent’ service
STEPHEN Fry has praised the “magnificent” coronation service as he was joined by other famous faces including Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sirs Paul McCartney and Elton John in congratulating the King and Queen.
Fashion designer Victoria Beckham and her husband, former England footballer David, also paid tribute on social media to Charles and Camilla as the royal couple were crowned at Westminster Abbey.
Fry, who was among the more than 2,000 guests at the ceremony, told the PA news agency: “I thought the service was magnificent.
“I mean truly wonderful. The music to start with was just inspiring, both the real kind of hammer-blow classics, the principal one I suppose has to be Handel’s Zadok The Priest at the time of the anointing because it quotes a passage of the Bible, which is exactly consonant with this idea of anointing. And it just has this power that only Handel could muster – it’s similar to his Hallelujah Chorus, you know, just has this phenomenal sort of depth and force to it.”
He added: “It was very moving and the King looked vulnerable, which all monarchs do when they’re being crowned, they’re being encumbered with all these symbols and all this heavy cloak and this sceptre, the orb, the heavy crown, which means he can barely move.
“And in a strange way, I’m sure not deliberately originally, but it’s kind of symbolic of the encumbrances in life that you have if you’re a monarch, so it’s a very touching ceremony.
“He’s quite lonely somehow – as the Queen was if you watch the 1953 coronation – but I feel very lucky to have been there.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones offered her love and support to the royal couple on the historic day.
Alongside a series of images of her meeting Charles, she wrote: “God Save the King. God bless the Queen. All my love to King Charles and Queen Camilla.
“Right now I am here in Britain, in my best robe, eating scones with clotted cream and drinking copious amounts of English breakfast tea as I await history being made.”
Beatles star Sir Paul posted a picture on Instagram of him and Charles on stage together, writing: “Enjoy this special day in our country’s history”.
Music veteran Sir Elton shared a photograph of the King donning royal regalia as he congratulated him in an Instagram post.
It was previously confirmed to Rolling Stone magazine that Sir Elton had been asked to play at today’s coronation concert but could not “due to scheduling issues”, with the musician on his Farewell Yellow Brick Tour.
Victoria Beckham posted: “Today is a truly historic day and I’m incredibly humbled to celebrate King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they embark on their new roles. VB”.