Coronation Day

 Borealis Saturday 6th May 2023

We were woken up at 7.30 with a breakfast tray for Albina, even though she had ordered it for 9.30. We were then both asleep. I guessed that the staff were simply keen to watch the coronation ceremony at 11am, which effectively for us was starting at 8am in our "suspended in mid-Atlantic" time zone. I switched on the TV and soon we were both immersed in the pageantry and futile beauty of it all. Irrelevant to our daily lives perhaps, yet a necessary part of what gives the UK that sense of stability. 

What in this modern era is the value of the monarchy? Perhaps three things. It makes the UK noticed world wide as a soap opera immersed in history, which is a key element of its soft power, even when its real power is so diminished. Along with the English language, Brtish fashion, British music and the BBC this makes Britain a key cultural yardstick for the world, similar to the status of Greece in the Roman World, or Paris in the Fin de Siecle. Secondly, it can safely reflect and even relish the diversification of religions and cultures in the UK without undermining the white population's occasionally fragile sense of security. The swaying gospel singers, dressed in white, certainly made a positive impact, as did the young chorister on behalf of the "children of the Kingdom of God". Thirdly, it protects us from the glorification of our politicians, where even a self-important bumptious leader like Thatcher, or Blair, or Johnson, know they only play second fiddle in the hierarchy. Apart from that the coronation gives our country the chance to look at itself in the mirror as a nation, and despite our problems and divisions, we feel self confident enough not to spit at our own image. The organization of the event was faultless in that understated British way. Yet it must be said that the king looked tired and anxious before his coronation. He was obviously pleased at its progress, judging by his smile. As for Camilla, despite this being her triumph she looked terrified, especially with the crown. At least Charles and Camilla remembered not to raise theit heads to watch the flypast. The massive thousands who came to share in the coronation moment were certainly recorded with a proper British spectacle and a proper British downpour. The coronation does start a new era, whether you call it Carolean or not, it merely illustrates that a new era is already here, where Charles is protector of many faiths, where girls and boys sing in the choir together, where those with different pigmentation of skin are now among the privileged of this land.The contradictions of a hereditary monarchy in a parliamentary democracy are not resolved by this coronation, but they are recognized and confirmed. For now. 

The coronation has affected today's programme of entertainment on the vessel with a commemorative party at the poolside from 12 noon and a Coronation Day Street Fayre from 2pm. Albina was not feeling well, but insisted that I go. To maintain British colours I put on the blue shorts I have been wearing for the last few days, with the white shirt I put on for the White Party and a red bow tie, topped with my red fez from the Egyptian night. Wierd but aptly festive. 

The Poolside had been transformed into a medieval fair with masses of stalls promoting different departments of the vessel presenting different challenges. To take them up you needed to buy tokens with real money. I bought £20 worth with my key card and tried them out at various stalls. I tried to guess the weight of one teddy, find out how many teddies were hidden in a box on another stall, put photographic images on pillows and mugs, bid for services in the spa, play a lottery with the hope of winning another cruise, or bid to buy a signed map of the world showing the route of our cruise. Or I could play human fruit machines, with 3 staff members behind a curtain, presenting a row of fruit at the roll of a drum. There were stalls with sailors' knots, with images of animals made of bath towels (from the housekeeping staff), with darts thrown at balloons, with plastic quoits to be thrown over wine bottles, with a wooden target for putting a golf ball. One brave staff member had volunteered to be a victim of a sponsored wax job, and his legs were certainly hairy. Also there were stalls selling clothes donated by other passengers, or simply left lying about in the ship and unclaimed. There was also a stall selling arty products from the pottery and drawing classes. Finally, you could pose alongside a life size cardboard model of King Charles in naval uniform. It was an impressive array of activities both silly and informative, but the key thing is that some 800 or so people participated in a true fun evening commemorating the big event of the day and with the proceeds going to the charity Heart 2 Heart. .  

It was not however the only world event of that day. The Labour Party consolidated its victory by declaring its readiness to rule, and Iga Swiatek was defeated again by Belorussian player Aryna Sabalenka. At this rate Sabalenka could overtake Swiatek for points and become the new no. 1. Now that would be depressing.

When I returned to the cabin I brought down some sandwiches to Albina from the high tea buffet. Albina seemed to be feeling a little better, as she looked at reruns of the coronation, commenting in particular on the characters she did not like, Camilla, Andrew and Harry. She exulted in the relegation of the last two to the third row in the Abbey, and looked critically at every aspect of Camilla's progress. Albina was a fan of Diana, and she belongs to the unforgiving. 

Despite the festivities it was a dull overcast day. The glass roof of the poolside was restored in anticipation of rain that evening, although Captain Stoica remained optimistic that the weather would be better when we reach Ponta Delgada in the Azores on Tuesday.   

I went to the British Rock Royalty concert put on by the Borealis Theatre Company at the Neptune Theatre. We were handed Union Jacks on our way in and many were still wearing their red, white and blue coronation Street Fayre costumes. While we waited for the show, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance was played on the loudspeker. The audience were in a patriotic frenzy cheering and waving their flags. When the show actually began with popular songs of the 60s the atmosphere calmed down while the Theatre Company put on their usual lively show with their unforgettable choreography, costumes and lighting. At the end of the show Sammee urged everyone to stand up to the National Anthem, just as we used do incinemas in the 1950s. Sammee also announced that the proceeds from the Coronation Day Street Fayre totalled £5266.30, which if added to the £950 collected so far on this cruise for Heart 2 Heart, would cover the cost of 4 new defibrillators. 

None of my colleagues turned up at 10 for the General Knowledge Quiz, so I returned to our cabin.