How To Host A Coronation Party

Are you going to host an English party for the coronation? If you’re an Anglophile like I am, you are probably excited about the upcoming coronation of King Charles lll! His coronation will be the first that most of us can remember.

Throwing an English themed party for the Coronation can be as simple as a cup of tea and shortbread, or as elaborate as an Afternoon tea party!

From a Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, to street parties in the far reaches of the globe, Britons and Anglophiles will be celebrating this once in a lifetime event.

Having lived in London in my twenties, I developed a love for all things British. Working in pubs, and restaurants, visiting the countryside of Yorkshire for shooting weekends, and Devon for beach getaways, made me fall more in love with my English roots.

I made shortbread and tea, and woke up at 4 am when I was in college so I could watch Lady Diana marry the Prince of Wales, now King Charles lll.

I recorded Kate and Prince William’s wedding, and had an evening “tea party” complete with hats and a full cream tea for a dozen friends.

When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, my daughters invited friends over for an early morning tea and warm scones and clotted cream. So you can imagine I’ll be ready for the Coronation as well! For more information about the Coronation, scroll to the bottom of the post.

What should you serve at Coronation party?

What you serve for a Coronation party depends on a few things…

Time

King Charles’s Coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6th in the morning. Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation was at 11:15 and lasted around 3 hours. The official Coronation website has not listed the exact time, but it will most likely be around that time.

The time of your party will depend on where you’ll be watching from. Since I’m on the west coast of the US, I usually have to wake up really early, or record any event that takes place in London. If you’re on the east coast, you’ll be watching it a bit later. If you’re recording the Coronation, you can plan your English party any time you wish.

Morning

The first Coronation party idea is breakfast! If you’re going watch live, you can serve breakfast. Buckingham Palace just release the recipe for Coronation quiche which I have adapted for American kitchens. One of my favorite versions of eggs Benedict is eggs Royale, which I first had in London. It’s perfect for a special ocassion breakfast or brunch.

The easy one minute Hollandaise means that if you can poach an egg, you can make Eggs Royale in the same amount of time it takes you to toast the muffins and poach the eggs. Of course you could also opt for a Scotch pancakes, or something as simple as soft boiled eggs with toast “soldiers”.

Luncheon

Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 Coronation luncheon featured none other than Coronation chicken salad, a lightly curried chicken salad with chutney and dried fruit.

There are two ways to serve it, on a bed of lettuce or field greens, or as a filling in tea sandwiches. (We’ll get to those in a minute!) Or you could have savory sausage, apple and sage hand pies or a cottage pie (shepherd’s pie). A good pub lunch might include the easy ploughman’s lunch, sausage rolls or a steak pie.

Afternoon Tea

A classic afternoon tea would be a perfect way to celebrate. First let’s clear up a few tea misconceptions! Don’t call it “High Tea”. As much as it sounds elegant, “high tea” is just the opposite. It’s generally used to mean “dinner” or “supper” and while tea would definitely be served, (it is always served in Britain), it consists of heartier dishes.

Start with pretty tea cups! I love using mismatched tea cups which are easy to find at jumble or yard sales. This tiered stand is lovely for a tea or dessert buffet.

I’m excited to be partnering with The Bee’s Knees British Imports for the Coronation! Take 10% off of any order with the code GIRLEATS. You can see their collection of fabulous mugs and tea cups here.

Here is a beautiful coronation mug .

Of course you must start with the perfect cup of tea!

The bottom of the tiered tea stand always holds the tea sandwiches. Cucumber sandwiches are a must, smoked salmon is a lovely addition, and Coronation chicken salad makes a great filling for tea sandwiches. If you’re having a lot of people for tea and don’t have enough china, these vintage paper plates and tea cups are a great idea!

More Tea Sandwich Fillings

• Chicken with apricot and tarragon
• Chicken salad with apples, walnuts & rosemary.
• Egg salad
• Chicken liver pate
• Ham and English Cheddar with horseradish butter

The second tier always has the scones. Unlike American scones, British tea scones are light and fluffy, not too sweet, and the perfect vehicle for the all-important jam and clotted cream (or clotted cream and jam)! If you prefer a savory scone, try these fluffy cheese scones.

Lastly, the top tier of the tea stand always contains little dainties, petit fours and tarts.

Here are some ideas for the “top tier” of the tea stand.

• Jam tarts
• Pistachio macarons
• Raspberry lemon tartlets
• Pink raspberry macarons

• Mango macarons
• Financier cakes
• Fig and cardamom macarons
• Mini Eclairs

• Almond cakes with raspberry swirl
• Canneles
• Vegan raspberry macarons

• French strawberry and pistachio tart
• Chocolate covered cheesecake bites
• Lemon bars

Cocktail Party

Other option for a Coronation party is a cocktail party. Of course, you’ll want to serve the Queen’s favorite cocktail, Dubonnet and Gin as well as the celebratory Kir Royale. A Pimm’s Cup or Gin & Tonic are classic English drinks. Inexpensive silver trays are a lovely way to serve drinks or hors d’oeuvre.

Hors d’Oeuvres

As far as appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, you can serve this smoked trout mousse. It is a recipe I got from a friend in Nottingham more than 40 years ago. smoked salmon cheesecake is an impressive addition to any cocktail party.

More passed hors d’oeuvres

• Crab stuffed mushrooms
• Candied cherry tomato
• Chickpea blini
• Smoked salmon crostini
• Smoked salmon vol au vents with cream cheese

• Gougères Gruyère
• Goat cheese croquettes
• Three cheese stuffed mushrooms
• Boursin stuffed mushrooms
• Herbed vegetable pancakes with lemon chive cream

Dinner

If you’re watching later in the afternoon or evening, you could serve pasta with smoked salmon. Even though it doesn’t sound English, it’s a dish that I had on more than one occasion in London. It’s elegant and very easy. Of course, it’s hard to beat a classic roast beef or roast lamb with English mint sauce

Dessert Party

Lastly, if you’re going to watch with a group later, and just want to serve English or British desserts. Here is a list of delicious possibilities.

• English trifle
• Victoria sponge
• Macaron and berry trifle

Lemon posset

Summer pudding

Matrimonial cakes

Eton mess

Chocolate biscuit cake (the Queen’s favorite cake)

• Strawberry fool
• Red, white and blueberry tart

• Ipswich almond pudding
• Sticky toffee pudding

Decorating for a Coronation Party

The decorations are the best part! There are so many fun things you can buy online. Start with some festive bunting with King Charles, or this beautiful bunting in felt. What about cupcake liners with the Union Jack or fun photo props? You can go totally “British” and use a Union Jack tablecloth or paper goods, or opt for the “tea party” look. The Bee’s Knees has a selection of Coronation items as does Amazon.

What is a Coronation?

The last British coronation was King Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth ll on June 2nd, 1953. As with the Platinum Jubilee, the festivities will happen across Great Britain, and indeed the Commonwealth, the weekend of May 6th, 7th and 8th.“A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch’s head.” (wikipedia) Also a religious ceremony, the head of the Anglican church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will conduct the service and anoint the new king’s head with holy oil.

Even though the crown technically passed to Charles the moment his mother, Queen Elizabeth ll died in September, King Charles’s coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6th at Westminster Abbey.

The Archbishop will place the five pound, solid gold, St. Edward’s crown upon the new monarch’s head. The first coronation, that of William the Conqueror, took place in Westminster Abbey over 900 years ago. King Charles lll will be the 40th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will also be crowned. Source: BBC, King Charles lll.

Who will be at the Coronation?

This is a state occasion, so the government determines who attends. Heads of state from around the world and Commonwealth will be in attendance. While Queen Elizabeth ll’s Coronation had over 8,000 guests in attendance, King Charles’s coronation is expected to have less than half that number. For more about the Coronation, visit the official Coronation website.