By Mark Gray
6:08pm PDT, Apr 28, 2023
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King Charles III is getting tuned out. Although the British sovereign's coronation should, in theory, be an event with massive worldwide appeal, the monarchy struggled to find artists interested in performing at a May 7, 2023, extravaganza celebrating the new king one day after his crowning. In fact, Rolling Stone reported that a number of British pop artists turned down the opportunity to provide the entertainment — a stunning break from royal events of the past in which stars would essentially beg to perform. "The royal family has faced a number of PR disasters in recent times, and anyone performing at the show would have to consider whether there would be a backlash from appearing amongst their fans," a rep for several British acts not performing — including two One Direction members — told the magazine.
However, with just a few weeks to go before the coronation concert at Windsor Castle, the BBC — which is producing the coronation concert — on April 14, 2023, finally confirmed the well-known music stars who had agreed to perform.
Keep reading to see who they are, and to see which artists reportedly turned down offers to take the stage during the coronation concert…
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Pop star and "American Idol" judge Katy Perry — who's served as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, a charity co-founded by King Charles III to tackle poverty and transform lives in South Asia, since 2020 — is one of the music stars confirmed to perform at the coronation concert on May 7, 2023. In a chat with "Extra," she noted how excited she was. "I might be posting a lot because I'm gonna be in a castle, for real. This is wild," she said. The pop star said she got a "very regal" invitation to sing. "It was like a cursive I have never seen [before]," she said. "I loved it."
MORE: The best photos from the first months of King Charles III's new reign
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Singer and "American Idol" judge Lionel Richie — who was appointed as the first global ambassador and the first chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for the Prince's Trust in 2019 — will be taking the stage at King Charles III's coronation concert on May 7, 2023.
"It's an honor," the "All Night Long" singer told "Entertainment Tonight" of being asked to perform for the new monarch. "I mean, first of all, when you've been in the business a long time, and, of course, when you get an invitation like this, the answer is absolutely. [Charles and I] been friends a long time, I've known him a long time, but to be asked is the whole thing."
MORE: The first 29 British royals in the line of success behind King Charles III
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The reunited '90s English boy band Take That — which these days is the trio Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen — will perform at the coronation concert for King Charles III, marking their first live show since 2019.
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Sir Bryn Terfel will sing a Welsh language song titled "Coronation Kyrie" at the coronation of King Charles III, the BBC reports. Buckingham Palace said the performance will be the first in the Welsh language at a coronation.
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Brit Freya Ridings will perform alongside a 74-piece orchestra. Although the song is unannounced, she told the Evening Standard that it will highlight the environment, "which is a cause close to the King's heart." This actually won't be the first time the singer-songwriter has performed for royals. "I had done a couple of charity benefits with Prince William and Princess Catherine in the past and I thought that might be why — I thought they put in a good word for me but it turns out not," she said. "It turns out they wanted me to sing this song."
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Composer and pianist Alexis Ffrench tweeted that he's "honoured to be a part of this iconic moment." In an interview with the Evening Standard, he said, "There is surely no more joyful event than celebrating a new king," adding that being asked to perform was a "real pinch-me moment."
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Elton John passed on performing at King Charles III's coronation due to scheduling conflicts, his team confirmed. The "Rocket Man" singer is close with the royals. Charles and Queen Consort Camilla even attended the civil ceremony when Elton legally married longtime partner David Furnish in 2005.
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The Spice Girls were reportedly asked to perform for King Charles III's coronation but declined. Interestingly, one Spice Girl has history with the king. Back in 1997, Geri Halliwell kissed then-Prince Charles on the cheek at an event. The innocent smooch was a huge break in royal protocol and etiquette and was considered scandalous at the time.
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Adele was reportedly asked to perform at King Charles III's coronation, but she refused. "The pomp and money this coronation is costing doesn't represent her values at all," an Adele superfan told Rolling Stone. "She's for the 'everyday person,' and the everyday younger person in London doesn't rate the royal family anymore."
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Harry Styles was reportedly asked to perform for King Charles III's coronation. He said no. In speaking about both Harry and Adele, a top British music publicist told Rolling Stone, "For them right now, storytelling is really important. These big symbolic associations carry a lot of weight and literally go down in history books in bold and underlined. I can understand why there'd be a big PR discussion around artists doing it or not."
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British pop star Robbie Williams was reportedly asked to perform at King Charles III's coronation, but he's declined.
