Islington Council dishes out 70 grants to help people celebrate coronation

King Charles, pictured in 2012 when he was Prince of Wales. Photograph: Wikicommons

More people have applied for council funding for coronation celebrations than for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Islington Council looked at 80 bids for £500 to fund Big Coronation Lunch events and gave the thumbs-up to 70 of them.

Eight were rejected and two applications were withdrawn.

Town Hall bosses set aside £33,000 to help bring people together for the coronation of King Charles III, which takes place on Saturday 6 May.

Monday 8 May is a one-off extra bank holiday and the new monarch said he hopes people will get involved in community service that day.

Coronation events will be held at community centres, places of worship, parks and housing estates across Islington as people get together for a right royal knees-up.

Last June’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee saw the council receive 63 applications for funding.

Organisers had to provide details of the number of people they expected to attend, insurance details, food hygiene certificates for caterers, and information about planned activities and music.

Islington’s mayor Marian Spall will be visiting as many coronation events as possible.

She is scheduled to pop in to 31 street parties, zumba picnics and tea parties, as well as a Buckingham Palace Garden party in the days leading up to the crowning.

Spall will then join residents to watch a live stream of the coronation.