Hosted by St Peter & St Paul’s Church and Buckingham Town Council and the Mayor of Buckingham, Cllr. Margaret Gateley, a special service to give thanks for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III was held in Buckingham on Sunday 7th May.
Over 230 guests attended, including the Lord Lieutenant Countess Howe and Earl Howe; Cllr Dev Dhillon, Chairman of Buckinghamshire Council and the Chairman’s Consort, Mrs Kuldip Dhillon; Cllr. Amanda Marlow, Mayor of Milton Keynes; Lt Col David Marce, RAF Croughton and Mrs Melleive Marce; and James Tooley, Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and Cynthia Tooley.
Community Representatives including the Royal British Legion, Army Cadets and Air Cadets, Freemen and Freewomen of the town, Friends of Buckingham, charity representatives and the Chairs of Padbury and Thornborough Parish Council.
The service was let by Reverend Ope Alileye, with contributions from The Lord, Lieutenant, Countess Howe who spoke about her experience attending the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III the day before.
Readings were given by Ruth Newell, Mace Bearer, Cllr. Margaret Gateley, Mayor of Buckingham. The Address was given by the Reverend Tim Edworthy, Minister of Well Street United Church, and prayers by Captain Vanessa Coleman of the Salvation Army. A special anthem was composed by Organ Scholar, Sebastian Tucker who was inspired by biblical verse and King Charles’ well documented passion for nature. “When I think of our former Prince of Wales, I picture him walking in the Welsh mountains or in the Scottish Highlands.”
Handmade cakes by local supplier, Snap and Crumble, decorated with the Royal Insignia of King Charles III alongside refreshments provided by the team at the church, were distributed to the congregation after the Service. A collection was made in aid of the Mayor’s Charities, Buckingham Food Bank and The Jedidiah Pantry, who both support those in food poverty in Buckingham.
Cllr. Margaret Gateley, Mayor of Buckingham, said that: “It was great to be able to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III by holding this special Civic Service at Buckingham Parish Church, and to welcome so many people from our community and beyond. The Lord Lieutenant’s talk about her experiences at the Coronation Service was inspirational and brought that very special occasion closer to us. My thanks to everyone who participated in any way, and to all who came along.“