“Something special” is how the King Charles III pub in the Norfolk village of Sporle describes itself. But on Saturday, while most patrons were supportive of the new head of state, some were more muted in their praise.
“Dunno, he’s just a king really, nothing much,” said Pat Collision, 72, the mother of one of the pub’s owners. She holds the same opinion of the late queen but says she “was lovely, quite a nice lady”.
Sporle itself was quiet on Saturday afternoon. Almost every house was splashed with red, white and blue and some even flew flags in their gardens with the king’s face. Households gathered around the TV could be seen through windows bordered with union flag bunting.
Ann Corley, 70, arrived at the King Charles III pub after watching the coronation at home. “It was absolutely fabulous from beginning to end. I was moved,” she said.
“It made me proud to be English but you know what was really lovely, and I don’t remember it from the queen’s coronation, was the amount of different denominations pledging their faiths, even imams. It was fabulous, that’s what it’s all about, bringing communities together,” she said.
“We are a multitalented, multiracial society and that’s how it should be. Let everybody be what and who they want to be with no ‘isms’.”
Janice Ball, 70, was walking her dogs, including a corgi, past the pub with her son Adam Ball, 41.
“I think Charles is going to be very good. We like his ethics, we’re animal people. I think he’s going to be a very compassionate king.
“He has a deepness and sensitivity that perhaps maybe the queen didn’t have as much of. I think he’s more in touch with the people. He done away with a lot of the pomp,” said Janice.
Scotland Yard were criticised for their heavy-handed approach to protesters during the king’s procession. Janice said: “Protesting … yeah, I guess people are within their rights to do what they do but I do agree that they should be dealt with really, spoiling it for other people.”
Alex Steel, 34, was at the pub with her husband, Joe, 34, and son Henry, 5, who said the coronation made him “happy”.
Alex said: “I do support the royal family and everything that’s British.”
“I get a nice nostalgic British feel from the whole thing but it doesn’t fuss me either way,” said Joe.
Alex says she “would like to think” the monarchy will still be around in years to come. “I feel like Prince William and Kate will modernise it.”
Robert Powley, 33, was in the pub with his partner, Amy Jefferies, 27, and their daughter, Betsie.
“It’s our first coronation and the first one for our little girl,” said Powley.
“I’m for the king, not against it at all. The royal family generates a lot of revenue for the country,” he said. For others his age, Powley said: “It’s starting to get a mixed bag but there’s more for it than against it.”
The pub has been in Sporle since the 1700s. It closed in July last year but re-opened under its new name in January.
“We didn’t realise that was going to cause quite such the stir,” says Emma Farmer, 48, one of the managers.
“We’re hoping we’ll get a visit from Charles one day. We’ve sent a letter to the palace but we haven’t had a response yet, but fingers crossed,” she said.
Emma’s mother made knitted dolls of the late queen and Charles, which sit on a window ledge in the pub. “She downsized his ears, bless him,” she said.
Emma thinks the king will “be a bit more relaxed in the way he does things”.
“Most of us here are royalists. We like and support the royal family but we know not everybody does.”
Seema Parmar, 52, is from London but was visiting Sporle. “He’s been waiting a long time for this and he’s maybe matured into his role now. Hopefully, he can do some good things.”
“[The monarchy] will always be around but whether it’ll be strong – that’s something else. It’s nice to see they’re only human and they mistakes like us but they need to be stronger as a family.”
