The Queen Consort has launched a new award scheme that will honour “unsung heroes” in local communities at her and King Charles III’s coronation this spring.
The Royal Voluntary Service and Camilla, its president, have set up the 500 Coronation Champions Awards to “celebrate extraordinary volunteers across the country who have been contributing to their communities”.
Camilla said in a statement: “I am delighted to be launching the Coronation Champions Awards with the Royal Voluntary Service, to shine a light on the herculean efforts of our nation’s volunteers.
“Up and down the country, millions of unsung heroes are contributing to their local communities, giving generously of their time and their talents to enhance the lives of others.”
She urged people to nominate their fellow volunteers, adding: “If you know a volunteer who is making a difference, please be sure to share their story. We would love to hear about them!”
Anyone who would like to nominate a volunteer can do so if the volunteer is over the age of 14 and has “overcome adversity or discovered creative ways to support their local communities within the last five years”.
There are eight categories that people can be nominated for, including supporting older people; supporting young people and children; crisis and welfare; community; sports, culture and heritage; health and care; sustainability and the environment; and animal welfare.
The deadline to nominate a volunteer is 11.59pm on Sunday 2 April.
The King and Queen Consort’s coronation will take place on 6 May at Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Britons will be able to enjoy a bank holiday weekend on the weekend of the coronation. The bank holiday will fall on Monday 8 May.
Buckingham Palace announced earlier this year that a series of programming will take place across the long weekend, including a balcony appearance by members of the royal family, a day of volunteering, and a concert at Windsor Castle.
The coronation will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”, the palace said.
However, there have been questions surrounding whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the ceremony, following their explosive tell-all Netflix documentary and Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Recently, it was reported that the couple are “in a predicament” over attending the coronation, as Harry is considering “a million different variables” about flying to the UK.
The ceremony also falls on the Sussexes’ eldest child Archie’s fourth birthday.
