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From Ibiza classics to opera via Olly Murs and Disney’s Mulan – if the King wanted diversity to be the buzzword of the coronation, the eclectic concert line-up certainly lived up to it.
It went down a treat with the audience – from Prince George and Princess Charlotte waving their Union flags in the front row of the royal box to the cheering crowd.
The King and Queen were joined by about 20,000 members of the public at the musical extravaganza, which opened with Feel The Love by Rudimental – a track handpicked by the King himself.
BBC Radio 1 DJ Tong revealed he had suggested a few options, and that one had come back with the King’s seal of approval.
Olly Murs kept the energy high with his hit song Dance With Me Tonight before the 300-strong coronation choir took to the stage to sing Brighter Days by Emeli Sande.
Street parties, royal walkabouts and the coronation concert: the day as it happened
Lionel Richie performs on stage during the Coronation Concert
Olly Murs set the tone for the concert with a dynamic version of his hit Dance With Me Tonight
Nicole Scherzinger performing at the Coronation Concert
The crowd roared as Nicole Scherzinger joined pianist Lang Lang to sing Reflections from Disney’s Mulan. Before the performance, Scherzinger told Sky News it was a “big song to sing”.
For the King, one of the high points of the concert appeared to be Lionel Richie’s performance, which got him to his feet.
Prince William couldn’t resist cracking a Lionel Richie joke as he took to the stage after the star, quipping that he wouldn’t go on “all night long”.
The Prince of Wales said his grandmother would be a “proud mother” on the King’s coronation weekend, saying the late Queen is “fondly keeping an eye on us”.
“Pa, we are all so proud of you,” he continued, before ending his speech with the rallying cry of the weekend: 2God save the King!”.
Katy Perry dedicated her performance to the King and his work with the Prince’s Trust
The national anthem followed and the King smiled and waved to the crowd at the end.
Host Hugh Bonneville injected a dose of humour into the proceedings, raising a chuckle as he referred to the King as the “artist formerly known as prince”.
The appearance of Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog sparked huge laughter from the King and the Prince of Wales, and even a chuckle from Prince George.
Dressed in a regal gold gown, Katy Perry brought the crowd to their feet with her rendition of Roar – performed below an enormous lion lighting up the sky – and Firework, which she dedicated to the King.
Paloma Faith performed Lullaby at the Windsor concert as towns and cities across the country were lit up in honour of the King’s coronation.
The displays included the Welsh dragon, spanning 140m, which beamed into the sky above Cardiff, while a watering can hovered above the Eden Project’s famous Biomes in Cornwall.
Take That brought the night to a roaring close with their first performance in four years – although Robbie Williams was nowhere in sight.
The Royal Family clapped along to Greatest Day, Shine and Never Forget and the King and Queen held up their Union flags as the concert came to a close.
Read more from the King’s coronation:
Some of the best pictures from Big Lunch celebrations
Prince Harry arrives back in Los Angeles for Archie’s birthday
The emotional moments from the King’s coronation
Pic: AP
Top Gun star Tom Cruise also appeared via a pre-recorded video at the Windsor show, calling the King his “wingman”.
Appearing in his Warbird plane as it flew through the clouds, he said: “Pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” before saluting and banking off.
He appeared in a video which also featured messages from Pierce Brosnan and Bear Grylls.
