Coronation concert: William says he is 'so proud' of his father King Charles

By Lauren Turner

Prince William addressed the crowds and paid tribute to his father at the Coronation concert held at Windsor Castle.

The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to his "Pa" King Charles the day after the Coronation, saying the late Queen Elizabeth II would be "a proud mother".

Addressing the crowds at Windsor Castle for the Coronation concert, William said his grandmother was "up there, fondly keeping an eye on us".

He said this weekend was "so important" because it was all about service.

Highlighting King Charles' achievements over the last 50 years, William said: "Pa, we are all so proud of you."

And the heir to the throne made his own vow to the nation, saying: "I commit to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth."

King Charles and Queen Camilla - colour-coordinated in blue, with the Queen in a royal blue jumpsuit - smiled and waved their own flags during the performances.

The Princess of Wales attended with her and William's oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince Louis, who has just turned five, stayed at home after his busy day at the Coronation on Saturday.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were seated near the King and Queen, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak behind them. The Duke of York, Andrew, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also attended, as did Zara Tindall and her husband Mike.

The crowd was made up of 20,000 people who got tickets in a public ballot, with many more watching the performances from the likes of Katy Perry and Take That on BBC One and BBC Radio 2.

A message from the King was played at the start of the concert, saying he pledged to serve with loyalty, respect and love - no matter people's backgrounds or beliefs.

Pete Tong Ibiza Classics featuring Vula and Jerub opened proceedings with Rudimental's I Can Feel the Love.

Host Hugh Bonneville - the Paddington and Downton Abbey actor - addressed the royal guests and acknowledged the King's love of the arts, joking that he was "the artist formerly known as prince".

The concert also featured maestro Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel collaborating on You'll Never Walk Alone, Olly Murs, who sang Dance with Me Tonight, with spoken word pieces amidst the music.

Cold Feet actor James Nesbitt performed work by poet Daljit Nagra, while fashion designer Stella McCartney spoke about conservation.

There were video cameos from a range of stars, including British acting legend Joan Collins, former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, artist Tracey Emin and Welsh singer Tom Jones - all of them recounting little-known facts about the monarch.

The King seemed to enjoy a skit involving Bonneville and The Muppet Show stars Kermit and Miss Piggy, in which Miss Piggy said "King Charlesy Warlesy" was expecting them in the royal box.

And Top Gun actor Tom Cruise performed a stunt in a plane in a pre-recorded segment - telling the King he could be his wingman "anytime".

Members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and the Royal Opera also took part in the show.

The royal patronages came together for the first time, with a one-off performance from Romeo and Juliet featuring actor Ncuti Gatwa - the new Doctor Who - and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac.

Members of the Royal Family were seen dancing and singing along to Lionel Richie's All Night Long - with even the King getting to his feet, as did the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, and Zara and Mike Tindall.

William's speech on stage came immediately after Richie's performance - with the prince referring to the US singer-songwriter's hit, saying: "I won't go on all night long", which drew a laugh from his father.

In his speech, William thanked everyone for making it "such a special evening" before turning to the significance of the weekend.

"As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future," he said. "And I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. She would be a proud mother.

"For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message. Service."

He said that after entering Westminster Abbey for Saturday's service, the first words spoken by his father were his pledge to continue to serve.

"For over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected," William said.

Queen Camilla and King Charles III who is acknowledging the applause during the Coronation Concert.

He praised the King for warning about damage to the environment "long before it was an everyday issue", and for his work with the Prince's Trust, the charity Charles set up which supports young people.

"Perhaps most importantly of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported," he said.

"Pa, we are all so proud of you."

The prince gave his thanks to those who serve "in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities" before offering his own vow of service.

He finished by saying "God save the King", which was repeated loudly by the crowd before the national anthem was sung.

Similar concerts - like last June's Platinum Party at the Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne, and the Golden Jubilee concert a decade previously - had been held with Buckingham Palace as the backdrop.

But this time, it was Windsor Castle's turn to host, with the event staged in the east terrace of the castle.

The stage resembled the union jack flag, with catwalks jutting out from the centre, and creating multiple levels for the 70-piece orchestra and band.

There were projections on the castle itself as darkness fell - with more projections across the UK, on venues including the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Blackpool Tower and Edinburgh Castle. And there was the first multi-location drone show to be staged in the UK, with 1000 drones in formation: a Welsh dragon, spanning 140m, was seen in Cardiff, while a watering can was seen over the Eden Project in Cornwall.

- BBC