The coronation of King Charles III will be attended by approximately 2,000 people and cost somewhere in the region of £1.57 million—that’s nearly $2 million US. And on top of the hour-long lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, the ascent of Charles and Camilla to the throne will be marked by a coronation concert.
The event will be headlined by pop stars (and American Idol judges) Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. The line-up for the concert will also include the British band Take That, singer-songwriter Freya Ridings, opera singers Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel, composer and pianist Alexis Ffrench, and pop acts Nicole Sherzinger, Olly Murs, Steve Winwood, Paloma Faith, and famous DJ Pete Tong.
However, it does seem as if many legends of the British music scene were asked to appear at the coronation concert, and declined to perform—including the first, second and third choices of headliner.
Here’s who turned down their invitation to the coronation of King Charles III.
Adele
Despite being previously included in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List and named a member of the Order of the British Empire, Adele—known for hits like ‘Hello,’ ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Easy on Me’—will not be performing at the coronation concert.
Sir Elton John
Rolling Stone reports that Sir Elton John was asked to appear on-stage at the concert, but was unable to oblige due to scheduling conflicts.
John has long held an association with the Royal Family; a personal friend of Princess Diana, he re-released his song ‘Candle in the Wind’ in her memory after her death in 1997, and attended the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. King Charles and Queen Camilla were even guests at his own wedding to David Furnish in 2005.
Harry Styles
In addition to turning down the invitation to perform at the coronation concert, Harry Styles also reportedly said no to being a musical guest at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Robbie Williams
While his former Take That bandmates will be performing at the coronation, Robbie Williams is once again going solo. Williams has previously stated his support of the royals, saying in September 2022 that Queen Elizabeth “represented Britain around the world with poise and strength,” so it is possible that scheduling conflicts are the reason for his absence.
The Spice Girls
Baby, Ginger, Scary, Sporty and Posh are famously already quite familiar with the King, with Mel B and Geri giving then-Prince Charles a kiss on the cheek at a Prince’s Trust event in 1997. However, despite a handful of reunions over the years, including a group performance at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, the Spice Girls have once again disbanded, and will not be present at the coronation concert.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
