Mayor attended Coronation as Baron of Hastings

The Mayor of Hastings, Cllr James Bacon, had the honour to be invited to the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey.

James was representing the Borough of Hastings as a Baron of the Cinque Ports, along with Barons from all 14 Cinque Ports. This invite was part of ancient tradition dating back centuries at the coronations of monarchs.

The following is an account of the day from Cllr Bacon:

"The day was absolutely magical. We had a very early start and could enter the Abbey from 7:30am. We had to be immediately seated with limited access to toilets. It was one of those mornings where it wasn't worth having a tea or coffee. Myself and the other 13 Barons of the Cinque Ports enjoyed soaking up the amazing atmosphere and admiring the splendour of the Abbey. We were surrounded by a complete mix of people from all backgrounds in society, ranging from volunteers, charity workers, community champions, politicians and celebrities. The first celebrity I saw was Lionel Ritchie, followed by Ant and Dec (who I managed to get a selfie with). Singer Katy Perry was looking for a seat so we pointed out a spare one which happened to be two rows in front of me. Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak spoke from the pulpit which was three seats away from me. He had to be reminded to leave the pulpit after his bible reading.

"It really was an honour to be part of this historic ceremony in the Abbey which dates back to 1066. The Battle of Hastings was mentioned on the first line in the programme for the day.

"The music was splendid and everyone was in awe of this, along with the excitement of seeing the heads of states and representatives from other countries, former prime ministers and the royal family in all their finery.

"When the King and Queen entered the Abbey, it really became real that we were now part of our country's history. As I was sitting in the Nave, the actual ceremony and crowning had to be viewed on screens in the Abbey but we felt very much part of something important, reverent and grand.

"After the great and the good had left the Abbey, I managed to get a photo in front of the throne and have a wander around this amazing building. This was a day I will never forget and I hope I did Hastings proud.

"I hope you have all had an amazing time celebrating the Coronation with your friends, family and loved ones."