The BBC has come under fire after it emerged that the broadcaster won’t be showing coverage of the royals at the Commonwealth Day service but will air another show instead
The BBC will not be airing the royals at the Commonwealth Day service next week. Instead, those tuning into the national broadcaster will be treated to Escape To The Country.
The service, held at Westminster Abbey since 1972, has been televised by the BBC since 1989, connecting the United Kingdom and the 56 nations of the Commonwealth and its 2.7billion people. Each year, a string of senior royals attend the ceremony, with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate heading to the Abbey this year.
It’s expected that Spice Girls icon Geri Horner and Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse will give readings to the 1,800 people in attendance at the ceremony. But while the BBC usually broadcasts the service, people will see a Canadian couple be shown their dream homes in the Central Lowlands of Scotland.
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The move by the national broadcaster hasn’t gone down too well, with royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward, telling The Sun: “It’s a ridiculous and appalling decision. The BBC has been doing it for years, and it’s the most important date in the diary for celebrating the Commonwealth.
“If even the BBC doesn’t think it’s worthy to cover and celebrate despite its huge cultural significance for member states and the monarchy, then the Commonwealth could fade into irrelevance with every passing year.” However, a spokesperson for the BBC said: “Our decision not to broadcast the Commonwealth Day ceremony in the same way we’ve done in previous years reflects the difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges.
“BBC News plans to cover the service across its platforms, including the BBC One bulletins and rolling news channel.” Among the congregation will be Commonwealth high commissioners, Government representatives, young people and leading voices from the creative community. The service will feature poignant artistic moments, including the world premiere of the Commonwealth Symphony, composed by Rekesh Chauhan.
The annual service will also feature a bespoke dance collaboration between the Royal Ballet School and Sapnay Entertainments, uniting classical ballet and Bollywood in a powerful expression of cross-cultural partnership. Other performers include a Scottish ceilidh band, the Melodians Steel Orchestra and further special reflections and readings from guests.
As head of the Commonwealth, Charles issues an annual message to the 56 member-nations, which will hold their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year during the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
The service will celebrate collaboration as the defining strength of the modern family of nations, drawing inspiration from the meeting’s theme of accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous commonwealth.
The event next week will be Kate’s first outing since she and her husband William celebrated St David’s Day last week with a trip to Wales. The Prince and Princess of Wales travelled to Powys for a string of engagements, where they tore up their official schedule to greet hundreds of people who braved the rain to see them.
They travelled to The Hanging Gardens, a community hub focused on resilience and creativity, in the mid-Wales town of Llanidloes, arriving to cheers from the crowds, many waving Welsh flags and holding daffodils.
William and Kate then headed to Oriel Davies – a public contemporary art gallery in Newtown. They viewed the Hand in Hand art project, a community scheme co-produced by the gallery and Syrian and Afghan families living in Newtown and the surrounding areas.
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