Who's watching the Coronation then? A delicious recipe to try...

Contrasting viewpoints by Aaron and David, and a delicious recipe courtesy of ChatGPT

Aaron's view

YouGov survey

A YouGov survey recently asked 'How likely or unlikely are you to watch the King's Coronation in a public place, e.g., on a big screen in a park or a pub?' Although the caveat is watching it 'in a public place', the impression gained from the survey is that few are interested. At the very least, 22% don't plan to watch the Coronation at all, whereas I answered 'very unlikely'. I'm not actively avoiding it or boycotting places with it on, but as of yet, I have no personal plans to take part in anything Coronation-related or intend to watch it.

I was not born when Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation took place in 1953, and Charles's may be the last one ever in history... should I, therefore, take part in some way? At the very least, should I watch it? I didn't watch the Queen's funeral and opted instead to record the entire event and skip through the boring religious and ceremonial parts, as well as the speeches. I pretty much only saw the marches. I think I got four hours viewing down to about forty-five minutes. I think this may be the best way forward for the Coronation.

David's view

I watched all seven hours of the Queen's funeral, including all the boring bits (the interminable funeral marches on endless repeat). My husband made us Coronation Chicken (see recipe below) for lunch and we ate marmalade sandwiches for tea, in honour of the Queen's famous tea party with Paddington Bear as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

I'm not a 'royalist', in the sense of being an avid royal-watcher, but I think every British person should watch the Coronation because of its historical interest and significance. We can, of course, argue about its religious significance, and whether we should still be having this kind of ceremony in the 21st century, but to ignore it is to miss out on a fantastic spectacle of pageantry. What a dull world it would be if we did not indulge in this kind of ceremony once in a while. No doubt a billion or more people around the world will be watching the Coronation. I'm not intending to miss out! But it is better as a communal activity. I hope Aaron will be able to spend a bit of time watching the Coronation with friends.

ChatGPT has kindly offered us this recipe (using US cup measures) for Coronation Chicken:

Coronation Chicken is a dish that was created in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2 tablespoons apricot jam

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, mango chutney, apricot jam, and lemon juice until well combined.

Add shredded chicken to the bowl and mix until chicken is well coated with the sauce.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander and sliced almonds.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve coronation chicken as a sandwich filling, with rice or as a salad topping. Enjoy!

Will you be watching the Coronation? Tell us in the comments section below!