Okehampton Town Council has begun planning events to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III which is due to take place in May next year.

Councillors Christine Marsh and Allenton Fisher, who agreed to be part of the planning group at the last full council meeting, reported that Everything Okehampton had already discussed the possibility of holding a coffee morning on the day of the coronation alongside a public live screening of the event.

They reported that there had also been suggestions that the coffee morning be followed by a town centre event which could include a street party, ‘bring and share’ tea event and gifts and entertainment for the children.

At the last full council meeting when preparation for the event was first discussed, some councillors raised queries over how elaborate the celebrations should be with some pointing out that King Charles was known to prefer more understated events.

But Councillors Tony Leech and Michael Ireland pointed out that the coronation would go down in the history books and be remembered for years to come.

At the full council meeting, Cllr Leech said: ‘What this country is good at is pomp. It doesn’t matter whether you are a monarchist or a republican, it brings in a lot of people to the country and creates memories for the kids.’

Cllr Michael Ireland added his support to Cllr Leech’s remark, saying: ‘It’s a really significant event and should not be downplayed in any way.’

On October 11, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was due to be coronated on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey, alongside his wife who will be crowned as Camilla, Queen Consort in the same ceremony. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will conduct the proceedings.

On November 6, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that the day would be a bank holiday.