Spice Girls, Elton John, and Harry Styles Also Turn Down King Charles’ Coronation Concert Invitation

(Image credit: Getty)

published February 26, 2023

The hits just keep coming for King Charles’ Coronation concert on May 7, as the hitmakers keep turning down the offer to perform at the event at Windsor Castle. Last week, Marie Claire reported that Adele and Ed Sheeran said no to the opportunity, and The Daily Mail is now reporting that Elton John, Harry Styles, and the Spice Girls are following suit. The Sun reports that all three acts turned down the chance to hit the stage because of busy schedules.

The Spice Girls were seemingly all but confirmed as of last month, but it appears now that dream of reunited girl power is a no go. (So, unfortunately, no chance to recreate the iconic photo above, where Charles looks bewildered and unsure of what’s going on.) The Daily Express reports that both Elton John and Harry Styles are on tour and can’t make the May 7 date work with their schedules.

“Organizers are working against the clock to pull together an exciting lineup but have hit a series of challenges,” a source tells The Sun. “Elton John was top of Charles’ list, but, due to his European tour, which sees him performing in Germany the Friday before, then again soon after the Windsor concert, he isn’t able to make the dash to the U.K. work. Meanwhile, man-of-the-moment Harry Styles is also tied up with touring and unable to get key band members together, as they’ll be on much-needed downtime.”

However, it’s not all bad news on the lineup front: Kylie Minogue has reportedly said yes, as has boy band Take That, who are rumored to be headlining the concert. Take That has long been a royal favorite—remember their performance at 2007’s Concert for Diana where the then Kate Middleton sang along to “Back for Good” as she and Prince William’s romance was rekindling after a brief split? Yeah, me too.

Lionel Richie is also expected to perform, and more acts are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

“The biggest names and acts in world music are being approached for the concert,” a source says. “If you draw up a list of the most popular acts in the world over the past 30 years, then they are all being considered. But Take That were right near the top of that list and are a massive coup for the organizers to get over the line so early.”

It seems the affection is mutual—even though the band is on tour this summer, The Daily Mail reports that the band held May 7, just in case they were approached for the Coronation concert.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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