Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Claudia Winkleman calls King Charles’s coronation ‘Tory Christmas’

Presenter is the half-sister of minor royal Sophie Winkleman

Louis Chilton
Saturday 06 May 2023 09:43 EDT
Comments
King Charles receives coronation ring, Sovereign’s Orb and coronation glove

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Claudia Winkleman has jokingly described the coronation of King Charles III as “Tory Christmas”.

The Strictly Come Dancing presenter is herself the half-sister of Peep Show actor and minor royal Sophie Winkleman.

You can follow The Independent’s live coverage of the coronation here.

Speaking on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday (6 May), Winkleman spoke to comedian Jack Whitehall about their parents’ respective movements during the coronation.

After Whitehall stated that his mother had camped out at The Mall for the procedings, he added that his father had stayed home and would be watching on TV.

“He’s very excited about this as well, because you know the Coronation is like Tory Glastonbury,” Whitehall joked.

“Tory Christmas!” quipped Winkleman.

While the event has been celebrated by many of the country’s monarchists, others have voiced their objections to the lavish ceremony.

A royal fan celebrates the coronation outside the Mall
A royal fan celebrates the coronation outside the Mall (REUTERS)

Speaking on a podcast a day before the coronation, comedian Russell Brand said that the British public were “bloody stupid” to “put up with” the celebration.

“The whole of censorship is underwritten by the idea that we’re too bloody stupid to understand anything. And perhaps to a degree, we are. Because we’re willing to put up with expensive ceremonies to anoint further royalty,” he said.

“Let’s face it, the death of Queen Elizabeth II meant that this is time for a radical appraisal and review of whether or not we even need a monarchy. And the answer to that is no, we don’t. Because what even is a monarchy?”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in