James Nesbitt has said he believes it’s a sign of “progress” that all of Northern Ireland’s main political parties are turning out for the king’s coronation.
Political leaders from around the world attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, including Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O’Neill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
The 58-year-old Northern Irish actor is taking part in the ongoing celebrations of the historic event by reading poetry at the coronation concert on Sunday evening.
Speaking backstage before the event, he told the PA news agency he was “very impressed” with the king when he met him a few years ago at a project celebrating Northern Ireland’s produce, as he had “so interest”.
Reflecting on the coronation, he said: “I’m so delighted in the sense that all the political parties came forward to do it yesterday and I think that’s progress.
Michelle O’Neill leaves after the coronation of the King and Queen at Westminster Abbey (Phil Noble/PA)
“In a sense, even though a lot of people don’t agree with me … and we all have our own opinions about it, but I think I’m representing a lot of people where I come from, and I’m glad that he (the King ) is so interested in the place.”
Nesbitt added that it was a “real privilege” to be asked to read the poem at the celebratory concert, which was written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra, president of the Royal Society of Literature.
It will arrive as part of the Lighting up the Nation segment of the event, which will see colorful lighting illuminate landmarks across the UK.
Choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will beam over historic bridges and buildings in cities such as Blackpool’s seafront in Lancashire, Sheffield City Hall and Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge.
Light shows will illuminate Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations.
Today I will attend the coronation of King Charles III as Prime Minister-designate. My determination is to keep moving forward and represent the entire community. The political landscape of our island is changing. My goal is to build a shared future for everyone.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) May 6, 2023
On Saturday, a 21-gun salute rang out from Hillsborough Castle in County Down to mark the king’s coronation.
Ms O’Neill said she was attending the event to “represent the whole community” in Northern Ireland.
“My determination is to keep moving forward and represent the entire community,” he tweeted the morning of the ceremony.
“The political landscape of our island is changing. My approach is to build a shared future for everyone.”
His attendance at the event was seen as another sign of the remarkable improvement in relations between the republican movement and the royal family since the peace process.
