BREAKING BUSINESS

Why Is Katy Perry Performing At

King Charles’ Coronation? Her
Connection To The Crown
Explained
Ty Roush Forbes Staff
I cover breaking news.

May 5, 2023, 11:16am EDT

Listen to article 4 minutes

Updated May 5, 2023, 12:24pm EDT

TOPLINE

American pop star Katy Perry will perform during

King Charles’ coronation ceremony Saturday, the first
for the United Kingdom in 70 years, after the
Grammy Award-nominated artist—one of two
Americans, and virtually no major U.K. stars,
performing at the event—was asked by Charles to
appear.

Katy Perry was announced as a performer for King ... [+]

GETTY IMAGES

ADVERTISEMENT

KEY FACTS

• Perry was announced alongside Lionel Richie, the

British pop group Take That, opera stars Andrea
Bocelli and Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings and Alexis
Ffrench as performers for a coronation concert on
May 7, according to the BBC.

Forbes Business

01:12

Could ‘Printing’ Beverages At

Home Reduce Environmental W…

• Charles and Perry first met during an event in

Mumbai in 2019, before Charles appointed Perry
as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust a year
later.

ADVERTISEMENT

Deloitte BRANDVOICE | Paid Program

Evolution, Not Just Change: The State Of
Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In The Venture
Capital Industry

• Charles said Perry was appointed to the charity

because she has a “long-standing commitment to
charitable causes around the world”—though some
criticized the decision because Perry is neither
British nor Asian.

• Perry referred to her friendship with Charles

during her introduction to the charity—founded by
Charles in 2007—and said Charles was a “very kind
soul,” adding he had asked her if she “could sing to
his plants.”

ADVERTISEMENT

• After being announced as a performer for Charles’

coronation, Perry suggested her performance
would help “shine a further light on the British
Asian Trust’s Children Protection Fund.”

• Richie, a Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer, is

also connected to Charles: He was appointed by the
former Prince of Wales as the first global
ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, a charity
founded by Charles in 1976.

SURPRISING FACT

Perry told Extra she will be staying at Windsor Castle

prior to Saturday’s events, adding she will be posting
“a lot” of images of the castle to social media.

BIG NUMBER

$25 million. That’s how much Perry is earning per

season of American Idol, adding to her estimated net
worth of $38.5 million.

TANGENT

Several British performers have declined invitations

to perform at the coronation, with much speculation
that they wanted to avoid being associated with recent
Buckingham Palace scandals, from the alleged
mistreatment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to
Prince Andrew’s alleged sexual relationship with one
of the late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking
victims. Elton John—who was close with Charles’ late
ex-wife, Princess Diana—declined, blaming
scheduling conflicts. The Spice Girls denied rumors of
a reunion at the event, indicating the group would not
have enough time to rehearse beforehand. Ed Sheeran
—who recently appeared in Manhattan federal court
over plagiarism allegations—declined an invitation
also because of scheduling conflicts. Adele, who was
named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire by Charles in 2013, and Harry Styles
also declined to perform.

ADVERTISEMENT

KEY BACKGROUND

King Charles will be crowned Saturday during the

United Kingdom’s traditional coronation ceremony,
eight months after he ascended to the throne
following Queen Elizabeth II’s death. The event will
include an estimated 2,000 guests and will feature a
number of historical relics. The coronation—the first
in the social media age—will also feature an emoji
modeled after St. Edward’s Crown. Perry, a 13-time
Grammy Award-nominated pop star, was noted by
Charles and the royal family for her charity work,
specifically her time as a global ambassador for
UNICEF.

FURTHER READING

Everything You Need To Know About King Charles’

Coronation: How To Watch It And Who’s Attending
(Forbes)

Katy Perry And Lionel Richie To Perform At

Coronation Concert (BBC)

Get the best of Forbes to your inbox with the latest

insights from experts across the globe.

Follow me on Twitter. Send me a secure tip.

Ty Roush

I cover breaking news for Forbes. Before Forbes, I

worked as a reporter for USA Today in Ash… Read More

Editorial Standards Corrections Reprints & Permissions

ADVERTISEMENT

Loading ...

More From Forbes

First Republic Bank

Executives Reportedly
Under Investigation For
Possible Insider Trading

Former Firebrand Rep.

Madison Cawthorn
Pleads Guilty To Bringing
Gun To Airport

Simplifying The Business

of Care Using AI and
Blockchain

ADVERTISEMENT

Abortion Rights Groups

Plan Multimillion-Dollar
Ballot Measure Targeting
Florida’s Ban

Wagner Group Boss Says

He’ll Pull Russian Troops
From Key City Of
Bakhmut—As He…
Criticizes ‘Fat Cat’
Moscow
‘AdverseLeaders
Yeezy Impact’:
Adidas Projects $771
Million Loss This Year
After Cutting Ties With…
Kanye
ADVERTISEMENT

Clarence Thomas: Here

Are All The Ethics
Scandals Involving The
Supreme Court Justice…
Amid New Revelations
Eight Killed In Serbia’s
Second Mass Shooting In
Two Days

ADVERTISEMENT

© 2023 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

AdChoices Privacy Statement Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Digital Terms of Sale Terms of Service Contact Us Report a Security Issue
Jobs At Forbes Reprints & Permissions Forbes Press Room Advertise