Events taking place in Port Colborne, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, and Thorold. For most Canadians, it’s the first royal coronation of their lifetime. Pictured is the Roselawn Mansion in Port Colborne, which will be hosting a celebratory high tea on Sunday, May 7. Photo credit: Facebook/Friends of Roselawn Centre
Spring is a time of new beginnings, and that is certainly the case for His Royal Highness, who is set to be crowned King Charles III next Saturday, May 6.
Britain and the wider Commonwealth are bustling with events to celebrate the momentous occasion – the likes of which have not been seen since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation 70 years ago.
Our own country is set to mark the day with an official ceremony in Ottawa. The event will feature themes that Canadians and the new monarch both cherish: service, sustainability, and diversity.
Locally, across Niagara there will be plenty of events to get monarchists in the coronation spirit.
In Port Colborne, the Friends of Roselawn Centre and Pie Guys Bakery have partnered to offer High Tea on Sunday, May 7 with sittings at 12PM or 2PM. Barbara Butters, acting co-chair of the Friends of Roselawn Centre, describes the coronation as something special to celebrate.
“It is the first coronation in most people’s lifetime,” said Butters. The event co-ordinators intend to reflect this importance in the Coronation Tea, “This is not your everyday run-of-the-mill event by a long shot. We want to wow people.”
The celebration will be taking place in the mansion of the Roselawn Centre with local Niagara sourced food, decor, and flowers. The committee organizing the event also hopes to secure a harpist to elevate the elegant affair, which Butters described as “something you don’t see every day.”
The menu for the event will be catered locally by the Pie Guys, which has storefronts in Port Colborne and Ridgeway. Some items from the classic afternoon tea menu include tartes, quiche, finger sandwiches, scones, and a specially prepared jam. “The Pie Guys are amazing, we are so lucky to be doing this with them,” said Butters.
The celebration has already sold out, with locals enthusiastically purchasing up spots within about a week of announcing the event. Despite being sold out, Butters encouraged residents to participate in coronation festivities by visiting the coronation exhibit that will housed in the double parlour of the Roselawn Centre, presented in cooperation with the Port Colborne Museum.
“We are really looking forward to it. Our committee has put a lot of really hard work into it… to really finesse those fine details.”
Ticket proceeds go towards the restoration of the Roselawn Centre.
Elsewhere around the region, the Niagara Falls Museum will be holding a King’s Coronation Tea event Saturday, May 6 to celebrate the big day. Guests can dress for the occasion by wearing tiaras, tops hats and fascinators while watching the coronation with tea and treats. Tickets can be purchased for one of two sitting times at 11AM or 3PM, obtained through the Niagara Falls Exchange website here.
The Savoy Room in downtown St. Catharines will be hosting a coronation tea luncheon on both the day of and Sunday, May 7. Seats are limited and can be reserved here.
While, the Thorold Garden Club will be holding high tea on Saturday at the Thorold Seniors Centre. The event will feature a special presentation on tea from local horticulture columnist Theresa Forte. Tickets can be reserved by phoning the seniors centre at (905) 227-2161.
King Charles III has toured Canada multiple times in his role as the Prince of Wales, most recently in May 2022. The former prince even made a brief visit to Niagara during a 2009 tour, where he enjoyed wine and culinary samples at the opening of the Niagara College Wine Visitor and Education Centre at the school’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In another local connection to the crown, Charles became a Royal Parton of Willowbank’s School of Restoration Arts in Queenston in 2014. The school’s mission as a heritage conservancy aligns with the personal initiatives that the now king has championed for many decades, including community development and traditional arts.
God Save the King!
