UK's most patriotic neighbours revealed ahead of King's coronation
Britain’s most patriotic neighbours: Estates put on magnificent display with thousands of flags and pub reveals life-sized model of King Charles – as royal fans start flying in from around the world for the Coronation
- Excitement continues to ramp up ahead of Saturday’s crowning of the monarch
- For more, read MailOnline for all of today’s coronation celebrations and build up
Streets in some of Britain’s ‘most patriotic’ estates have been transformed into a magnificent sea of red, white and blue to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
Thousands of Union Flags and streamers of bunting have been hoisted by communities in cities, towns and villages across the UK as excitement builds ahead the crowning of His Majesty on Saturday.
On the Kirby estate in Bermondsey, London, residents have once again shown their patriotism, with a stunning flag display streaming across its road.
The area – whose locals describe themselves as ‘the most patriotic estate in London’ – is famed for its national pride, having previously decorated the area in hundreds of England flags to mark the World Cup last year.
The stunning spectacle was masterminded by Chris Dowse and Alan Putman and this year features huge flags with the face of King Charles on them.
On the Kirby estate in Bermondsey, London, residents have once again shown their patriotism, with a stunning flag display streaming across its road
As well as the hundreds of Union Flags that stream across the estate, people have also decked their homes with flags featuring the face of King Charles
Thousands of Union Flags as well as hundreds of metres of red, white, and blue bunting have transformed London’s Kirby estate into a sea of patriotic colours
Chris Dowse (left), and Alan Putman (right), who are both the masterminds of decorating their estate, standing holding a Union Flag around them on the Kirby Estate
Scores of royal lovers have already started camping out in The Mall near Buckingham Palace in a bid to get a prime spot to watch Saturday’s coronation procession.
But others have been instead decking out their homes in preparation for the historic event.
Among them is Britain’s biggest royal superfan Margaret Tyler. The 79-year-old is one of the UK’s biggest fans of the Royal family and has dedicated her entire house to celebrating them.
She has bought Coronation memorabilia to add to her collection – which already fills her home in Wembley.
It is now decked floor-to-ceiling with memorabilia, photographs and books about the Royals – and passers-by even mistake her home for a museum.
The grandmother-of-four met the Queen four times in her long reign – describing her as ‘so kind and sweet’.
Royal superfan Margaret Tyler. 79. has decked her home in Wembley, London, with Coronation memorabilia
The pensioner, who is one of Britain’s most devoted monarchists has been collecting memorabilia for years. She is pictured outside her home with a stand featuring a model of the King’s guard
But Margaret claims she ‘couldn’t resist’ expanding her collection further for the Coronation. she has brought even more collectibles, which now pack her home (pictured)
Despite her vast collection of memorabilia, she says she ‘couldn’t resist’ expanding her collection further for the Coronation.
Margaret, from Wembley, London, said: ‘Charles has had a long time knowing he’ll be King one day.
‘I hope he’ll do a good job – I’m sure he’ll do his best, just like his mother.’
She said: ‘I got some Coronation memorabilia. I can never resist it.
‘I can never walk straight past the memorabilia shop without getting something.
‘The next problem is just where to fit it.’
Her vast collection of memorabilia consists of hundreds of pictures, trinkets and books.
She even has some more obscure items – such as cardboard cutouts of Her Majesty and the Royal corgis.
Speaking on the Coronation and the future of the royals, she said: ‘I’ll be watching – everyone will be watching – so here’s hoping it plays out well.’
Near York, a pub has created its own larger-than-life felt model of King Charles – III complete with replicas of his medals and a crown made from a recycled plant pot.
This stunning 6ft 8 inch model of King Charles III now sits proudly at the Boot and Slipper pub in Barmby on the Moor, East Yorkshire
It was created by a team of ‘royally good’ crafters called the Crafty Booters to mark the coronation. Some of the group are pictured with the model in the pub
The stunning display of Union Flags and bunting at the Kirby estate in south-east London was finished in time for the King’s coronation
A royally good team of crafters met weekly to lovingly create the 6ft 8ins sculpture in homage to His Majesty ahead of his coronation this weekend.
The group, called the Crafty Booters, created the head using a technique called needle-felting, which involves matting wool together and they made the arms and legs out of tights and alpaca wool.
They also used gloves from a charity shop to make the King’s hands and his crown was made from a recycled plant pot, a nod to his green campaigning.
And when when customers go into the pub, they ‘bow and curtsey at him’.
The 14 women who make up started planning to make the figure in December last year after originally deciding to make bunting to mark the occasion.
But after their ‘heads went off like fireworks’ with ideas, they decided to create the figure, which weighs 10kg.
Others have been getting involved in creating models of the Royal Family, with this set of scarecrows standing on a balcony in the village of Sheriffhales, Shifnal, Shropshire
The models Sheriffhales, Shifnal, feature a waving King Charles, with his chest adorned in medals, standing next to a beaming version of Camilla, Queen Consort
On Dorset’s Avon Beach in Christchurch singers from The Soda Pops show their patriotic pride dressing up in vintage 1953 clothing worn during the previous coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Avon Beach in Christchurch. Pictured, left to right are Sally Agee, Bee Chumley and Claire Watts
Wendy Wilkinson, 61, who helps runs the group, said: ‘We started off by looking at different images of him and pulling out his character, like his very blue eyes.
‘The crown was a flower pot which I cut out and then an 86-year-old lady did that beading and created the crown – it’s just incredible.
‘It’s hilarious and really funny because you see people walk in, look at it, stop and then bow and curtsey at him and then go over to the bar to get a pint.’
Elsewhere and a road in Hampshire – where residents once accidentally ordered 4.5km of bunting to mark the jubilee – has once again been transformed into a sea of red, white, and blue.
Selsey Avenue, in Gosport, has become a sight to behold as residents gear up to celebrate the coronation.
And the organisers of the display had plenty of bunting to spare having last year ordered thousands of metres of the stuff after accidentally adding an extra nought to their order.
This year will see the road, like thousands of others in the UK, staging a street party to mark the crowning of the King on Saturday.
Selsey Avenue in Gosport, Hampshire, has been transformed into a sea of red, white and blue by residents as excitement builds ahead of the King’s coronation on Saturday
And there was plenty to spare after the street accidentally ordered thousands of metres of the bunting to mark the Queen’s jubilee
The stunning display pictured Kirby estate south-east London, is one of scores across the country popping up to mark the coronation
Elsewhere and crocheters have been stocking up on wool and letting their imaginations ‘go wild’ to celebrate the coronation, creating royal-inspired postbox toppers including portrayals of the King, Queen Consort and crown jewels.
And acclaimed artists Jignesh and Yash Patel are also working on a huge mural of King Charles ahead of the Coronation – which is almost finished.
Five-time Guinness world record holders Jignesh, 50, and Yash Patel, 20, previously attracted national attention for their mural to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September last year.
The huge mural of the Queen covered an entire wall of the Hounslow East Metro Tube Station but has earned little praise. In fact the artwork, which many describe as being ‘more than a little off’, has been mercilessly roasted since a picture was shared online.
But this hasn’t deterred the artists from honouring the King as they began work on a new 12m by 15m mural of the UK’s new monarch yesterday.
The likeness to His Majesty is painted on the wall of a car park on Kingsley Road in Hounslow, London and is intended to be completed in time for the coronation.
Acclaimed artists Jignesh and Yash Patel are also working on a huge mural of King Charles ahead of the Coronation. The mural is pictured on May 4
Left: Yash Patel as he began the paint the new mural to King Charles on May 2. Right: Yash and Jignesh Patel painting the mural yesterday
The artwork sits just a block away from the duo’s previous mural of the Queen, meaning the late monarch and her son will both be visible when standing at the right position in Kingsley Road.
The mural depicts 74-year-old Charles dressed in military uniform, standing in front of several blurred flags of the Commonwealth nations.
The magnificent portrait – which will cost the pair around £2,300 to produce – also features the royal cypher as well as ‘King Charles III’ written in large white paint.
There is also a quote from King Charles himself that reads: ‘As technology advances at an alarming pace, the place of drawing remains valid as ever in the creation of art and architecture – King Charles III.’
Jignesh said: ‘The whole idea of making this mural is to celebrate the King’s coronation, we already created a mural of the Queen on the same road.
‘We hope by doing this we can bring the community together having invited artistic children, we hope it can be a community landmark for Hounslow.
‘The King is the head of the Commonwealth and as we are from India who are a part of this we wanted to involve all 56 countries in the occasion – it’s a true celebration of the Commonwealth.’
Jignesh and Yash Patel with their previous work of the Queen, which they painted after her death
Yash (left) and Jignesh Patel (centre) with Brentford and Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury (right) in front of the work-in-progress mural of King Charles
Impression of what the fully finished mural of the King will look like when it is finished. It is due to be completed before the coronation
Jignesh and Yash have been working on art together for over 15 years.
‘It is a surreal story,’ said Jignesh.
‘Yash is a very young man, when he was a 12-year-old I used to teach him art but now he’s really teaching me.
‘Yash is so mature in art, he’s so into hyperrealism and I’m into abstract so we make a good team and Rohit – Yash’s father – is a well-known artist in India so he designed the composition for us to work off.
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