Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds to mark coronation with prayers

On the eve of the coronation, Friday, May 5, a procession will make its way from the town hall to St Mary-le-Tower in Tower Street in Ipswich. 

The crowds will be joined by dignitaries including the High Sheriff of Suffolk and the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Clare, Countess of Euston. 

Once the procession has arrived at the church for 7:30pm, a special service will be held with prayers for the new King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The service will feature the choir of St Mary-le-Tower singing royal choral classics such as Zadok the Priest and I Was Glad.  

The Reverend Tom Mumford is the vicar at St Mary-le-Tower. He said: "This Civic Service of Prayer and Celebration is a service for the town of Ipswich and all its people - absolutely everyone is welcome. It is an opportunity to celebrate our common life, to pray for the King and Queen, and to look ahead to the future with hope filled confidence. 

“But although this is an evening of prayer and preparation, it is also an evening of pomp, pageantry, and partying! It is on occasions such as these that the Church of England is at its most glorious and Spirit filled. With the choir in full voice, it will be a royal musical feast fit for a king.” 

St Mary le Tower will mark the coronation with a procession through town on Friday, May 5. Image: Tom Mumford (Image: Tom Mumford)

Tom Mumford is the vicar at St Mary-le-Tower in Ipswich. (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Reverend Martin Seeley is the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. (Image: Newsquest)

Meanwhile, the day after the coronation will see the Lord Lieutenant make her way to St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds for the county service. Beginning at 10am, the service will contain readings from young people and members of the armed forces. 

The service will be conducted by Reverend Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

He said: “The County Service draws inspiration from the Coronation Service held in Westminster Abbey and many of those involved have been invited so that they may reflect the county of Suffolk and our ties with the King.  

“We feel privileged to have a special link through the King’s involvement as a patron of the Millennium project which saw the completion of the Cathedral tower, now one of the most iconic buildings in Suffolk.”