Last weekend marked the historic celebration of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation – a wonderful moment of joy and unity in our national story.
I hope you had the opportunity to come together with others, whether at one of the fantastic local events here in our constituency – for example at Alnwick Castle, one of the official ‘big screen’ broadcasts – by joining the Coronation Bank Holiday volunteering ‘Big Help Out’, or simply watching on television as did hundreds of millions worldwide.
For my part, as your local Member of Parliament, I had my Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister of State hat on, meeting many of the Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries who came from countries around the world to attend.
On abundant display was the invaluable role our monarch plays on the global stage; as our nation’s greatest diplomat, as an international symbol of peaceful, democratic continuity, and as the figurehead of our cultural soft power. Without exception, they had praise for His Majesty and a desire to forge ever closer friendships with our great nation.
Although the main event has now passed, many other commemorations are still planned, in order to celebrate this moment, but also leave lasting legacies for people and nature.
Many know that His Majesty has long expressed a deep love for our unique wildlife, nature and rural places – holding conservation charity patronages and reflecting on his love of walking and its role in promoting health and wellbeing.
That’s why it’s rightly fitting, in honour of his Coronation, that a ‘King’s Series of National Nature Reserves’ (NNRs) will create five major NNRs every year for the next five years – focusing on nature conservation, science and providing opportunities for people to enjoy nature! Just like the three that our North Northumberland constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed is already home to – Lindisfarne, Newham Bog and Farne Islands.
Next, our nation’s forests have traditionally marked coronations, including for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, and just as with the Platinum Jubilee oak I planted in Horncliffe, ‘Coronation Woods’ will be created by Forestry England, while Defra will fund local communities, parish councils and housing associations to plant trees, community orchards and small woodlands too.
Finally, the 2,700-mile England Coastal Path, which already includes beautiful stretches in our constituency between South Bents and Amble and Amble to Bamburgh, connecting communities from Northumberland to Cumbria via Cornwall, is officially being renamed the ‘King Charles III England Coast Path’.