The King's Coronation

In May 2023, the Museum were tasked with organising the official events to celebrate the Coronation in the Falklands. The Museum staff decided to try and replicate the events happening in the United Kingdom as well cater for all groups in the Islands. 

On 6th May we held the Big Royal Tea Party at the Malvina House Hotel for all those could remember Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953. Also on the 6th was the Big Royal Fancy Dress Party, held for the youngest members of the community where a mini King and Queen were crowned. Later that evening there was also the Karaoke party at Groovy's bar for all the FICS students. 

On 7th May the events included the Big Lunch which was tied in with a volunteer expo. That after noon there was a flypast consisting of a Voyager and 3 Typhoons, kindly arranged by BFSAI. That evening we hosted the Big Concert with live music from the Watley Crew and Guns 'n' Rotors. 

The final day of celebrations saw the community come together for the Big Help Out, where volunteers helped clear debris from around the water's edge outside the museum or helped to lay out and paint rocks to spell out Leeds Castle on the Camber. 

We were overwhelmed by the amount of people that attended each event and grateful to those who volunteered their time to help us make the weekend the success it was. 

On 19th June 2024 the Museum staff and the late Garry Tyrrell (the official photographer for the events) were honoured to receive the King's Coronation Medal for services to the community during the Coronation in May 2023. When we took on the task of organising these events we certainly did not  expect to receive such recognition but we are grateful and humbled to be  recipients of this medal.