April 2023 built up to an exciting new era for the United Kingdom’s monarchy and ended another across the globe as The Phantom of the Opera took its final bow after 35 years on Broadway.
King Charles III’s Coronation excited the nation as new postage stamps were issued and official invitations for the historic day were sent out to the world.
The historic occasion was to be the first for many as only 20% of the UK’s current population was alive for the coronation of the longest-reigning Monarch – the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A nearly two-century-old tradition of marking a new monarch with new postage stamps saw a slight difference as the release of King Charles III’s stamps featured him uncrowned.
Royal Mail expressed it was the King’s request to appear very human with little embellishment and royal regalia.
To many of us, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s face was all we had ever known on our postage stamps, but April marked the beginning of a new era.
A guest list for the long-anticipated day was scaled down and sent out to almost a quarter of the number of guests that attended the last coronation in 1953.
Prominent politicians, foreign kings and queens, princes and princesses received the prestigious invitation to attend Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Madame Tussauds launched new Royal wax figures
Madame Tussauds, an attraction famously associated with royalty, announced the launch of a brand-new wax figure for the new Monarch in their famous Royals section in Blackpool.
Meanwhile, Madame Tussauds London launched the Royal Palace experience which introduced a brand-new wax figure for the soon-to-be Queen Camilla to accompany the King.
They marked the beginning of a new chapter in the British monarchy and continued a century-long tradition.
A monarchy precious to those from the United Kingdom, but also to the millions of tourists who visit every year to
Broadway said goodbye to The Phantom of the Opera
Across the globe, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, Broadway’s longest-running show took its final bow on April 16 after 13,981 performances.
New York said goodbye to a theatrical spectacle that will long be treasured as one of the greatest musicals to grace the Majestic Theatre’s stage.
The musical first opened on January 26, 1988, and cost just under $1m a week to stage with a large cast and orchestra.
However, the theatre industry was largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was revealed the show began to experience financial difficulties.
Feature Photo by Jordhan Madec on Unsplash
