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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jason Burke Africa correspondent

Colonialism and controversial guests inform Africa’s reaction to Charles’s coronation

The South African soprano Pretty Yende sings at King Charles III’s coronation ceremony
The South African soprano Pretty Yende sings at King Charles III’s coronation ceremony on Saturday. Photograph: BBC

In South Africa, as across the African Commonwealth countries, Saturday’s coronation of King Charles III prompted mixed reactions. There was much interest in Pretty Yende, the South African soprano who sang at the beginning of the ceremony, and some high-profile public figures sent their best wishes to the monarch.

Thuli Madonsela, a popular lawyer and activist widely respected after her leadership of the country’s public corruption watchdog, offered “congratulations to HM King Charles and Queen Camilla on their coronation” in a tweet. “It was wonderful to see our peerless opera star ⁦@PrettyYende shine during the coronation,” Madonsela said.

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