West of England's official representative at the Coronation is named

The people of Bristol, Bath, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire will be represented at the Coronation of King Charles III - by West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The region's metro mayor has received his invitation and accepted it, and will be travelling to London for Saturday's Coronation event at Westminster Abbey.

The Labour Metro Mayor posed for a photo holding his invitation - it's not that big in reality, he's holding it close to the camera - and described the Coronation as a 'very rare event'.

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Mr Norris, a former Avon county councillor and Labour MP for North East Somerset who was elected as the region's metro mayor in 2021, said: "Tomorrow I’ll be representing the million fantastic people of the West of England at the Coronation in London’s Westminster Abbey. This very rare event is a real moment in the history of our country.”

Bristol Live understands metro mayors from across the UK have been invited, but not MPs, other directly-elected mayors or Lord Mayors.

The West of England Combined Authority which Mr Norris leads secured a grant of £45,000 from the Government to help fund big-screen broadcasts of the coronation at Bristol Cathedral and the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green. Across the West of England region, there will be street parties and other coronation events, including a picnic in the park at Keynsham's Memorial Park, and the 'Great George' bell at the Wills Memorial Building at the top of Park Street in Bristol, will also be rung during the Coronation in London.

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