On stage at London's coronation parties

Isabella KwaiReporting from Richmond, London

I visited some of the hundreds of street parties held in London on Sunday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

This is what I saw →

Throwing a street party takes weeks of coordination. On Grena Street in the borough of Richmond, the road was closed to cars. In their place, tables draped in Union Jack tablecloths have been set. A DJ was playing music in one corner. And each neighbor promised to bring a dish.

Mary Turner for The New York Times

"Any excuse for a party," said Jo Bannister, who has lived on the streets for 22 years. She crossed her fingers, hoping for the sun. A fan of the royal family, she said King Charles had come into the royal role. "It's great for the country," she told me.

Mary Turner for The New York Times

Street parties are also an opportunity for people to connect with their neighbors in a city often described as a configuration of small villages. Many said they saw their street community as a social lifeline during the lockdown.

Mary Turner for...