Who Are The British Monarchy?
The British monarchy is the Royal Family of Great Britain. One of the few countries left with a Royal Family. The British Monarchy is globally renowned for their charity and diplomacy as well as their shames and scandals. Whether you support the Royals or not, there’s no denying that their presence in world Media provides various opportunities for taking time off work and hosting a street party or celebration, so why not make the most of it?
The next big event is the coronation of King Charles III. We haven’t had a coronation of a British monarch in over 70 years, not since the Elizabeth II in 1953, her reign was the longest of any British monarch. After her death last year her son Charles, inherited the British throne. You can read more about Elizabeth II life and reign.
The Coronation of King Charles II will be a National Holiday in Britain and as it’s the first coronation many people alive today will have been to. Why not make it something special?
Why not look at hosting your own Murder Mystery Party? Masters of Mystery have just released a brand-new regal and royal murder mystery game. Step into the shoes of the Royal Family of Slobovia, a fictional country where you get to make the decisions. The game pack comes complete with everything you’d need to host the Murder Mystery. Character descriptions, evidence, invitations and a handy guide for you as the host to support you and your guests enjoyment. Murder in the Monarchy is available for purchase.
Below we will look at some exciting things you can do to celebrate the coronation yourselves and add something extra to your murder mystery party.
Now, when you think of things that are Quintessentially British what comes to mind? Afternoon Tea? A Garden Party? A Street Party? Let’s have a look at some party ideas.
Suggestions for an Afternoon Tea Party
Popular during the late 1700s and Early 1800s, Queen Victoria herself was partial to an afternoon tea and even had certain cakes named in her honour. During the Victorian Era, the evening meal was often late, sometimes it wasn’t served until 8pm or 9pm. This meant that around mid to late afternoon, at the point where you start getting a little peckish, but dinner isn’t going to be for several hours yet, you need something to fill the gap.
Tea and sandwiches, cakes and scones were often served in the parlour around this time. The Afternoon Tea became a social event with society ladies inviting their neighbours around for an ‘afternoon tea’. It was a chance to show off their hosting skills, present some beautiful, bitesize delights for the guests and maybe even get a mention is one of the ladies’ magazines. For some more ideas about the kind of food you can serve at your own Afternoon Tea Party then why not have a read of our blog Recipes for a Victorian Murder Mystery.
Suggestions for a Garden Party
A Garden Party? What a delightful idea. With the weather warming up, it’s about time we got that garden furniture out and clean the dust off the BBQ in the shed. How very Royal as well. The Sovereign of the British Realm hosts around three garden parties a year on the extensive grounds of Buckingham Palace, attendance is by invite only and the dress code is strictly morning suits and day dresses. You can look here for more information about a Royal Dress code, you may want to include in your Murder Mystery Party
Don’t forget the bunting, decorate your fence, edge of your table and the outside of your house with pretty fabrics, streamers, and flower garlands. Why not pick some daffodils and put them in some vases on your table? To really give your garden party that sparkle of spring, you can find some ideas for games, food and decorations for your garden party in our Easter Murder Mystery Party blog.
Suggestions for a Street Party
A Street Party is a great way to celebrate a Royal event, get to know your neighbours and have fun in the sun. Ever since Elizabeth II coronation back in 1953, Street parties have been associated with Royal Events and then when the Covid pandemic hit, outdoor events, where numbers and social distancing could be monitored became one of the few ways you could see and speak to anyone for a while.
But what is a cornation street party?
Well, it’s usually an event that is organised privately by the residence of 1 or 2 streets in an area, residents are the only ones invited and they’re not externally advertised. A large, public event, organised by your local council or representative takes a bit more planning, more streets might need to be closed but anyone can attend.
A street party is a great way to celebrate a coronation with your neighbours, so why not invite them to your murder mystery? With up to 20 different characters to choose from you can get more people involved.
What makes a coronation street part different to a garden party?
A Street part is usually a collaborative effort, with everyone attending getting involved in the planning, organising, decorating, set up and food prep. Whereas a garden party or afternoon tea, will be organised by the person hosting.
What are the Legal equirements for hosting a coronation street party?
Depending on your local area, there may be laws or restrictions on having a street party. Check with your local councillor or representative on the regulations and make sure you apply for any licences you may need well in advance. If you need to close your street to traffic, you will need to put up signs and barriers.
What types of food can be served at a coronation street party?
At your street party, make sure you’ve spoken to the attendees about any allergies they may have and make sure food that contains certain ingredients are clearly marked. But as to what food you serve that’s up to you. Below are some options to think about.
Finger sandwiches are a good choice, make sure you have a wide variety. Simple things such as ham and cheese or tuna salad are popular if you have young children attending. You can prepare something a little more elaborate with cream cheese and cucumber or bree and cranberries. Maybe provide a spicy chicken option as well. be sure to include 'Coronation Chicken' in your Coronation Street Party offerings.
Party foods such as cocktail sausages and sausages rolls, scotch eggs, pork pies, quiche and an assortment of flavoured chips/crisps etc. are popular street party options, these can be bought from your local store or if you have any chef’s on your street you could ask them to make these from scratch.
You’ve got a lot of savoury things, don’t forget to cater for your sweet-toothed residents by providing some sweet treats such as cakes, cookies, tarts etc. Some of food you would serve at your afternoon tea or garden party will also work for your street party.
Don’t forget, if you’ve got gardens with BBQ’s then you can also serve grilled chicken, hotdogs and hamburgers if you want to provide some hot food as well. Mix up some potato salad and some fresh salad bowls too, for those who want a healthy option. You can look at some recipe’s for potato salad and nice and tasty fresh salads online.
Liaise with your neighbours and organise who can provide what food and assign tasks, the last thing you want is to have 10 people bring cake and no one provide sandwiches. You might find it helpful to create a list or a chart stating who is bringing what.
What drinks can we serve at a Coronation Murder Mystery Party?
Always provide fresh water for your guests, if it’s a hot day you don’t want anyone getting dehydrated. In addition to this, soft drinks and soda’s can be bought from stores in bottles or cans and kept in drinks coolers outside with you. You can buy coolers at most department stores or online if you don’t already have one.
Yomay want to contact your local church hall or community centre or maybe even the office of one of your attendees to see if you can borrow a tea urn. Providing hot water and tea or coffee is definitely something you should do if you want to hold a very British party.
Only adults attending? Why not grab a couple of crates of beer from the liquor store and maybe a few bottles of wine. If you have a cocktail shaker either you or a guest who’s happy to volunteer can then create some refreshing options. Our Easter Murder Mystery Party blog and our 1920’s Murder Mystery Party Cocktails blog provide some great recipe’s for stylish and summery drinks.
Now you have everything you need to plan your perfect Coronation Party Murder Mystery, invite your friends, invite your neighbours and enjoy a Royal Celebration where you and your guests can see how the other half lives.
Remember, Masters of Mystery have many different Murder Mystery games and themes to choose from. Ranging from Modern sci-fi to movie magic, from Georgian masquerades to Victorian tea parties or you can swing, hand jive and Charleston your way through the different Era’s. Browse their extensive collection here and pick a party that suits your needs.
