The coronation invites are out — and one local vicar couldn’t be happier.
The Reverend Matthew Price, who has been vicar ofGorleston’s Mary Magdalene churchsince 2018, was delighted and surprised when he received an invitation from Buckingham Palace, asking him to be a guest at the upcoming coronation ofKing CharlesandQueen Camilla.
Price, 45, has been invited to attend the historic event at Westminster Abbey on May 6 after becoming a British Empire Medal recipient, an honor he received in 2020 as a result of his tireless work in the community amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our church became a massive food hub, providing food for people who couldn’t source food for themselves,” explains Price. “At the peak, we were sending out over 100 food parcels every week and working with a team of about 100 volunteers.”
“It feels like the gift that just keeps on giving,” he jokes, adding that his wife is very happy for him — despite his solo invite.
The Rev Matthew Price with his invitation to the coronation.Diocese of Norwich
In fact, the whole community is getting excited about his brush with royalty.
“Even the post lady was excited when she delivered it, she said, ‘I think it’s from the King!’ as it had the King’s monogram in the corner.”
The locals from his parish have been taking turns snapping photos of the heavy, gilded invitation to send to their families.
“What’s amazing is that I live and work in quite a deprived community and the idea that someone from our community is going to be at this event is just extraordinary,” he says.
The Rev Matthew Price’s invitation to the May 6 coronation.Diocese of Norwich
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On what he’s most looking forward to, he says: “The music, definitely. I’ve read that there are lots of new pieces that have been composed and at a building like Westminster Abbey, which has extraordinary acoustics, I think the music be amazing.”
source: people.com
