King Charles III officially became the oldest person to assume the British throne early Saturday morning, but the pomp and circumstance continues all day at the Bees Knees British Imports store in Acton, Massachusetts.
“We got to witness history today, seeing King Charles being coronated,” Bees Knees co-owner Donna Biscotti told NBC10 Boston. “It was a beautiful ceremony.”
Hundreds of people were expected to come in and out of the British Imports store Saturday, where a police detail was helping divert traffic. The coronation day celebration featured proper British fare, including tea, pork pies and authentic British sausages from Thwaites in Methuen.
“You can never beat the British for their pageantry,” patron Heather Reid said. “Like July Fourth is always so important to the Americans, the coronation and the queen is really important to the British. And we love any excuse for a cup of tea. I think that’s the bottom line -- any excuse for a cup of tea.”
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Reid, originally from Scotland, was there with her British friend Kim Norman, who lamented missing out on the momentous occasion in the United Kingdom. The first coronation that London’s Westminster Abbey has seen in 70 years played on repeat in a building that’s even older.
“This space here, our shop – the building is 100 years old,” Biscotti said of the West Acton building, adding that the owners “jumped at the chance,” to move there last year.
“It’s kind of this great little walkable village, so it kind of has a nice tie-in to their roots in London and around London,” Acton Economic Development Director Julie Pierce said.
