The coronation of King Charles III in May 2023 prompted a variety of promotional offers and freebies from brands across the United Kingdom. These offers spanned multiple categories, including food and beverage, travel, jewelry, and educational activities. The celebrations took place over a weekend that included a bank holiday, providing an extended period for consumers to take advantage of these deals. Many of the offers were specifically targeted at individuals with names associated with the royal family, such as Charles or Camilla, while others were available to the general public through specific purchasing requirements or participation in activities.
Food and Beverage Promotions
Several food and beverage brands launched special promotions to coincide with the coronation weekend. These offers ranged from free meal boxes to complimentary bakery items and discounts on specific menu items.
HelloFresh, a food subscription service, offered a free "Royal Box" to individuals named Charles or Camilla. The promotion was limited to the first 62 people who sent their details and proof of name to a specific email address, [email protected]. The Royal Box included a menu featuring Ultimate Creamy Coronation Chicken, The Coronation Chic-King, King’s Coronation Garlic-Chilli Prawns, and King’s Coronation Chicken Sandwich.
Greggs, in partnership with Just Eat, offered a free sausage roll or vegan roll to customers who spent £12.50 on Just Eat between May 5 and May 8. However, alternative methods to obtain the freebie were noted. O2 customers could receive a free sausage or vegan roll every Friday or Saturday without any purchase requirement. Additionally, Farmhouse Inns provided a free slice of raspberry and lemonade cake to customers who wore a crown or tiara and said the phrase "a royal slice" when ordering between May 6 and May 8. This offer was valid at all Farmhouse Inns sites nationwide.
Costa Coffee provided a 25% discount on all food for Costa Club app members during the coronation bank holiday weekend, starting May 5. This discount included the new Coronation Chicken Toastie. Terms and conditions and a list of participating stores were available on the Costa website.
Travel and Transportation Offers
National Rail launched a giveaway for a free railcard, which typically provides passengers with a third off their train fare. The promotion was open to individuals with a "regal name," defined as a first and middle name or first and last name related to the new monarch (e.g., Charles Philip, Charlie Phipps, Charlotte Philippa, or Charlize Phipps). National Rail planned to give away 100 railcards. The giveaway ran from May 5 to May 8 and was hosted on National Rail’s Instagram page. To enter, participants were required to comment with their name, and the first 100 eligible claimants who proved their identity received a free railcard.
Retail and Lifestyle Freebies
Beaverbrooks, a high street jeweller, offered free jewelry to individuals named Charles or Camilla. Each of its 64 stores across the UK gave away a £100 gift card on May 6 to customers who provided proof of their name.
Bill’s restaurants offered free dog treats for King Charles Spaniels from May 6 to May 8. To receive the treats, which were from Denzel’s premium Rewards range, owners were required to purchase a main meal during breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Educational and Activity Resources
Educational resources were also made available to mark the occasion. Top Teaching Tasks provided free activities to help cover the coronation, including a reading passage at two differentiated levels, a reading comprehension task, and a bingo game for students. These resources were available without requiring a sign-up.
Additionally, a free King Charles III Coronation name craft was available through Teachers Pay Teachers. The resource included crown templates, crown extenders, and letter gems in upper and lowercase for students to decorate and spell their names. The creator encouraged users to leave feedback to earn TpT credits for future purchases.
Historical and Entertainment Freebies
Source materials also referenced freebies related to the long-running UK television series "Coronation Street," which shares its name with the event. These included a free hidden-object game, a coloring book, and various Amazon free trials for ebooks, apps, music, videos, and Audible books associated with the show. While these are not directly tied to the coronation of King Charles III, they were listed among free content available during the time period.