Back in 1997, Geri Halliwell went and did the unthinkable - she puckered up and planted a kiss right on Prince Charles' cheek.
The moment became a scandalous bit of pop culture history and The Spice Girls were left with a bit of a conundrum. Would they dare one another to follow in Ginger Spice's footsteps? Nope. Instead, they're avoiding Charles altogether.
Fast forward to the present times and Charles - now the King - is gearing up for his coronation in May. All the big British pop stars were on the invite list: Adele, Harry Styles, Robbie Williams, Elton John, and of course, The Spice Girls. But here's the thing: they all said "no thanks".
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Speculations have been rife that the Prince of Wales had requested the Spice Girls for a grand performance, complete with a reunion. The Sun, however, reported that all the members turned down the invitation. Similarly, news outlets reported that Robbie Williams also declined the offer, citing his jam-packed schedule.
Elton John, who was a dear friend of Princess Diana, was also approached to perform at Prince Charles' coronation. However, as per media reports, the celebrated musician had to decline due to issues with his tour. Elton was reportedly one of the first people to comfort Diana after her separation from Charles in the early 1990s. He even performed a special version of "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral in 1997.
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It's a far cry from the days when musicians would clamour for the opportunity to perform at a Royal event. But, for many millennials and Gen Zs in the UK, Royalism just doesn't sit well. Take Adele, for example. She's all about representing her working-class roots from Tottenham, which is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the country. She's got bigger fish to fry than playing for a bunch of Royals.
Meg, who runs a big-time music PR company, reckons that for artists like Adele and Harry Styles, telling stories is more important than playing at some fancy coronation, she told Rolling Stone. The thing is, these kinds of events are etched into the history books, so it's a big deal. You can bet there's a ton of PR talk going on about whether it's a good idea for artists to perform for the Royals or not.
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So, there you have it. The snubbing of Prince Charles' coronation is just another sign of the changing times. The younger generation is all about inclusivity and diversity, and aligning themselves with those values is just as important as making music.