Sri Lanka-born doctor among invitees to King Charles’ coronation

Dr. Hareen De Silva, a Sri Lanka-born British who serves as a General Practitioner (GP) of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), has been invited to the coronation of King Charles III.

Dr. De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He worked in numerous settings including NHS Nightingale, for the Test and Trace service and at various GP clinics in London.

Dr. De Silva is among a group of ‘ordinary’ people, who have made extraordinary contributions to their community, to be invited for the coronation on Saturday (May 06).

While living in Doncaster, South Yorkshire before the outbreak of the pandemic, Dr De Silva volunteered as a street doctor offering care to homeless people during his lunch break in between morning and afternoon surgeries. He has also worked as a doctor for the charity The Kids Village in Costa Rica and now is mainly involved in humanitarian aid.

Speaking to BBC in this regard, Dr. De Silva said he is “slightly nervous” but looks forward to attending the historical event.

It is reported that Charles III and his wife Camilla, as His Majesty The King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort of the UK, have invited at least 850 people to the ceremony, including more than 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal.