More details have emerged of the King’s coronation ceremony, with Prince George, the nine-year-old grandson of King Charles, given a bigger role than expected – in a break with royal precedent.
The Times reports that both Charles and Queen Camilla are keen that George be given a prominent role as a future king, while not exposing him to excessive scrutiny at his young age.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers tells The Times:
“Bringing George also sends all the right symbolism to the future and gives him something he’ll always remember. It’s definitely different – this coronation is getting more interesting by the minute.”
In addition, Queen Camilla’s grandsons – the King’s step-grandsons – will also be given key official roles at a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
This “blended family” will be a nod to an event which, according to a Palace statement, “will reflect the role of today’s monarch and look to the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.”
The Queen has five grandchildren, all teenagers, who haven’t spent much time in the limelight so far. This is all set to change in three months’ time. As The Times reports, Camilla has asked her grandchildren to hold a canopy over her during the anointing with holy oil, which is one of the most glamorous parts of the ceremony.
Charles watched his mother’s coronation from a balcony in 1953 with the rest of the congregation, but was only four years old at the time.
There is still no word on whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel from their California home to attend the ceremony, following the Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir, in which they expressed their displeasure over several aspects of royal life It was