More details have been revealed about the king’s coronation, as Prince George, the nine-year-old grandson of King Charles, is set to take on a bigger role than expected – in a breach of royal precedent.
The Times reports that Charles and Queen Camilla are both keen to give George, as the future king, a more prominent role, while not exposing him to excessive scrutiny at a young age.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers tells The Times:
“Bringing George also sends all the right symbolism into the future and gives him something he’ll always remember. It’s definitely different — this coronation is getting more exciting by the minute.”
In addition, Queen Camilla’s grandchildren – the monarch’s great-grandchildren – will be given prominent official roles in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which will take place on May 6.
This “blended family” will be one of the signs of an event that, according to the palace statement, “will reflect the king’s role today and look to the future, while rooted in ancient traditions and processions.”
The Queen has five grandchildren, all of whom are teenagers, who haven’t spent much time in the spotlight yet. All of this is set to change in three months. The Times reports that Camilla asked her grandchildren to hold the canopy over her while she was anointed with holy oil, one of the most striking parts of the ceremony.
Charles watched his mother’s coronation in 1953 from a balcony with the rest of the congregation, but he 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 home in California to attend the ceremony, following their series of Netflix documentaries and Harry’s memoirs, in which he expresses his discontent with many aspects of royal life.
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