King Charles' Coronation Plans Leaked: Prince William More Involved and One Burning Question About Prince Harry
William will have an active role in planning the big day for his father.
King Charles took over the throne as soon as his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passed away. While he is considered the King of England, his official coronation doesn't occur until Saturday, May 6, 2023. On that monumental day, Charles, as well as his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will have crowns placed on their heads.
What exactly will coronation day be like, under King Charles' reign? Reports have been trickling in about what to expect, including how many people will attend, how long the ceremony will take, what people will be wearing, and who will be involved in the planning of it.
According to one new report, King Charles' elder son, Prince William, second in line to the throne, is going to play a very active role in not only planning the big day, but he will also taking part in it as well. And what about his little brother, Prince Harry? Keep reading to find out.
The Telegraph reports that the Prince of Wales will be taking an "active role" in planning the event, joining the King's coronation committee. He is especially keen on keeping it more modern and dropping "archaic," "feudal," and "imperial" elements that might be a turn off for many people.
According to the report, while spouses often take part in the planning of the event, Queen Consort Camilla is not interested in being active on the committee and is letting her stepson take more responsibility.
The Prince is also expected to take part in the ceremony, as he is the future King and will one day be the center of the coronation ceremony himself. And, it is quite possible that Kate Middleton, his wife, will also be part of the big event that will take place at Westminster Abbey.
The Royals believe that involving the Prince of Wales will be viewed as a "sign of continuity between the generations and the closer working relationship between the King and his heir," states The Telegraph.
"The UK no longer has the capacity to mount anything like this spectacle, nor should it do so in straitened times. The next coronation will inevitably be smaller. Archaic elements such as the Court of Claims could be dropped," Dr. Bob Harris, of The Constitution Unit at UCL, writes."So should the homage, and thought be given to how the King as head of the nation should be enabled early in the reign to signify support for, and encouragement of, modern civil society. A modernised form of homage could take place, for example, in Westminster Hall, or in a procession on Horse Guards Parade.""It would be a suitable choice for Prince William to represent King Charles in the planning because it would get him thinking about what kind of coronation he might like when he becomes king," added Prof Robert Hazell, also of the Constitution Unit at UCL.
"The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry," the Palace has said about the ceremony. Major changes include a much more casual dress code, with lounge suits replacing ceremonial robes, and a seriously scaled down guest list, with the King reportedly cutting the guest list numbers from 8,000 down to 2,000.
And, according to the Mail on Sunday, expect to see more charity workers than aristocrats in the crowd, as the King has reportedly made it very difficult for the ultra-wealthy to score invites as they may have to enter a ballot for a seat to the soiree.
"There are no longer hereditary peers being created and, save for the 90 left in the Lords, the peerage has no legislative function," said Dr. Bob Morris, of UCL's Constitution Unit and author of Inaugurating a New Reign: Planning for Accession and Coronation. "So, it would be very difficult to see how you could justify fitting anything like the numbers of the peerage attending Westminster Abbey in 1953. There would have to be a ballot for a limited number from the 90 peers to attend the Coronation instead," he added.