More details of the King’s coronation ceremony have been revealed, with King Charles’ nine-year-old grandson Prince George set to play a bigger role than expected – in a break with royal precedent.
The Times reports that Charles and Queen Camilla are both keen for George to feature prominently as the future king without exposing him to undue scrutiny at his young age.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers tells the Times:
“Bringing George in also sends the right symbolism for the future and gives him something to remember forever. It’s certainly different – this coronation is getting more interesting by the minute.”
In addition, Queen Camila’s grandchildren – the King’s step-grandchildren – will be honored at the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which will take place on April 6.
This “blended family” will mark an event that, according to a palace statement, “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look to the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.”
The Queen has five grandchildren, all teenagers, who have not spent much time in the spotlight. That should change in three months. The Times reports that Camilla has requested that her grandchildren hold the canopy overhead while she is anointed with holy oil, one of the most eye-catching parts of the ceremony.
Charles watched his own mother be crowned from a balcony with the rest of the congregation in 1953, but he was only four at the time.
It’s not yet known if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel from their native California to attend the ceremony after their Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir, in which he expressed his displeasure with many aspects of royal life , were expressed.