King Charles and Camilla will have most family members in attendance for their coronation on May 6.
The question remains as to whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will accept their invitation, but documents as to how the big day will unfold have now been leaked.
The king’s three grandchildren, including the soon-to-be five-year-old Prince Louis, will all have a role in the coronation procession, though if they’ll play any significant part has yet to be revealed.
Prince George, Charles’ eldest grandchild, will be king himself in the future, while his siblings, Princess Charlotte and her brother, Louis, will “only” be working royals.
While it’s said Kate and William are preparing Charlotte for a life wherein she might have to work, young Prince Louis’s future remains more unclear. Interestingly, though, it’s now being speculated that King Charles might have quite the plan for the young royal, and it includes one of the most honorable titles in the royal world.
King Charles’ coronation is less than two months away. It will take place on May 6 and is expected to be celebrated nationwide by the British public.
The royals will travel in procession to Westminster Abbey, where a traditional service, including an anointment with holy oil, will be performed. It’s not only the adult royals set to be involved in the coronation but also the royal children.
Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, won’t be traveling alone to the Abbey – where countless royal marriages, services, coronations, and funerals have taken place over the years.
That specific part of the coronation is for senior members of the Royal Family only, meaning that even if they are in the UK for the occasion, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be involved.
That same goes for other non-working royals, including Andrew, the Duke of York, and his children, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Besides the debate and many reports about Harry and Meghan’s “be or not to be” showing at the coronation, another hot topic has been the potential involvement of Prince William’s eldest son, Prince George.
Which royal will attend King Charles’ coronation
Reports have suggested that he might take on a more significant role at the coronation alongside Camilla’s grandchildren, who look set to perform one of the most honorable tasks of the whole day.
According to leaked documents in The Times, the Prince and Princess of Wales – Prince William and Kate Middleton – will participate in the procession alongside their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Alongside them will be Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir. Tim Laurence, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Prince Edward and his wife Sophie), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (Prince Richard and his wife Birgitte), as well as the Duke of Kent (Prince Edward) and his wife, Princess Alexander.
In total, there will be 15 senior royals included in the procession, including King Charles and Camilla.
One of the biggest questions leading up to the coronation has been about Harry and Meghan. The couple was handed an official invite to King Charles’ coronation some weeks ago, but they are still yet to accept or decline the invitation.
Regardless, it seems as though they shouldn’t expect any kind of positive treatment from some of their royal peers.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, a royal family friend said that Harry and Meghan would be given the “cold shoulder” by many relatives.
“One said to me, ‘I hope they’ll be seated in Iceland,’” the friend to the family said.
William & Kate “worried” about Prince George’s role at coronation
King Charles’s grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, will all be a part of the coronation. It will mark Louis’s first time at this type of significant event – he was considered too young to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral last fall.
Yet while Louis and his siblings will be in attendance, King Charles’ two other grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, probably won’t. Reports suggest that the two haven’t been invited, with one reason being that they, at this time, are too young.
Prince George has been discussed as one who will get a more significant role at the coronation, though what exactly that entails is yet to be seen. In any case, George’s potential role at his grandfather’s coronation has sparked a “bit of an argument.” An expert has claimed that Prince William and Kate Middleton worry about the pressure being put on the young royal’s shoulders.
According to leaked plans for the coronation rehearsal, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are all expected to be seen by the public during the coronation and later on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
But while Prince George is preparing for royal life as a future king, the fact that he, at nine years of age, might have a prominent role during the coronation has sparked an argument between his parents, William and Kate.
According to royal commentator and author Tom Quinn, William and Kate are worried that the pressure might be too much for the young prince.
“I’ve heard from my contacts that there is a bit of an argument going on about whether George should play a more formal role,” he told Express. “I’ve heard that Kate and William are worried that it will be too much for him.”
Prince Louis – first major royal engagement
So what about Prince Louis? The young royal, who turns five on April 28, will be at his first major royal outing with his parents and siblings. When it comes to his royal future, there are some question marks as to what we can expect to see. Louis is a long way back in the line of succession and will likely never come close to being a king.
Even so, it seems like King Charles might have a plan in store for him.
Just days after Lilibet and Archie’s titles were officially added to the Buckingham Palace website, King Charles announced another significant change within the Royal Family.
His youngest brother, Prince Edward, also titled the Earl of Wessex, was honored with a new title: the Duke of Edinburgh.
A palace statement said: “His Majesty the King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday. The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.
“The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952. The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”
Prince Edward was handed the title on his 59th birthday. He will hold the title his entire life, while his son, James, also known as Viscount Severn, now becomes the Earl of Wessex.
King Charles’ plan: Louis to become Duke of Edinburgh?
According to The Guardian, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip wished that Edward be handed the title. King Charles has now honored said wish.
When Prince Philip passed away in 2021, the same title was handed down to Charles. Yet when he became king, it reverted automatically to back the Crown. Charles could then decide who he thought should have the title of the Duke of Edinburgh and elected for Prince Edward.
But while Prince Edward will hold the title until his passing, King Charles might have a plan for young Prince Louis in play.
According to the Mirror, the Duke of Edinburgh title isn’t inherited; when Edward dies, it will revert to the crown. That might pave the way for one of William and Kate’s children to be given the title – and Louis is the most likely candidate.
Writing in the Daily Mail – before Edward was given the title – royal expert and author Richard Kay argued that Charles wanted to make the crown more modern and downsize the number of royal titles.
“Charles’s charitable portfolio is being streamlined for when he is king, and this same forensic approach is being applied to how much and what the Royal Family does in his reign,” Kay wrote. “As it will certainly downsize, it means fewer royals carrying out engagements.”
“So it is against a background of a slimmed down monarchy that the prince has been developing ideas about working royals, their titles, and how they fit in with his vision of a modern Britain.”
Kay continued: “Someone close to Charles told me that rather than more royal titles, the prince prefers fewer… The Edinburgh title, created by King George I for his grandson, Frederick, has been revived twice (by Queen Victoria for her second son Alfred and by George VI for Prince Philip), and Charles may even wish it go to his own grandson, Prince Louis.”
There will likely be many royal duties for Pince Louis to engage in in the future, though some aren’t sure that this is for the best. In an interview with The Telegraph to promote his book, Spare, Harry spoke about Charlotte and Louis, revealing that he fears for their future.
Kate feeling “sadness” about Louis growing up
Though Prince Louis didn’t appear at the Queen’s funeral, there have been other events where fans have caught a glimpse of the young prince. When the Royal Family attended their annual Christmas Day service in the church at Sandringham, he appeared in what many royal fans thought was a strange outfit.
Many questioned William and Kate’s choice of clothing for Louis. But, as usual, he looked delighted, and even picked up a Christmas gift from a well-wisher.
Needless to say, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children are growing up fast. Prince George is nine, Princess Charlotte is seven, and soon, Louis will be five. Any parent will naturally feel nostalgia for the early days when their children were small, and the same is true for Kate Middleton.
For Mother’s Day, Kate shared several pictures of her and her children. In one, she held Louis like a baby. According to body language expert Judi James, it captured her emotional side.
“This pose shows Kate fully back in ‘mum’ role again, cradling Louis in her arms and looking down with a warm, loving and caring smile that seems to encapsulate the emotional side of being a mother,” James told the Daily Mail.
She continued: “Louis was always the child she tended to carry around the most when he was a baby. Although she clearly cherishes the way he is growing up to be confident, spontaneous and playful, this pose suggests there is also some bittersweet emotions about losing that constant mother/baby contact.”
“If he is going to be her last child, these feelings of sadness mixed with love could be magnified for her, too,” she concluded.
“He’s a big boy now”
In October of last year, Kate made another remark about Prince Louis. During a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital, the princess was given the chance to hold newborns.
That undoubtedly sparked fond memories of the time when her three children were new to the world.
“I keep thinking Louis is a baby but he’s a big boy now,” Kate said, per the Daily Mail. “It just feels like yesterday.”
That’s not the first time she’s spoken about Louis’ growing up. As reported by People, while taking a walk and spotting a newborn in a stroller in 2022, Kate said: “I keep thinking Louis is my baby, but he’s a proper boy now.”
