Prince George is preparing to have a pivotal role at his grandfather King Charles III’s coronation on May 6.
According to People, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that the 9-year-old son of Kate Middleton and Prince William will act as a page for the King as he ascends the throne. Both Charles and Camilla will each have four Pages of Honor tending to them throughout the coronation.
Prince George’s role in the ceremony was announced the same day Buckingham Palace revealed a new portrait of Charles and Camilla and unveiled the design of the invitations, which were sent out to approximately 2,000 guests.
The couple posed in March in the Blue Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace for the photo, taken by Hugo Burnand, the same photographer who documented Charles and Camilla’s 2005 nuptials.
As second-in-line to the throne, Prince George will be joined by three other boys as Pages of Honor to the King, including Nicholas Barclay (the grandson of Sarah Troughton, the King’s second cousin), Ralph Tollemache (the son of the King’s godson Edward Tollemache) and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley (the son of the King’s Lord-in-Waiting, the Marquis of Cholmondeley).
Camilla’s three grandsons, twins Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles and her great-nephew Arthur Elliot will support her during the service. The children will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey.
Per the publication, Prince George’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales are “cognizant that he is old enough to understand what’s going on,” but are mindful of the pressure the hefty role might put on their child. The young prince will go back to “normal life” the following week, attended school with his classmates as usual.
“His parents are very excited and delighted that he is a page,” a spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales told the outlet. “It’s something that his parents have thought long and hard about and are very much looking forward to — and I’m sure George is, too.”
02/06/2022 (Photographed by Karwai Tang/ [email protected])
Rehearsals for the grand occasion are privately taking place in the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace to allow palace staff, family and clergy members to go through the procession step-by-step out of the public eye, while keeping Westminster Abbey open to visitors.
The prince’s younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 will travel from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace in the carriage procession after the coronation.
We are still waiting to hear if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend the ceremony. The couple did receive their invitations to the coronation in March. A spokesperson for the couple told The Sunday Times, “I can confirm The Duke has received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
According to a report from The Times of London, the schedule, as it currently stands, shows no place in the procession for Harry and Meghan.
Watch this space for updates.
