King Charles Will Break Royal Tradition After It's Revealed Who Will Stand Next to Him at Coronation
The coronation of Britain’s King Charles III will put the grandchildren of Camilla, the Queen Consort, in the spotlight, according to a new report.
Calling it a “bold move,” the Sunday Times reported that Camilla’s grandchildren will have a prominent role in the May 6 ceremony.
The report said Camilla wants her grandchildren to hold a canopy over her when she is anointed with holy oil. Past ceremonies have used duchesses to do that.
“The queen consort has said she does not want duchesses. She would like it to be her grandchildren,” the Times quoted a royal source it did not name as saying.
Camilla, 75, has five grandchildren. Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, are the children of her son, Tom Parker Bowles. Eliza, 15, and twins, Louis and Gus, 13, are the children of Camilla’s daughter, Laura Lopes.
Buckingham Palace has said the coronation “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The coronation is also expected to have what the report termed a “significant role” for George, the son of the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales, who is 9. Under the royal succession, George would become king after his father, William, who would become king after the death of Charles, who is 74.
“It’s a lovely idea to involve their own family members in these roles, rather than having aristocrats’ sons and daughters doing it. It is all part of the inclusivity of the family and strengthens their bonds,” royal historian Hugo Vickers said.
“Bringing George in also sends all the right symbolism for the future and gives him something he will always remember. It is certainly different — this coronation is getting more interesting by the minute,” he said.
Royal watcher Tessa Dunlop said the coronation is likely to focus on the king, his son, and his grandson, according to the Daily Mail.
“[They] want to keep it focused on that line of succession. So we’re going to see a lot of camera shots of Charles, of William, of George,” she said.
Writing for U.K.’s Cosmopolitan, Chloe Bowen called the plan “a bold statement about the realities of their blended family” and a “bold change.”
Jonathan Sacerdoti, a royal commentator, said adding Camilla’s grandchildren is a way to connect with the times, according to Fox News.
“This idea draws attention to the king and queen’s blended family situation — theirs is a second marriage for both of them,” Sacerdoti said.
“Acknowledging the blended nature of their family in such an open and proud way will be seen as them actively choosing to reflect the many other blended families that increasingly make up the United Kingdom population,” he continued.
“These days, more and more people have stepchildren and step-grandchildren, and it will be important for them to see the royal family taking a more inclusive stance. The royal family is of course quite different from the rest of us, but they also reflect many of the social changes that have taken place for the wider public,” Sacerdoti added.
He said the proposed role would be significant.
“The anointing is one of the most sacred moments of the ceremony, so to be involved in it directly would be an enormous honor. It would be a sign of great trust and love to include Camilla’s grandchildren that way,” he said.
“And it will also include them very publicly, with people watching all around the world, many noting them for the first time. They aren’t high-profile people in the same way the king’s grandchildren are because they were not born royal,” he said.
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