Prince George is set to play a big role at his grandfather King Charles’ coronation on May 6.
The nine-year-old son of Prince William and Kate Middleton will don a ceremonial sword at the event, representing his role as protector of the monarch, as well as the second-in-line to the British throne behind the Duke of Cambridge.
However, George’s primary duty at the crowning is being one of the four Pages of Honor, while his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will also have formal roles at the coronation.
The other Pages to join Charles, 74, at the Westminster Abbey ceremony include Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, whose parents are close friends of the King and Prince William, Master Ralph Tollemache, 12, son of the King’s godson Edward Tollemache and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, whose father is King Charles’ Lord-in-Waiting.
The foursome will sport red coats, white breeches, and stockings and will be key components of the procession.
A royal rep divulged to People recently that William, 40, and Middleton, 41, are “very excited and delighted” that their eldest son is taking part in the big event.
“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,” the spokesperson revealed.
Charles’ wife, Camilla, will be crowned alongside him next month, taking on the title of Queen Consort.
The 75-year-old will also have her own set of Pages to support her throughout the commemorative celebration, including Camilla’s grandsons, twins Gus and Louis, 13, their teen cousin, Frederick, and her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot.
The coronation invitation list has been capped at 2,000 people, although the event will be shorter than Queen Elizabeth’s own crowning in 1953.
Charles’ ceremony is expected to be more “inclusive” than his late mother’s and will be a modernized soirée. “The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement last year.
The Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the May 6 service, which has been declared a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.
It would also appear that the former Prince of Wales is planning to wing his enthroning after reportedly rehearsing the ceremony just once, and without his ceremonial robe, according to The Telegraph.
The “informal” rehearsal apparently took over the court at Buckingham Palace, with a fake stage built to look like the 1,000-year-old church, the publication wrote.
On April 11, the Mirror reported that the coronation could be total “chaos” as the rehearsal ran way over 90 minutes.
“It’s all very frantic, complete chaos, to be frank,” a royal source sighed. “There is a plan, which is supposed to be the blueprint of how the day should operate, but things are changing daily, which is causing massive headaches.”
