Celebrity
William & Kate Broke Royal Protocol At King Charles’ Coronation
The couple created an “awkward scene.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton suffered a royal mishap at King Charles’ 2023 Coronation. The historic ceremony, which took place at Westminster Abbey, saw the reigning monarch officially crowned King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
While the Coronation appeared to have gone off without a hitch to the millions watching at home, royal biographer Robert Hardman claims that the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived late to the ceremony.
In his recently released book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, Hardman claims that King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the Coronation venue ahead of schedule, while William and Kate were running a minute and a half behind.
“The Waleses are supposed to be there eight minutes ahead of the King and Queen. Yet they will now arrive after them,” Hardman writes, adding that the scheduling mix-up sparked “an awkward scene” outside Westminster Abbey as the King and Queen arrived in their coach. “It is an added layer of stress that the couple really do not want or need on a day like this,” he adds.
In the book, the biographer adds that royal sources have different theories explaining why William and Kate arrived late, with one claiming that the couple’s decision to film a Coronation Day video may have held them up on the big day.
“It is unusual for the two most important arrivals at such a significant event, and over such a well-trodden route, to be so unpunctual,” Hardman adds. “There isn’t time for the Waleses and their two younger children to enter ahead of the King and Queen. They must now follow behind and bring up the rear.”
Prince George Made History
Despite the family’s late arrival, the couple’s oldest child, Prince George, arrived in time to serve as a Page of Honor at his grandfather’s coronation, making him the youngest heir to the throne in history to participate in the ceremony.
“We’re all very excited about Prince George’s role in the Coronation,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said at the time. “It will be an incredibly special moment.”
