Charles III: Coronation Information and Musings - Part 1

[RoyalHighness 2002]

(It's The Times, but this article is free to read)

George, Charlotte and Louis to star in King’s coronation

Beatrice and Eugenie always getting caught in the crossfire huh, must be an interesting place to be in.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Beatrice and Eugenie always getting caught in the crossfire huh, must be an interesting place to be in.

It sounds as if all non-working members of the royal family will be excluded from the procession, other than the Wales children (and that is still consistent if they are expected to become working members one day).


From the Times article posted by yukari: "In 1953 there were ten Commonwealth prime ministers in open-top carriages, but this year there are no plans for foreign leaders to take part in the procession." Interesting change. I wonder what the reasons behind it were.

 

[Erin9]

That all sounds promising.

It does. If this is the plan, it’s pretty much what I expected. I wasn’t sure about Louis, but he has been included in some events over the last year or so.

 

[FigTree]

It sounds as if all non-working members of the royal family will be excluded from the procession, other than the Wales children (and that is still consistent if they are expected to become working members one day).


From the Times article posted by yukari: "In 1953 there were ten Commonwealth prime ministers in open-top carriages, but this year there are no plans for foreign leaders to take part in the procession." Interesting change. I wonder what the reasons behind it were.

Changing times. No appetite for that style of Victorian pomp.

 

[wbenson]

From the Times article posted by yukari: "In 1953 there were ten Commonwealth prime ministers in open-top carriages, but this year there are no plans for foreign leaders to take part in the procession." Interesting change. I wonder what the reasons behind it were.

If they included the equivalent leaders to 1953, they'd need fifteen carriages if they squeezed them all in four to a carriage (in 1953, the PMs of independent states got individual carriages). I suspect the various carriages full of admirals, courtiers and ladies in waiting, etc. are also gone, there just isn't as much intrigue there.

 

[David Smith]

Have male members of the BRF ever worn Garter robes at Coronations? For instance did George VIs brothers do so, or were they just peerage robes such as the other peers of the realm wore?

Prince Arthur of Connaught wore his Garter robe at the 1937 coronation and sat with the royal dukes in front of the peers.

 

[Curryong]

Thank you, David. Interesting. He was a very old man by that stage. Wonder whether he also wore Garter robes at his brother’s Coronation in 1902.

 

[Duke of Leaside]

Prince Arthur of Connaught wore his Garter robe at the 1937 coronation and sat with the royal dukes in front of the peers.

Thank you, David. Interesting. He was a very old man by that stage. Wonder whether he also wore Garter robes at his brother’s Coronation in 1902.

I think you two are talking about two different Arthurs, albeit son and father.

Prince Arthur of Connaught was the (only) son of The Duke of Connaught (also named Arthur) who was indeed quite old in 1937 and was indeed a younger brother of King Edward VII (crowned in 1902). Prince Arthur was not a peer himself but nonetheless apparently sat with the Royal Dukes (including one would think his father if the latter was well enough to attend).

Sadly, the younger Prince Arthur died the following year in 1938 (predeceasing his father by 4 years) and so the former never succeeded to the Dukedom. The Duke was succeeded by his grandson Earl of Macduff (Alastair Windsor who was HH Prince Alastair of Connaught before Nov. 30, 1917). Alastair, the only child of (younger) Prince Arthur, sadly died only a year later in 1943 at age 28, after falling out a window at Rideau Hall (Government House) in Ottawa. He was apparently drunk and died of hypothermia and thus the Dukedom became extinct.

 

[Curryong]

Yes, sorry, it was a mistake of mine. I read it quickly, posted my reply and thought of the Duke not his son Arthur. The grandson Alistair, the next Duke, was certainly a rather strange individual, ‘very vague’ according to some sources.

 

[wbenson]

If correct, this article from last week's Mail on Sunday implicitly answers some questions I had about just what Westminster Abbey will look like inside.

Secret replica of Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey is being built in Buckingham Palace so the King and Queen Consort can rehearse for the ceremony just weeks away

A top-secret operation is under way in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace to reproduce the Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey so that the King and Queen Consort can carry out rehearsals in private.

A source said: 'It's a big undertaking. Builders are working on it at the moment. It's going to be an exact replica of the raised stage or 'theatre' which will be built in the Abbey when the King and Queen Consort are crowned.

 

[Stefan]

If correct, this article from last week's Mail on Sunday implicitly answers some questions I had about just what Westminster Abbey will look like inside.

Secret replica of Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey is being built in Buckingham Palace so the King and Queen Consort can rehearse for the ceremony just weeks away

A top-secret operation is under way in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace to reproduce the Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey so that the King and Queen Consort can carry out rehearsals in private.

A source said: 'It's a big undertaking. Builders are working on it at the moment. It's going to be an exact replica of the raised stage or 'theatre' which will be built in the Abbey when the King and Queen Consort are crowned.

It has been announced by the Abbey that it will be closed from 25. April to prepare for the coronation and reopen on 08. May.

 

[Lemon Lyman]

If correct, this article from last week's Mail on Sunday implicitly answers some questions I had about just what Westminster Abbey will look like inside.

Secret replica of Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey is being built in Buckingham Palace so the King and Queen Consort can rehearse for the ceremony just weeks away

A top-secret operation is under way in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace to reproduce the Coronation stage at Westminster Abbey so that the King and Queen Consort can carry out rehearsals in private.

A source said: 'It's a big undertaking. Builders are working on it at the moment. It's going to be an exact replica of the raised stage or 'theatre' which will be built in the Abbey when the King and Queen Consort are crowned.

The bit I thought was interesting was who Charles might have chosen to be his pages from his side. James? I know the Queen used various children and grandchildren of the Kents/Chattos/Gloucesters/Snowdons etc over the years. Any ideas who are the right age?

 

[Iluvbertie]

For the Queen's Coronation her pages were Richard and Michael - Richard was 9 and Michael 11. William was regarded as 'too old' to be a page at 12 and he, like Michael, had been the Queen's pages for her wedding.

James may be in the 'too old' stage now but it would be lovely to have his nephew as a page. I don't see George in that role and there really is no other boy old enough in the close family.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

For the Queen's Coronation her pages were Richard and Michael - Richard was 9 and Michael 11. William was regarded as 'too old' to be a page at 12 and he, like Michael, had been the Queen's pages for her wedding.

James may be in the 'too old' stage now but it would be lovely to have his nephew as a page. I don't see George in that role and there really is no other boy old enough in the close family.

It doesn’t have to be a family member. Pages have sometimes been boys from the gentry or aristocracy. I highly doubt James will take a role in this, he’s private and shy.

 

[Magali]

What about female pages? Savannah, Isla and Mia have the right age.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

What about female pages? Savannah, Isla and Mia have the right age.

Pages are usually boys or at least it has only been male pages.

 

[Iluvbertie]

What about female pages? Savannah, Isla and Mia have the right age.

Pages are boys.

Girls are usually called 'maids' and are older - usually older teenagers or in their early 20s.

 

[Iluvbertie]

It doesn’t have to be a family member. Pages have sometimes been boys from the gentry or aristocracy. I highly doubt James will take a role in this, he’s private and shy.

True - but I was listing those who had the job in 1953 and pointing out that there is only one boy even close in age to those now.

If there are no boys in the family of the right age then it is possible to have boys from any background at all.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

True - but I was listing those who had the job in 1953 and pointing out that there is only one boy even close in age to those now.

If there are no boys in the family of the right age then it is possible to have boys from any background at all.

I am quite sure they will find someone of the right age. Either way, they know what to do.

 

[crm2317]

Louis Windsor, the son of Lord Nicolas Windsor will be almost 9 at the time of the coronation so perhaps a possibility for a page.

Tane Lewis, the son of Lady Davina will be almost 11. Rufus Gilman, the son of Lady Rose will be 10. Both are grandsons of the Duke of Gloucester.

It might be nice to have one Kent and one Gloucester boy as pages to the King.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Louis Windsor, the son of Lord Nicolas Windsor will be almost 9 at the time of the coronation so perhaps a possibility for a page.

Tane Lewis, the son of Lady Davina will be almost 11. Rufus Gilman, the son of Lady Rose will be 10. Both are grandsons of the Duke of Gloucester.

It might be nice to have one Kent and one Gloucester boy as pages to the King.

That would be lovely and a continuation as a Gloucester and Kent were the pages for the late Queen at both her coronation and at her wedding.

 

[muriel]

Louis Windsor, the son of Lord Nicolas Windsor will be almost 9 at the time of the coronation so perhaps a possibility for a page.

Tane Lewis, the son of Lady Davina will be almost 11. Rufus Gilman, the son of Lady Rose will be 10. Both are grandsons of the Duke of Gloucester.

It might be nice to have one Kent and one Gloucester boy as pages to the King.

Or they could find some well-deserving boys from an underprivileged background and give them a chance.

 

[Lilyflo]

Or they could find some well-deserving boys from an underprivileged background and give them a chance.

Or maybe they could do both.

It would be perfect if the pages could come from across the UK but that might prove tricky for rehearsals in London.

 

[Denville]

Or they could find some well-deserving boys from an underprivileged background and give them a chance.

A chance to do what?

 

[muriel]

A chance to do what?

To pariticpate in the coronation of the monarch.

 

[Denville]

I dont see the point. There will be ordinary people there, but the idea is to cut down on numbers. and for younger more distant members of the RF, being a page gives them a role without too much fuss.

 

[An Ard Ri]

A video from Westminster Abbey explaining Coronation Rituals -Ampulla and Spoon with an insight from The Reverend Dr James Hawkey.

 

[sophie25]

Prince Albert has been talking about himself and the princess going to the Coronation in 'People' magazine again. Have any other monarchs spoke publicly about their attendance?

 

[Toledo]

Albert and Charles are old friends and Monaco is not a nation that has enemies to worry too much about. I assume royals from other countries, Spain, Denmark, Thailand etc. can't say things in advance due to security threats. For example, in the USA top members of government from the President to the members of congress and legislature go to unannounced foreign trips (like the recent Ukraine visits) to avoid security problems.

 

[An Ard Ri]

From the Royal Trust :The Coronation Robe