Charles III: Coronation Information and Musings - Part 2

[Durham]

Are those seats for the Royal Family??? Or clergy or people with roles? Whoever said Harry is sitting third row might be making stuff up. Gonna do a mock draft of the seating plan!!

Do you mean the burgundy chairs on the right?

The flags of the fifteen realms are placed directly behind these chairs. And there will be fourteen Governors General plus their spouses for those that have them. So maybe for them?

Why are the throne chairs on stages of equal height?

 

[Durham]

He can only be crowned once, I believe he moves to the throne to be crowned, Camilla is crowned in a different chair.

The Queen will be crowned on her Chair of Estate. Presumably while kneeling?

 

[LaBettie]

The yellow square is elevated to be level with the altar area, and there is a little ramp in the blue aisle. The blue side area have a little railing around and there are different types of chairs. I think there are also two sets of five blue chairs in the front row where the royals usually sit? And opposite is also the same blue chairs for foreign royals? Then some plain chairs next to that?

 

[Durham]

Both yellow squares appear to be of equal height but that of The King should be higher than that of The Queen. At least that's how it was in 1937 & presumably 1911 & 1902.

 

[LaBettie]

Both yellow squares appear to be of equal height but that of The King should be higher than that of The Queen. At least that's how it was in 1937 & presumably 1911 & 1902.

I didn’t even see the yellow squares under the chairs. I was talking about the big yellow square on the floor…

 

[Durham]

Understood.?

Normally there are steps going up to the level of the Cosmati Pavement but this temporary yellow covered stage has been built. This was also done in 53.

 

[LaBettie]

Support for the red chairs being for the BRF. They would have the same view as Charles in 1953. And the Dukes got special chairs. View shown below.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/40447...en-elizabeth-ii-westminster-abbey-2-june-1953

 

[tommy100]

There are 21 red chairs (I think) and I count 21 members of the RF who could use them

William
Catherine
Charlotte
Louis
George

Anne
Tim
Edward
Sophie
Louise
James

Duke of Gloucester
Duchess of Gloucester
Duke of Kent
Princess Alexandra

Andrew
Beatrice
Edo
Eugenie
Jack
Harry

But I don't know if the Wales children would are definitely attending and if so if they are sitting in such prominent seats. That said, I suspect the blue chairs will be used for wider Royal Family, Foreign Royals, Heads of State and Government (And they are in the same positions as those people sat in the late Queen's state funeral)

 

[LaBettie]

There are two sets of five red seats in front. So maybe Louise and James are in the back, and Harry or Andrew are in front. Or both if Louis doesn’t get a seat.

 

[EllieCat]

I can see 21 red seats. I'm going for:

Wales: Wm, C & children
Edinburgh: Ed, Sophie & children
Harry
Anne & Tim, Zara & Peter
Andrew, B & E
D&D Gloucester
D of Kent, Pcs Alexandra

Which is the main working Royals and their children (no children's spouses);
and the minor working Royals, no children.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

It all looks very splendid and I expected nothing less


The Coronation floral displays at the Abbey

The flowers are marvelous!
I especially like the yellow daffodils with the orange centers.

 

[Drakes]

Meanwhile at Windsor, there’s a technical rehearsal for Sunday’s Coronation Concert - lighting only, no sound as it’s 1am

 

[tommy100]

the order of service has been released with more info than the liturgy released earlier

https://www.documentcloud.org/docum...-saturday-6th-may-coronation-order-of-service

Governors-General and Prime Ministers, or their representatives, of the Commonwealth Realms are led in procession to their seats. National Standards are placed in the Sacrarium. All remain seated.

Members of foreign Royal Families arrive at the Great West Door and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated.

Members of The Royal Family arrive at the Great West Door and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated.

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales arrive at the Great West Door and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated.

 

[tommy100]

leaving the Abbey - I'm missing out a lot of attendants to get just the RF


PROCESSION OF THE KING AND THE QUEEN

HM The King (attendants & pages)

HM The Queen (attendants & pages)


Princess of Wales & Prince of Wales

Prince Louise of Wales & Princess Charlotte of Wales

The Duchess of Edinburgh & The Duke of Edinburgh

Lady Louise & Earl of Wessex

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence & The Princess Royal

The Duchess of Gloucester & The Duke of Gloucester

 

[LaBettie]

George is in the back. Maybe it is heavier in the front/middle?

Will other people just let their robes drag?

 

[tommy100]

Usually the more important you are the longer your robe - only the late Queen as sovereign had garter robes long enough to require pages, everyone else managed without. I think that may be one of the reasons the other members of the RF aren't using coronation robes, then they would each need a page.

 

[EllieCat]

PROCESSION OF THE KING AND THE QUEEN

HM The King (attendants & pages)

HM The Queen (attendants & pages)


Princess of Wales & Prince of Wales

Prince Louise of Wales & Princess Charlotte of Wales

The Duchess of Edinburgh & The Duke of Edinburgh

Lady Louise & Earl of Wessex

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence & The Princess Royal

The Duchess of Gloucester & The Duke of Gloucester

A bit surprised by this; i had thought instead of Louise and James it would have been DoK and Pcess Alexandra. But perhaps they're trying to install a bit of youth into the adult members of the parade, after all W&C are in their 40s now, middle age. It'll be great for Louise and James though.

 

[tommy100]

I think the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra are going and will be treated like the others apart from the procession. For Philip's memorial service they used a side entrance at the abbey for ease. I suspect the same is happening again, the Duke seems especially unsteady so walking all the way down the abbey may be too much. Likewise they are following the carriage procession in a car, I suspect because getting into a carriage may be too much. James is 15 so to me it would seem strange for him (and thus Louise) to be sitting away from their parents unless really necessary

 

[wbenson]

All of the regalia, for the King and the Queen, is carried before both of them. This probably solves a tricky issue with the vivats during I Was Glad. At the coronation in 1937, there had to be a long and not-very-impressive fanfare (several minutes long) between the two arrivals, because the King and Queen were separated by all of the King's regalia.

Why are the throne chairs on stages of equal height?

I think the mound of steps might have been rejected for concerns that it would be too unwieldy to ascend. There were reports a while back that ramps were used instead of steps wherever possible.

 

[Somebody]

A bit surprised by this; i had thought instead of Louise and James it would have been DoK and Pcess Alexandra. But perhaps they're trying to install a bit of youth into the adult members of the parade, after all W&C are in their 40s now, middle age. It'll be great for Louise and James though.

I'm a bit surprised that Louise and James are again treated as 'children of' and not as independent nieces and nephews like their cousins.

I assume the duke of Kent himself indicated that he is not up to taking part in the procession and his sister who seems a bit more mobile therefore doesn't participate either (or it is a sign of both him and his sister retiring after the king has been crowned).

 

[tommy100]

I assume when it says car they'll be in on of the state limousines like when Camilla and Catherine followed the procession of her late Majesty in a state limousine.

 

[Marengo]

After months of anticipation the coronation will happen in a few hours. It is time to close this thread.

You can continue to discuss the events around the coronation here:

May 5th: Guest Arrivals and Reception
May 6th: Coronation
May 7th and 8th: Big Lunch, Concert and Big Help Out

On behalf of the entire TRF team I hope that you all will enjoy the upcoming events.