A touching moment between father and son. Prince William participated in the coronation of his father, King Charles IIIpaying tribute to the new monarch.
Presenting Charles, 74, with the Royal Stole and Royal Mantle, the 40-year-old Prince of Wales paid the traditional tribute. “I, William, Prince of Wales, swear my allegiance to you, and faith and truth I will bring to you as your liege, a man of life and health, God help me,” said the Duke of Cornwall, before kissing his father on the cheek.
The coronation guests then paid their respects as a group, saying, “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever.” Prince Harrythose sitting in the third row, together with their cousins, took the oath. Princess Eugenie And Princess Beatrice.
Tribute is a tradition where princes of royal blood and senior peers pay their respects to a new king or queen by placing their hands between the monarch’s knees, swearing allegiance, touching the crown, and kissing the sovereign’s right hand. The eldest peer speaks words of respect.
While previous coronations have included several peers paying homage, Charles decided that his eldest son would be the only peer to take part in this tradition. As Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne, William is the highest-ranking peer in England, which is why he has been tasked with delivering the traditional allegiance speech.
When Charles’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned in 1953, her husband, Prince Philip, delivered words of respect, but he was followed by several other dukes who performed the ritual by placing their hands between her knees and swearing allegiance. .
Had Charles enlisted other dukes to attend the ceremony, William would have been joined by his brother, Harry, 38, who retained his title as Duke of Sussex after stepping down as senior working member of the royal family in 2020. king’s brothers Prince AndrewDuke of York and Prince EdwardDuke of Edinburgh and the Queen’s cousins Prince EdwardDuke of Kent and Prince RichardDuke of Gloucester.
The decrease in homage is just one of the many changes Charles made to his official coronation ceremony. Firstly, the event was planned to last only one hour, while his mother had four hours. Invitations were sent out to only 2,000 guests, while 8,000 people were sent to the coronation of Elizabeth and her father George VI.
The changes are in line with what royal experts have said about Charles’ plans to streamline the monarchy after Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.
“I’ve had this extraordinary feeling, for years, ever since I can really remember, of wanting to heal and make things better,” the former Prince of Wales explained in 2013. Time cover story. “I feel that more than anything, it is my duty to worry about everyone and their lives in this country, to try to find a way to improve the situation if I can.”