King Charles III’s Coronation is almost here, as the prestigious ceremony will formalise his role as the head of the Church of England. But long before Charles ascended the throne, he was already a much-loved grandparent to his grandchildren, some of whom will have starring roles in the upcoming coronation.
The Times has reported that Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and 4-year-old Prince Louis will all be joining their grandfather and step-grandmother as they exit Westminster Abbey once the ceremony has finished and take part in “The Coronation Procession” back to Buckingham Palace. Traditionally, other members of the royal family are not a part of the formalities until they appear on the palace balcony following the procession to watch the flypast, and so this will mark a significant family moment.
Whilst the siblings have taken part in various royal events before (who could forget Prince Louis stealing the show at Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Pageant?), it was decided that the youngest sibling was too young to take part in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral last year, despite his older siblings attendance.
As for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, it was announced on April 12 that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation by himself. The announcement was unsurprising considering it is also Archie’s 4th birthday on the day of the coronation and in light of the recent revelations in Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”
Considering that Harry and Meghan, and their two children, now live in California, it’s not often that King Charles gets to spend time with his grandchildren, but he did see them last summer over the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Charles was reunited with his grandson Archie for the first time since 2020 and was first introduced in person to Lilibet. “The prince [King Charles], of course, hasn’t seen his grandson Archie for a bit of time and so it was very, very, very special to have some time with him,” a source told The Independent. “He hadn’t met Lili, his granddaughter, and so to meet her was very emotional, a very, very wonderful thing.”
Known affectionately as “Grandpa Wales” to his grandchildren, according to The Daily Mail, King Charles has previously opened up about having grandkids, saying: “It’s a different part of your life. The great thing is to encourage them. Show them things to take their interest … It is very important to create a bond when they are very young.”
His wife, Queen Consort Camilla, who is also getting crowned at the coronation, told the BBC that “he will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know, making funny noises and laughing,” while Prince William said in the documentary “Prince, Son & Heir: Charles at 70” that he is “brilliant” with the kids, but he wishes his father could spend “more time” with his grandchildren.
King Charles has five biological grandchildren and five further step-grandchildren through his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, who will also play their part in the coronation. The boys have been chosen as Pages of Honor for Queen Consort, Camilla, alongside her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot, 10. Read ahead to find out more about the King’s grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
