Thousands of supporters gathered in London’s streets to celebrate King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official coronation. Everyone agreed that it was a day they won’t soon forget, primarily Prince George, who served as the ceremony’s Page of Honor and attended the event with several of Camilla’s grandkids, including the twins Gus and Louis.
As it turns out, though, Camilla’s grandson Gus was reportedly engaged in a severe accident while on vacation, which could have changed some aspects of the ceremony.
King Charles and Queen Camilla received their royal crowns this weekend at Westminster Abbey.
On Saturday, they traveled in “The King’s Procession” from Buckingham Palace to Westminster.
King Charles and Queen Camilla had crowned Royals when they arrived at Westminster, where 2,000 distinguished guests had been invited. The ceremony that followed had numerous components.
First came the Recognition, during which the Archbishop of Canterbury introduced King Charles to the crowd gathering at the Abbey while he stood next to the Coronation Chair.
The Anointing came next in the ceremony. After taking off his ceremonial robe, the King took his seat in the Coronation Chair. A golden fabric was placed over the chair to keep Charles hidden from the visitors and television cameras in the Abbey.
The monarch was then anointed with holy oil on his head, breast, and hands by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The oil’s composition is a mystery, although the BBC reports that it includes ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine, and cinnamon.
Following his ordination, King Charles was given some gifts, including the Sovereign’s Sceptre, representing mercy and justice. The Royal Orb, which stands for moral and religious authority, the Sceptre, which signifies power, and the Royal Orb.
The Archbishop then gave Charles St. Edward’s Crown, which he wore on his head. They cried out, “God Save The King,” and the historic church was filled with trumpets.
Camilla was then anointed and crowned as the ritual progressed. She was crowned as the first queen consort in almost 90 years.
King Charles and Queen Camilla made their way back to Buckingham Palace in what is known as “The Coronation Procession.” Who else might appear was widely debated; the children of Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received particular attention.
In the end, the procession included Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and their younger brother, Prince Louis, who is five years old. While Meghan remained in the US with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Harry went to the coronation.
It was a day Prince George would cherish for the rest of his life. The future king, who was made page of honor, was now second in line for the throne.
Holding the royal robes of King Charles and Queen Camilla during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey was necessary.
Along with George, there were seven additional pages, including Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes, and Louis Lopes, three of Camilla’s grandsons.
The son of former Lord Great Chamberlain David Cholmondeley, age 62, is Lord Oliver Cholmondeley. Finally, Ralph Tollemache, 12, is the son of Charles’s godson, Edward, and Nicholas Barclay is the grandson of Camilla’s friend Sarah Troughton.
Prince George and the other Pages of Honor agreed it was an amazing experience. The coronation, however, was undoubtedly different from how Gus Lopes, Camilla’s grandson, had initially imagined it would be for one of them.
According to various media outlets, Gus broke his right arm while on vacation and could not use it.
As a result, he was limited to using one arm to perform his job.
“A family friend tells me, “Gus fractured his arm in a bike accident while on vacation. Eden wrote for the Daily Mail, “The cast has been taken off, but he must have it in a sling on the big day.
Even though this situation is far from ideal, Gus can take comfort that his step-grandfather makes him feel fully at peace. Gus and Louis first became close when they were very young.
“Should Gus require encouragement for maintaining his composure during Saturday’s march, he need only recall the fortitude and stoicism of his great-grandfather, Camilla’s father, Bruce Shand, who was recognized with two Military Crosses and suffered wounds while serving in World War II, said Richard Eden. Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, the commander of the Blues and Royals, who is Gus’ grandfather, will be in the Abbey to encourage him.
Camilla’s family has maintained relationships with the Royal Family for many years. However, the two families have just recently spent time together, at least regarding Charles and Camilla’s respective grandkids.
Queen Elizabeth had many descendants (four children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren), but Camilla’s family, though it’s not spent so much time in the spotlight, is large as well.
The now-Queen is step-grandmother to Charles’s five grandchildren, but she also has five grandkids through her children, son Tom Parker Bowles and daughter Laura Lopes. Tom and Laura are from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, which ended in 1995.
Tom Parker Bowles has two children – daughter Laura, 15, and son Freddy, 13 – with his wife, Sara. Meanwhile, Laura Lopes and her husband Harry have three children – daughter Eliza, 15, and twin boys Louis and Gus, 13.
Like Camilla, King Charles has put in a lot of work to get to know his step-grandchildren and thus form a relationship. Six years ago, Camilla spoke on the relationship between her grandchildren and her husband.
“When we are with my husband in Scotland, he reads them Harry Potter,” Camilla said. “And he does all the voices because he is a brilliant mimic. They sit spellbound. They love it.”
The coronation isn’t the first big royal event Camilla’s grandchildren have attended. Gus, Louis, and Eliza – the youngest bridesmaid at Prince William and Princess Kate’s 2011 wedding – spent this past Christmas at Sandringham with the rest of the royals.
At William and Kate’s wedding, Eliza got to shine. At the coronation, though, her younger twin brothers were given their time in the spotlight, joining a historic day.
Queen Camilla has always been a big horse lover like Princess Anne. Sadly, she’s too old to ride horses herself but has found new interests that have brought her closer to her grandchildren.
In an interview with British Vogue to mark her 75th birthday in July earlier this year, Camilla revealed that she had developed an obsession with the game Wordle. Moreover, she compares her scores on the word-guessing game with her granddaughter, Eliza, every day.
“She’ll text me to say, ‘I’ve done it in three.’ And I say, ‘Sorry, I’ve done it in two today,’” Camilla said. “It’s very satisfactory when it tells you how brilliant you are.”
Camilla explained how much she loves getting texts from her five grandchildren. They even tried to convince their grandmother to get her ears pierced.
“It’s very nice getting a text. We learn from very young people, and they learn from us, too. That’s the way it’s always been,” the new Queen continued, adding that she finds it “rather frightening” that they have begun to form an interest in clothes and makeup.
“You see them coming out with pierced ears and a lot of new makeup and funny-colored hair and stuff.”
While Camilla has become a vital part of the Royal Family – she certainly wasn’t back when she and Charles first became an official couple – her children haven’t felt the same way.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain in 2019, Tom Parker Bowles – a food critic – expressed his feelings about being left out as he said they’re “not quite part of the Royal Family, to be honest.”
“My mother married into it. She’s part of it. We’re the common children. We’re just on the side,” Camilla’s son said.
That, though, may now change. According to ABC royal reporter Victoria Murphy, the coronation marked a new step for Camilla’s family.
“Camilla’s family are very much front and center at this event, and that is interesting as this is a state occasion, and they are usually totally private,” she said.
“Camilla’s family being so involved and visible does send, I think, a message about just how important she is to Charles’ reign and reminds us that this is their Coronation, not just his.”
Camilla’s decision to include her grandchildren as a big part of the coronation was questioned beforehand. Royal expert Kinsey Schofield said their prominent role in the coronation could go under the radar, as much of the discourse ahead was about Harry and Meghan.
“I can’t help but ask myself after reading Spare, if much of the hype surrounding Harry and Meghan’s ‘will they/won’t they’ coronation plans is a buffer to distract from stories like dropping the word consort or including Camilla’s grandchildren… but not all of the king’s,” Schofield told the Daily Star.
She added: “The Royal Family’s value is in their traditions. Traditions and ceremonies that the world envies. When they sway too far from those customs, you will anger and disappoint many people who feel like those actions strip away at the mystique.”
Though Camilla’s grandchildren have gotten more attention recently, Schofield suggested that they wouldn’t interest the royal fans watching the coronation.
“Camilla’s popularity may have increased, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be any interest in her grandchildren,” the royal expert said.
“Nepo babies exist, but if you look at the success of Princess Diana’s nieces, Ladies Kitty Spencer, Amelia Spencer, and Eliza Spencer… they all resemble their Aunt Diana, who is universally adored.”
Kinsey Schofield concluded: “I think people have come to accept Camilla but likely don’t love and respect her the way they did Queen Elizabeth or Princess Diana. I also don’t think Camilla cares. She is perfectly content with where she is at in her life. She is happy with her heart.”
