King Charles and Queen Camilla have finally been crowned and celebrated by thousands of fans in the streets of London. It was certainly a day no one will ever forget – especially for Prince George, who had a prominent role during the ceremony as Page of Honor, along with some of Camilla’s grandchildren, including twins Gus and Louis.
It turns out, however, there was an accident beforehand that could’ve altered some parts of the ceremony, as Camilla’s grandson Gus was reportedly involved in a significant accident on holiday.
King Charles and Queen Camilla received their royal crowns this weekend at Westminster Abbey.
On Saturday, they arrived at Westminster from Buckingham Palace, a journey known as “The King’s Procession.
King Charles & Queen Camilla crowned
Royals and other prominent guests – 2,000 were invited in all – were waiting for them at Westminster; the subsequent ceremony consisted of several parts.
First came the Recognition, where King Charles – standing beside the Coronation Chair – was presented to the people gathered at the Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Next, the ceremony moved on to the Anointing. The King’s ceremonial robe was removed, and he took his place in the Coronation Chair. A golden cloth was held over the chair to conceal Charles from the guests and television cameras in the Abbey.
Then, the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the king’s head, breast, and hands with holy oil. The recipe for the oil has been kept secret, but according to the BBC, it contains ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine, and cinnamon.
Once King Charles was anointed, he was presented with several items, including the Royal Orb – which represents moral and religious authority – the Sceptre – which represents power – and the Sovereign’s Sceptre, a symbol of justice and mercy.
Lastly, Charles was presented with St Edward’s Crown, which the Archbishop placed on his head. “God Save The King,” they shouted – and the trumpet blasts filled the historical church.
The ceremony then continued with Camilla being anointed and crowned. She became the first queen consort crowned in nearly 90 years.
Together, King Charles and Queen Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace in a ceremonial procession known as “The Coronation Procession.” It was long speculated who else might feature – there was particular emphasis regarding speculation over Prince William and Princess Kate’s children, as well as Prince Harry & Meghan Markle.
Ultimately, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and their younger brother, 5-year-old Prince Louis, were part of the procession. Meanwhile, Harry attended the coronation, but Meghan stayed in the US with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
For Prince George, it was a day he’ll remember for the rest of his life. The future king, now second-in-line to the throne, was given the honorable role of Page of Honor.
That meant holding King Charles and Queen Camilla’s robes during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
There were seven other pages alongside George, including three of Camilla’s grandchildren, Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes, and Louis Lopes.
Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, is the son of former Lord Great Chamberlain David Cholmondeley, 62. Nicholas Barclay is the grandson of Camilla’s friend, Sarah Troughton, and finally, Ralph Tollemache, 12, is the son of Charles’s godson, Edward.
It was undoubtedly an incredible experience, not only for Prince George, but also for the other Pages of Honor. Yet for one of them, Camilla’s grandson, Gus Lopes, the coronation was no doubt different to how he had first envisaged it would be.
As reported by several media outlets, Gus couldn’t use his right arm after breaking it while on holiday.
As such, he had to carry out his duties with only one arm.
“‘Gus broke his arm in a bike accident while on holiday,’ a family friend tells me. ‘The cast has been removed, but he must have it in a sling on the big day,’” Eden wrote for the Daily Mail.
“Though this is far from ideal, Gus has the appreciable consolation of being completely at ease with his step-grandfather. The bond between them developed when Gus and Louis were very young.”
Richard Eden continued: “Should Gus seek inspiration for remaining steady on parade on Saturday, he need only think of the bravery and stoicism of his great-grandfather, Camilla’s father, Bruce Shand, who was awarded two Military Crosses, as well as being wounded, during his wartime service. Gus’s grandfather, Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, who commanded the Blues and Royals, will be in the Abbey to provide him with encouragement.”
Camilla’s family has been connecting with the Royal Family for years. However, it appears that it’s only in recent times that the two families have spent time together, at with regards Charles and Camilla’s respective grandchildren.
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. In fact, 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, it was Eliza who got to shine. At the coronation, though, her younger twin brothers were given their time in the spotlight, getting to be part of a historical 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 Vouge to mark her 75th birthday in July earlier this year, Camilla revealed that she has 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 went on to explain 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 quite 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 an important new step for Camilla’s family.
“Camilla’s family are very much front and centre 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 very much 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 a significant amount of people that feel like those actions strip away at the mystique.”
Though Camilla’s grandchildren have gotten more attention in recent years, 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 obviously exist, but if you look at the success of Princess Diana’s nieces, Ladies Kitty Spencer, Amelia Spencer, and Eliza Spencer… they all share a striking resemblance to 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 at where she is at in her life. She is happy with her heart.”
