On May 6, 2023, during the coronation of King Charles III, a scheduling error occurred when King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey earlier than expected, while Prince William and Princess Kate, along with their two younger children, were delayed. This mix-up caused a brief logistical scramble at the historic event.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman, in his book “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy,” details that the King and Queen were waiting at the venue for key family members who were to arrive before them. Traditionally, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were scheduled to enter eight minutes before the King and Queen, but they ended up being one and a half minutes late. The delay was unnoticed by the audience inside the abbey.
The situation brought a slight tension to the day, which was already tightly scheduled. Captured by Sky News, King Charles III expressed his frustration with the timing, commenting, “We can never be on time… There’s always something… This is boring.” This incident highlighted the pressures of being constantly under media scrutiny.
According to sources in Hardman’s book, there are different theories about why the delay occurred. Some suggest that the Prince and Princess of Wales filming a coronation video might have caused them to run late, while aides believe the delay was due to the King’s premature arrival, which altered the planned order of the procession.
As a result, the event organizers had to quickly adapt, changing the entry sequence so that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children followed the King and Queen, instead of leading as originally intended.
Despite these hiccups, the coronation ceremony went on without further issues. Prince William paid tribute to his father, signifying his place in the succession line. Notably, Prince George participated as a Page of Honor, marking him as the first future monarch to have an official role in a coronation service.
The day wrapped up with Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children joining King Charles III on the Buckingham Palace balcony, underscoring their prominent roles in the evolving royal family.
