Prince William Will Have a Large Role in Planning King Charles's Coronation

Preparations for King Charles III’s coronation are already well underway following the milestone event’s finalized date of May 6, 2023. And while many royal staffers will play a role in assuring the ceremony goes as smoothly as possible, there’s one important party planner that may have a bit more investment in the process: Prince William.

According to The Mirror, the king’s eldest son will play an integral role in the coronation’s planning process — much like his grandfather, Prince Phillip, did for Queen Elizabeth’s event 70 years prior — and will pay special attention to ensuring the ceremony is free from any “archaic, feudal, or imperial” moments that wouldn’t reflect the Britain of today.

“The planning process will mark the first time an heir has played an active role in a coronation in three generations,” the outlet reported. While Charles and Queen Elizabeth both attended their predecessors' crowning, they were each only four and 11 years old respectively, leaving them too young to partake in the ceremony’s planning.

Not only does the coronation’s planning mark a historic moment, but the ceremony itself is rumored to be considerably less large, modernized, and shortened, according to the outlet. “Peers may possibly be allowed to wear lounge suits rather than ceremonial robes,” the publication reported. “Ancient and time-consuming rituals — including presenting the monarch with gold ingots — are also set to be axed to save time.”

This idea seems to align with a statement released by Buckingham Palace about the future ceremony late last month, which read, “The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”