The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla was considered a huge success by most everyone who watched it. All senior members of the Royal Family members attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, including Prince Harry, who flew in to see his father become king.
Prince William and Kate Middleton also had the privilege of having all three of their children on hand for the occasion, with Prince Louis being deemed old enough to attend a major royal event for the first time.
Interestingly, though, William and Kate’s late arrival to Westminster Abbey certainly seemed to annoy King Charles a bit. By all accounts, the rehearsals for the ceremony had gone well, and the margin for error regarding timing was close to zero.
At the end of the ceremony, the guests, including the royals, were to bow to Charles and Camilla as they made their way towards the entrance and their awaiting carriage. According to royal expert Tom Bower, however, Kate had other plans, and refused to curtsy. In fact, it’s now being claimed that she was all but happy with what Camilla had done.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have returned to work following a very stressful time. After their historical coronation weekend, the royal couple took some well-deserved days off to rest. Prince Willian and Kate Middleton, on the other hand, decided to carry on with their royal duties.
Since her entrance onto the royal scene, Kate Middleton has become very popular among royal fans. It seems she takes on a more prominent role each year; many believe she will make a fabulous queen one day.
Kate Middleton reportedly played part in keeping Meghan out of coronation
But while she is very popular, behind the scenes, Kate has reportedly had some rifts with other members of the Royal Family. It’s not only the out of favor Meghan Markle who’s felt the brunt of Kate’s ire, but also, according to an expert, Queen Camilla too.
Despite rumors raising questions over his potential involvement, Prince Harry ultimately made it to his father’s coronation ceremony. Reports claim that he left for the US the moment after his father and stepmother had exited Westminster Abbey. Meghan, meanwhile, remained in the States with the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. But was she only staying behind because it was the easiest thing for the Sussex family, one might wonder?
According to royal expert and author Tom Bower, Kate Middleton had a say in the decision and didn’t “under any circumstances” want Meghan in attendance.
“I think we must all be grateful that Kate, in the end, I think, prevented Meghan coming and said she wouldn’t have her there under any circumstances,” Bower said during an appearance on GB News, as reported by Express.
Moreover, the expert claimed that Kate warned Meghan that if she attended, she’d have to “sit in the back.”
Meanwhile, a royal source told Page Six that Meghan decided against not attending the coronation as she felt it would be “inauthentic.”
“They had to make a decision that felt genuine and authentic, especially after everything thaexpret has been said and all the things that have gone down,” an insider familiar with the family said.
Coronation day – Queen Camilla’s large family gathering
Many prominent guests attended the coronation ceremony. People from all over the world, including members of foreign royal families, heads of state, and foreign ministers. Even some celebrities could be seen sitting in Westminster Abbey on the big day. Royal enthusiasts also caught a glimpse of a few people they rarely get to see: Queen Camilla’s family.
Camilla had a large number of family members in attendance. Her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles was there with their two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, as well as several of their grandchildren.
Camilla is a grandmother of five. Tom and his ex-wife share a daughter, Lola Parker, Bowles and a son, Freddy Parker Bowles. Laura and her husband, Harry, share a daughter, Eliza, and twin sons, Gus and Louis.
Three of Camilla’s grandchildren had roles as Pages of Honor. The queen’s sister, Annabel Elliot, and a friend, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, attended the coronation ceremony alongside Camilla’s nieces, Alice Irwin, Katie Elliot, Ayesha Shand, and nephew Ben Elliot.
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 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.”
Kate Middleton said to be furious with Queen Camilla
Kate Middleton, on the other hand, only had four family members supporting her in Westminster Abbey; sister Pippa Middleton, brother James Middleton, and parents Carole and Michael Middleton.
The fact that Camilla had that many family members at Westminster Abbey appears not to have gone down well with everyone. According to royal expert Tom Bower, there were signs of tensions between Queen Camilla and Princess Kate on coronation day. He claims the latter took issue with the number of guests allowed for the former. Bower also said that Kate didn’t ‘move a limb’ when Charles and Camilla left the Abbey.
That Camilla – one of the two main characters on such a historical day – had so many family members in attendance shouldn’t be considered strange. Even so, it appears it’s one reason as to why Kate is less than happy with Camilla.
Interviewing Bower on his show, TV host Dan Wooton pressed the so-called ‘royal expert’ to explain things further, and asked if the expert biographer believes Kate’s gesture – or lack of – could have been over the number of Parker Bowles family members present at the event.
“Camilla bought twenty Parker Bowles’ to the coronation, and there were four Middleton’s,” Bower said Dan Wooton Tonight.
“And what was even more noticeable was at the Windsor concert the following day, William makes no reference to Queen Camilla. So there is a tension there.”
The biographer then claimed the tension was a “dangerous position for Charles to be in,” especially after an “exhausted” Queen Camilla “disappeared” from the public eye as Kate was “behaving like the Queen.”
Bower explained that “nobody moved a muscle” when Queen Camilla left the Abbey.
“Nobody curtsied to Camilla”
“If you look at the Coronation footage, as the King and Queen leave the thrones and head for the exit of Westminster Abbey, you’ll see that everyone bows and curtsies to the King and no one moves a limb, a muscle when Camilla passes,” the royal expert said.
“And that’s because they were angry with her. No-one moves. Kate and William were angry too. That anger went right through that small part of the congregation by the throne at the centre of Westminster Abbey. And in that moment it was absolutely noticeable to those people who had been excluded that nobody – let alone Kate – curtsied to Queen Camilla.”
It must be said that Camilla’s grandchildren did an excellent job as Pages of Honor. Yet beforehand, another royal expert, Kinsey Schofield, claimed that Camilla might have taken a step too far away from royal tradition by giving them such significant roles.
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 recently, Schofield suggests they won’t interest the royal fans.
“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.”
Prominent coronation role for Camilla’s grandchildren
In any case, the coronation was a historical day royal fans will remember forever. That indeed also goes for Camilla’s grandchildren, who suddenly saw themselves thrust into the searing spotlight of the monarchy.
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 with regards to Charles and Camilla’s respective grandchildren.
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.”
“I love being with them”
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.
“I love being with them, eating together, going to see a film or a play. They’re great enthusiasts. And it’s always nice to be in touch with that generation because it keeps you abreast of young people’s feelings and ideas,” she previously said of her grandchildren.