Prince George, 9, has been spotted dutifully doing his job of holding his grandfather, King Charles III‘s, robe at his official coronation on May 6 in London. The future monarch served as a Page of Honour and was first spotted ensuring the Robe of State being donned by his 74-year-old grandfather was well taken care of as he stepped out of the royal carriage that carried him and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. George’s involvement in the procession is historic, as it marks the first time a future monarch is involved in a coronation, per The Telegraph. George is second in line to the British throne, behind his father. Photos and video of George taking great care of Charles’ robe can be seen below.
George appeared to take his job very seriously and looked quite concentrated while lifting the right edge of Charles’ robe. He donned a handsome red overcoat, black slacks, and white gloves. He was one of four pages, with the others being Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay, and Master Ralph Tollemache.
Prince George is seen holding King Charles' cape as he performs his duty as one of the four Pages of Honour during the coronation. pic.twitter.com/1TqAiCTLH0
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 6, 2023
George is serving as one of the eight Pages of Honour in total between Charles and Camilla. Camilla, 75, who will drop the “Consort” title and become Queen Camilla following the coronation, invited her grandsons, Master Gus, Master Louis Lopes, and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, and great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot, to be her pages.
George’s involvement is certainly a symbol of unity for the British monarchy. King Charles attended the coronation of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953, but was not involved. He was 4 years old, less than half of his eldest grandson’s age. “His parents are very excited and delighted that he is a page,” a rep for Kate Middleton and Prince William told PEOPLE last month. “It’s something that his parents have thought long and hard about and are very much looking forward to — and I ‘m sure George is too.”
Meanwhile, a royal source told the publication that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are “cognizant that he is old enough to understand what’s going on,” which also includes his understanding that life will return to normal after his big job at the coronation.
As mentioned above, George is the firstborn child of William and Kate. He also has siblings Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
George’s breakout role came one week after a never-before-seen photo of the young prince was included in the BBC’s King Charles III documentary, Charles R: The Making of a Monarch. In the pic, he sat next to his grandfather at an outdoor function and looked into the distance while Charles pointed something out. He adorably had his tongue sticking out (to help him concentrate, of course!) and was holding onto a glass of an orange liquid.
The Coronation Service of Their Majesties The King Charles III and The Queen Consort was attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 guests, including Members of the Royal Family, international representatives from over 200 countries, and approximately 100 Heads of State. The hand painted invitation, which was shared via the Royal’s Instagram, was sent to all guests. Notably absent among the guests were US President Joe Biden, though his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, attended, and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who stayed in America with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In the official announcement for the King’s coronation made back in October 2022, Buckingham Palace promised that the coronation would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” The Archbishop of Canterbury performed the official crowning of Charles with St Edward’s Crown and the crowning of Camila with Queen Mary’s Crown at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.
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