Princess Kate and Prince William are often touted as the perfect couple – however their behaviour on King Charles’s Coronation day was anything but, as it left royal officials scrambling to save the day.
The big day on May 6 was a flagrant display of the insane wealth and power that Charles was about to inherit, meaning things needed to go absolutely smoothly to prove to the public that the new King was worthy. In order to achieve this, Charles needed all the help he could get from his family to adhere to the strict timetable of events.
However, there was a major hiccup on the day which left the incoming monarch raging live on TV, as he angrily muttered “we can never be on time… there’s always something”. At that stage, his complaints were a mystery to millions of loyal royal fans, but the truth has recently been exposed – and it’s not good news for Kate and Wills.
According to Royal expert Robert Hardman, the Prince and Princess – and their two young children, Charlotte and Louis – had originally been due to arrive at Westminster Palace eight minutes before Charles and Camilla, but were now going to arrive after them. As a result the pair had to wait in their royal carriage for Kate and Wills to arrive.
This was something that “added a layer of stress that the couple really do not want or need on a day like this”. Sky News even managed to catch a glimpse of Charles on camera through the window, and lip readers translated his annoyed mouth movements as: “We can never be on time… There’s always something… This is boring.”
Hardman explains that one of the leading theories for the delay was William and Kate’s decision to make an unplanned Coronation day video which showed the behind-the-scenes preparations for the pair.
The royal expert says that the mistimings of the magic carriages was “unusual”, especially given they were “the two most important arrivals at such a significant event – and over such a well-trodden route”. He added that the ordeal was “so unpunctual”.
As a result, there was a manic period where the running order had to be adjusted, and William and Kate’s family ended up entering Westminster after Charles and Camilla. Eventually the day went ahead as planned, with Prince Andrew being allowed to wear his lavish ceremonial robes in what was described as a “softening in approach from Charles towards his younger brother”.
