To think William should have made more effort

[michaelmacrae]

To learn that one line pledge to his father? He read from a card looking sideways most of the way through it, and he looked like he was bored and rushing through it. Looked terrible on screen.

I know he's lazy but it wasn't too much to ask for, was it - to memorise that line and at least fake a bit of sincerity?

So, @michaelmacrae what did you do the last time you took on an important role in a ritual being watched by millions of people?

Nothing wrong with having cue cards. It looked fine to me. I'd have wanted the back up of that too even if I only had to say a very few words in front of a worldwide audience.

The Archbishop and all other members of the clergy also read lot from cue cards. Should none of them have been there? After all, it is so lazy, right!?

What a strange thing to take umbrage at!!

You know he’s lazy?

know him personally?

You realise they're born into these public roles, don't you? Obviously not.

Actors CHOOSE their profession. Completely different.

Look at the number of people who think scanning the coronation for moments of sub-par pomp and ceremony is some kind of proxy for republican discourse. Oooh, a horse looked pissed, George looks bored, William read off a card... let's start the revolution!

The little lad at the beginning managed without a card

Charles is 74 and he had a lot more to say and do.

They have to say the exact words. Could you imagine if they didn't? Someone would be like.. IT'S NOT VALID!

I think the only people who weren't reading from cue cards were the military, and the choirboy at the start who greeted the King.

Horrifically stressful. I'd need a card too.

Imagine watching your father getting his life's goal which only happened finally because granny snuffed it. and knowing that you'll almost certainly only go through this once he's died.
And that the same will happen for your child too.

This. It's fucking weird. Imagine having to pledge allegiance to your DAD? I'd look shifty as well. I would have learned my lines though. If I had to go through that nonsense.

And why can't they have those see through prompt screens like on telly? So much less ridiculous looking than cue cards.

Perhaps you could direct the next one.

I didnt realise he was reading off of a card, I thought he was nervous and awkwardly looking to the side because of it 🤭

PW was fine for me too but I agree about Justin Welby. Obviously not too acquainted with the Prayer Book.

As you say it is a pledge enshrined in history and law - not exactly a time for "luv u hun".

It's OK to have cue cards, of course they don't want anything to go wrong at any moment. But W literally just read off them, rather than look the king in the eye and say his pledge with sincerity, keeping the cards as a back up. He's had months to learn one simple line! Lazy.

W & K are known for being lazy though, even the Queen (QE2) said it.

William will have all of that to say and do sometime within the next twenty years or so.

He'd better get learning and rehearsing now, hadn't he!? After all, we wouldn't want him to appear lazy come his own coronation day would we? And while he is about it he can drill the "liege man" line word perfectly into George's head too.

You are being ridiculous.

Diana got Charles name wrong at their wedding. She called him Philip. 😄 Why risk it?

Even professional, stage-trained actors freak out at delivering lines live, I can't get worked up about this 😄

Haha I’ve never seen such dedication to an event they have no interest in

Today could mumsnet get any lower?

I would hope William felt the whole dressing up in cloaks and crowns was ridiculous and he wanted his part over and done with.

I bet he's hoping all that bollocks has been consigned to the history books when it's his turn.

Try taking part in a massively important ceremony being televised to millions with little by way of rehearsal. Would you really want to rely on your memory?

Provide a link for when she said that.

Oh lay off him. When I was a chorister & in church all the time, we knew all the responses etc and could've done them off pat but we still read them out the order of service, as did the rev. The mind can play tricks or nerves can ruin you so this way is safest. I've learnt swathes of prose for drama exams before- it's actually quite hard. Whilst William only had to learn 1 line, he was still safer with a card - especially whilst also doing something simultaneously with the world watching.

Some people also just really struggle; my friend forgot a line of wedding vows that had just been said to her seconds earlier to repeat back. Actors train and presumably get used to it in the course of years- and plenty of them still won't do theatre! Pretty sure Michael Gambon dried on stage and didn't go back/wouldn't do theatre for years.