Were William late or was Charles early?

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So aparantly William was late but also heard Charles was early. What was meant to happen?

Sorry - link disappeared

[[https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2023-05/The%20Coronation%20Order%20of%20Service.pdf

So the Wales were on time? I thought maybe, like in millions of households around the country, one of the children had piped up, "I need a poo!" just as they were about to head out of the door 😆.

Charles is a curmudgeonly old git, mind you. Can't stand the lot of them.

This doesn't add up. The order of the vehicles' procession would have been planned down to a T.

Camilla looked decisively smug.

Decades of planning culminating in what she always wanted. To be crowned Queen.

I think William was late. Some lipreader was said to have commented on it. It was strange that William walked in after Charles. Whether that was the plan or not.

Same here, that’s what our commentators said. That it went faster than planned.

Ours said 6 minutes early.

It was strange that William walked in after.
The 4 seats at the front were glaring. Everyone was already seated, and there were these seats, just sitting there empty.

A lot of strange things about this coronation :

• William had to 'read' all of 2 lines from a prompter? Meaning he did not have much eye contact with his father.
• William and family were stood at the edge of the balcony with Camilla and her sisters grandkids right next to her and Charles ? As well as Rose child. And George about 2 kids away from Charles? It was not about height, because he had a taller child on either side.
• The kids were as tall as Count Seven, btw.
• Camilla's family was at the front row, while Charles child was on the 3rd row?
• Andrew wore a robe?
• Supposedly, 4yr old Archie was not invited because he is too young, but Louis, who turned 5 a few weeks ago was?
• Charles goddaughter, India Hicks, claims Charles never forgets a birthday or xmas, yet, he seems to have forgotten Archie's birthday when he agreed to a coronation date.

Anyway, whatever, Glad it rained.

The exact timings of arrivals etc had been published in advance (see the link below for an example), and show that:

10.45am – The Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis arrive at the Abbey.

10.53am – The King and Queen arrive at the Abbey.

The timestamped recording of the arrival show that the Wales’s arrived on time and the King and Queen were early.

Normally not a big deal I imagine, although the King seemed nervous and stressed. Well, he’s human. At least his pen worked this time!😀

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/westminster-abbey-coach-buckingham-palace-louis-the-king-b2333594.html

@notanotheroneagain

Andrew being drapped in 'honourable order of the garter ' curtain tie backs or some such nonsense was my main take away

That and Charles and Camilla's first appearance being on American Idol!! How cringeworthy and tacky
Why are those two things not more widely criticised?

I expect someone (not C&C) got the timings wrong and it was only realised en route. If C&C got in the coach too early they could have waited at BP so the error wasn't spotted then. Charles was obviously a sitting target waiting at the abbey so maybe he was angsty thinking of that! Well done to whoever thought quickly and made the entrance look smooth.

Ofcourse, they won't be criticised. Only certain royals get criticised🙄

Whatever the issue, it was smoothed out beautifully on the day, and none of us realised. Every Coronation in history has had some sort of little glitch, so they were just following tradition! They will all be having a laugh about it by the time Xmas comes round.

Exactly. Someone in charge slightly messed up the departure times and in turn,that messed up how they should have entered the Abbey.If you were the King or Queen or anyone else on the biggest day of your live,knowing millions of people are watching,you would be a lit annoyed too. It's a bit like your wedding day and something goes a bit wrong and it feels like a big deal.

Whatever the issue, it was smoothed out beautifully on the day, and none of us realised

Well lots of people realised, hence this thread and the articles about it in the newspapers.

@YetMoreNewBeginnings you are probably right because his comment doesn’t make any sense otherwise.
He was probably nervous about the whole event. He clearly looked very emotional at the coronation and even at the concert but I would consider this normal.

• Charles goddaughter, India Hicks, claims Charles never forgets a birthday or xmas, yet, he seems to have forgotten Archie's birthday when he agreed to a coronation date.

On the contrary, I suspect the date was chosen to present a respectable official excuse for one or both of the Sussexes not appearing.

@YetMoreNewBeginnings That does make a whole lot more sense.

I honestly can't imagine him expecting any sort of excitement in a carriage, to him it will be the same as the rest of us waiting in a car.

Both he and Camilla looked exhausted and stressed, on Saturday.

As a state occasion wouldn't the date have been chosen by the Cabinet Office? I assume KC could veto, but presumably highly unusual to do so? And at relatively short notice (I.e. since HMQ died) having to find an available date.

I doubt he would have had much say over the date either. Lots of other things it would have needed to be organised around.
The weather, springtime is a good time of year and before the really hot weather kicks in.
Avoid clashing with any other big events, both in London for policing and accommodation. And potentially having to avoid any big international events.
Avoid being too close to Trooping the Colour.
Avoid the other bank holiday weekends.

A kids birthday wouldn't even have entered the equation.

Charles and Camilla had to postpone their wedding by one day - at very late notice - as the Pope died and he had to represent HM at the funeral.

That's a pretty significant personal sacrifice, which he made without public complaint. A small child's birthday would just not be of consequence.

The Cabinet Office?
So who's in charge here ? They could not even get the Head of the most powerful country to attend on this date.

It was raining, so no meteorology was involved either. We also just had a long weekend previously, with another coming up end of the month.

What was the point of this date exactly?

Supposedly, 4yr old Archie was not invited because he is too young, but Louis, who turned 5 a few weeks ago was?

But there's a big difference between a literally just turned 4 year old, and a just turned 5 year old. My DD is a few weeks younger than Archie and wouldn't have managed a 2 hour church service

Well, Louis was surely 4 at the Jubilee.

How could someone get the timings wrong! Seems strange. I did read the rehearsal was a mess.