The Coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023, was a highly anticipated event in the UK, and fans of the royal family were excited to see all the members of the family attend the ceremony. However, there was a bit of confusion when Prince William and Kate arrived late to the event with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The delay caused a slight hiccup in the ceremony, and fans were left wondering what caused the delay.
According to reports, the ceremony was delayed slightly, and King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey before the Prince and Princess of Wales. The order of service issued by Buckingham Palace showed that the couple and their children were supposed to be seated before Charles and Camilla, but this did not happen. Prince George, however, arrived on time and joined seven other pages of honor in the procession.
Royal biographer Omid Scobie, one of the authors behind Meghan Markle’s Finding Freedom, shed some light on the reason for the delay. He wrote in Harper’s Bazaar that the delay may have been due to the children. “Children were to blame, a source tells me,” he said. “The room for error was nil. And thankfully, due to the weeks of rehearsals that the royals took part in ahead of the Coronation, the day went ahead smoothly.”
The official order of service stated that “Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales arrive at the Great West Door and are conducted to their seats in the Lantern. All remain seated. Their Majesties The King and The Queen arrive at the West Gate. A fanfare is sounded. All stand.” However, Kate and William were seen standing behind the King and only took their seats as he was walking into the church, causing a delay.
The delay meant that the King and Queen were caught waiting rather awkwardly in their carriage for five minutes outside the Abbey, which was spotted by fans watching the live broadcast. Despite this delay, the day went ahead smoothly, and very few hitches took place, according to Scobie.
In conclusion, the delay in the arrival of Prince William and Kate and their children to the Coronation of King Charles III was caused by the children, according to royal biographer Omid Scobie. While this caused a slight hiccup in the ceremony, the day went ahead smoothly, and the event was a historic moment for the UK.