King Charles and Prince of Wales share touching moment as William breaks tradition to pay homage

King Charles and the Prince of Wales shared a touching moment during the coronation service as the nation’s new monarch was crowned.

During the enthronement part of the ceremony Prince William paid homage to his father, kneeling before him to pledge his loyalty.

William is the only blood prince to pay homage during the service, in a break with tradition. Oaths of allegiance have always been sworn to the newly anointed and crowned sovereign.

He said: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”

William appeared to avoid eye contact with Charles throughout much of the homage, before kissing his father on the cheek. The King was then seen to give his eldest son a slight smile and say a few words to him.

It came after the Prince earlier presented Charles with the Stole Royal – a golden priestly scarf – and the Robe Royal – a long cloak. The Bishop of Durham put the Stole Royal over the King’s shoulders before William, Baroness Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ chief executive, and assisting bishops clothed the King in the Robe Royal. Charles was seen giving his son a small smile as William approached him to clothe him in the scarf.

After William paid homage, the rest of the congregation at Westminster Abbey were then invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury to offer their support to the King with a moment of private reflection and to join in saying ‘God save King Charles’ at the end.

The congregation responded: “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

As the homage was paid to the new monarch, Prince Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever.”

Television footage showed Harry watching intently as the Archbishop raised St Edward’s Crown above his father’s head before crowning him. Unlike William, the Duke of Sussex had no formal role in the coronation as he is no longer a working royal.

He attended the event alone as his wife Meghan Markle remains in California with their two children, Archie and Lillibet. It is understood that Megan chose to stay in the US to celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday which falls on the same day.

The Duke was relegated to third row in the abbey for the coronation service and took his place alongside minor, non-working members of the royal family, behind the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children George, Charlotte and Louis on the front row.

Harry was seated in a row with his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eurgenie, and was placed between Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Princess Alexandra, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

He was dressed in a morning suit rather than a military uniform as he is no longer permitted to wear military dress because he is not a working royal. It is understood the Duke of Sussex wore what he was asked to wear.

But Harry is a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) after being made so by the late Queen in 2015, meaning he would be entitled to wear the order’s vivid blue mantle.

After the King was crowned, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang for two minutes and a fanfare was sounded, followed by a gun salute by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, stationed at Horse Guards Parade.