Is Prince William set for an active role at King Charles III’s coronation in May?

In 1953, a four-year-old King Charles (then Prince Charles) sat beside his grandmother, the late Queen Mother and his aunt, Princess Margaret at his mother’s Coronation. He spoke about his mother, the late Queen in a BBC programme of tributes in which he and his siblings recalled their memories of her. 

According to The Telegraph, “Charles said he was having a bath and his mother came in “wearing the crown from the coronation.” He added that these were “marvellous moments” that he would never forget.

Obviously for Prince William, his father’s coronation will be a completely different experience for him as he is an adult, rather than a small child. He is reportedly taking an ‘active’ role in the coronation and is said to be part of the King’s official committee. 

According to Newsweek, “When Queen Elizabeth 11 was crowned in 1953, there were three royal dukes who took part in the coronation ceremony; the Duke of Edinburgh (her husband Prince Philip), the Duke of Gloucester (her uncle) and the Duke of Kent (cousin).”

In 1953, the dukes then approached the queen after her crowning and pledged their allegiance to her.

As Newsweek explains: "Today there are five royal dukes; Prince William who in addition to being Prince of Wales, is also Duke of Cornwall; Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex; Prince Andrew the Duke of York; Prince Richard the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.”

It is not known yet however if the dukes of today will perform the same duties as their predecessors as King Charles is keen to reflect a modern-day monarchy.

On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace revealed that “The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.”