Royal coronation roles: what will senior royals be doing during ceremony - what is a Gold-Stick-in-Waiting?

The coronation of King Charles III is one of the most highly anticipated events in the British royal calendar, and speculation is rife about which senior members of the royal family will attend the ceremony and what roles they may play.

With the date of the coronation fast approaching, the question on everyone’s lips is who will be present at the event, and what ceremonial duties they will fulfil.

As the country prepares to officially welcome a new monarch, all eyes are on the royal family as they prepare to celebrate this historic occasion. Here is everything you need to know about it.

Which senior royals are attending the coronation?

Here is a definitive list of all of the senior royals expected to attend the coronation of King Charles III:

Descendants of Charles III

• The Prince and Princess of Wales, the King’s son and daughter-in-law
• Prince George of Wales, the King’s grandson (Page of Honour to the King)
• Princess Charlotte of Wales, the King’s granddaughter
• Prince Louis of Wales, the King’s grandson
• The Duke of Sussex, the King’s son

Other descendants of Elizabeth II

• The Princess Royal (Gold-Stick-in-Waiting) and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the King’s sister and brother-in-law
• Peter Phillips, the King’s nephew
• Zara and Michael Tindall, the King’s niece and nephew-in-law
• The Duke of York, the King’s brother
• Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the King’s niece and nephew-in-law
• Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, the King’s niece and nephew-in-law
• The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the King’s brother and sister-in-law
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the King’s niece
• Earl of Wessex, the King’s nephew

What roles will the senior royals be fulfilling?

It has not been confirmed what ceremonial roles, if any, many of the senior royals attending the coronation will be asked to fulfil. But it is expected that the top royals - the direct descendants of Charles III - will follow behind the monarch and his wife in the royal procession.

Anne, Princess Royal has the rather unusual title of “Gold-Stick-in-Waiting”, a role that is ceremonial in nature and involves accompanying members of the royal family on official engagements and state occasions, as well as assisting with the planning and organisation of such events.

The Gold Stick-in-Waiting is responsible for the coordination of ceremonial aspects of events involving the royal family, and has a key role in ensuring the safety and security of the monarch and other members of the royal family during official engagements.

It’s worth remembering that although the organising of security and the smooth operation of plans on the day sounds like a big burden for the Princess Royal, the role of Gold Stick-in-Waiting is largely ceremonial and advisory in nature. She will not have direct responsibility for organising security for the ceremony.

Prince George, the King’s grandson and the future king, will be Page of Honour to the King. Being the Page of Honour to the King during a coronation ceremony involves assisting with the practical aspects of the ceremony and attending to the needs of the monarch.

The Page of Honour is responsible for carrying the monarch’s robe of state, and assisting the monarch with the various stages of the coronation ceremony, including the anointing and crowning. More information on the nine-year-old’s role can be found below.

Prince Harry will reportedly be sat 10 rows back from the other royals at King Charles’ coronation, and ‘will not hang around’ after his father has been crowned according to a royal insider. There was previously speculation whether Harry would make an appearance at the historic event at all, but he will be present for the coronation.

However, his wife, Meghan Markle will stay at home in Los Angeles. According to MailOnline, former royal butler, Paul Burrell claims that Harry will have ‘little time’ to speak to King Charles, or his brother, the Prince of Wales during his brief visit across the pond.

Who are the Pages of Honour and Ladies in Attendance?

The King and Queen Consort each have four Pages of Honour supporting them on the day of the coronation – schoolboys who are family friends or close relatives. Prominent among them is Charles’s eldest grandson Prince George, the nine-year-old future monarch, as well as Camilla’s three grandsons.

The Queen Consort will also have two Ladies in Attendance – her sister Annabel Elliot and her trusted friend the Marchioness of Lansdowne – whose roles will be to support her through elements of the service.

As the procession of the King and Camilla, their regalia, senior clerics and other figures makes its way through the nave and quire of Westminster Abbey, pages will hold the robes of some of the leading individuals taking part.

The King’s pages are: his grandson George; Nicholas Barclay, 13, grandson of Sarah Troughton, one of the Queen’s Companions; Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, son of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, also known as filmmaker David Rocksavage, and a friend of the Prince of Wales; and Ralph Tollemache, 12.

The Queen’s Pages of Honour will be: her three grandsons, twin boys Gus and Louis, aged 13, by her daughter Laura Lopes, and 13-year-old Freddy, by son Tom Parker Bowles; and her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot, 10.