Camilla’s rarely seen grandkids are reportedly set to star in the King’s coronation alongside Prince George.
The youngsters are claimed to have a prominent role in the upcoming event, in one of two significant breaks with royal precedent.
In what’s been called a “bold move” the King and Queen consort have moved to include her grandchildren, who have long been kept from the limelight.
The ceremony is set to take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, and their inclusion is said to signal the closeness of Charles and Camilla.
The 75-year-old consort has five grandchildren.
Her son Tom Parker Bowles has two children Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, and her daughter Laura Lopes has Eliza, 15, and twins Louis and Gus, 13.
The Sunday Times reported that Camilla has asked her grandchildren to hold a canopy over her as she is anointed with holy oil during a part of the ceremony.
This role was previously performed by Duchesses.
A royal source told the outlet: “It sends a nice signal and is quite a bold move. It is another example of the King and Queen Consort being unafraid to shake things up a bit to reflect the realities of modern life, of which a blended family is a central element.”
But in another break with tradition, Prince George is being discussed to have a significant role in the ceremony as well.
The King and Camilla are reportedly keen that, as future king, he should feature and are due to meet with his parents to discuss that soon.
The report claims both Prince William and wife Kate were keen as well, as long as a role can be found that does not subject him to too much scrutiny.
Hugo Vickers, the royal historian and author of Coronation: The Crowning of Elizabeth II, said the move to include Camilla's grandkids was part of the “inclusivity” of the royal family.
He added the decision to bring George in sent the right signals for symbolising the future.
During the past two ceremonies, young heirs have watched on from the congregation.
For example, in 1953, a four-year-old Charles played no official role and watched the service with his grandmother and aunt, as the Queen did in 1937.
Camilla is said to be devoted to her children and often spends her downtime with them at her private residence in Wiltshire.
During the pandemic, she described the wrench of being separated and said: “I really miss my grandchildren. That’s the really strange thing about it, not being able to see your grandchildren and giving them a hug.”
In an interview to mark her 75th birthday, Camilla said she regularly told them to put their “flipping” phones away at mealtimes, adding: “Now everyone is on their devices. It just makes me quite cross.”
The King was said to have always been close to them as well, and used to read bed time stories to them.
During a BBC documentary to mark Charles’s 70th birthday, one of the personal photographs that could be seen in shot featured him swinging one of his step-grandchildren in the garden at Birkhall, his home in Scotland.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
