A momentous occasion for the country could turn into a damp squib if insiders’ fears are to be believed ahead of the King’s Coronation on May 6.
Preparations for the big day have been going on frantically for a few weeks now, but after rehearsals overran recently, there are worries that all is not well with just three weeks to go, reports the Mirror.
It has been something of a stuttering start to Charles’ reign, while his desire for a ‘diverse’ ceremony has been criticised by many onlookers. The plans for the participation by non-Christians during the service risks clashing with centuries-old canon law, with the new King being accused of being ‘too woke’.
Organisers now face a “race against time” to finalise details of the King and Queen’s historic crowning at Westminster Abbey, with sources revealing there are a catalogue of major issues that have emerged. These include:
– Seating plans are still not arranged, owing to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have still not confirmed their attendance despite the April 3 cut-off point.
– Fears the King could stumble over his elaborate robes in front of a TV audience of 100 million.
– Rows over the Coronation route, with planners wanting a smaller procession to keep costs down to avoid scrutiny.
– Confusion over whether women will wear tiaras into the church before the Queen Consort enters the Abbey.
– Prince Andrew’s fury over a potential ban on wearing Garter Knight robes, following his exile from the Royal Family.
With just 25 days left, a feeling of panic has gripped the royal household as the clock ticks down for the once-in-a-generation event. Sources revealed how the King and Queen Consort have been diligently practising their roles in a “mock-up Abbey”, specially built inside Buckingham Palace.
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During a fitting for his elaborate robes Charles is understood to have commented on how heavy they were, leading aides to privately express “real fears” that he could stumble on a walk up to the Chairs of State, where Charles and Camilla sit in the centre of Westminster Abbey after being crowned. Master craftsmen have been drafted in to build a ramp up to the two Throne Chairs so the King does not struggle getting to his seat.
One source remarked how indecision between the households had also led to rows over what tiaras the female royals would wear. They added: “Senior female royals were only informed of outfits this week prompting a rush to finalise fitting arrangements.”
The disgraced Duke of York has still not been told whether he will be allowed to wear the grand velvet robes and glistening insignia denoting his position as a Knight of the Garter. Sources told how he was furious at being told aside from not having a central role, he may be made to wear a simple morning suit for his brother’s coronation.
An insider said: “It’s all very frantic, complete chaos to be frank. There is a plan, which is supposed to be the blueprint of how the day should operate, but things are changing daily which is causing massive headaches.”
Other royal sources have attempted to dampen down the anxiety, saying: “It’s fair to say it will go down to the wire, but there is huge confidence everything will go to plan on the day.
“This is naturally a huge event and the important point is everyone is pulling in the right direction. The King and Queen Consort want it to be perfect, as does everyone involved, which is why everything is being done to make it so.”
But a well-placed insider with knowledge of the plans said there were concerns the coronation could add to the King’s woes, after the first seven months of his reign have been marred by protests and hiccups. The service was originally planned to last 90 minutes – considerably shorter than the late Queen’s coronation in 1956, which lasted for three hours and 20 minutes.
Plans seen by The Mirror now show the service beginning at 11am and finishing at 12.45pm, with the King’s procession setting off from the Abbey back to Buckingham Palace at 1pm. Insiders have also revealed how the King was understood to be in favour of a larger procession, taking him and the Queen through the streets of central London.
But senior aides decided it would be too elaborate, while voicing concerns over the spiralling cost of policing the event in a cost of living crisis. Our source added: “Everything should be planned to the minute and such overruns would be a disaster.
“The schedule from the programme, the carriages, balcony appearance and the RAF flypast is planned to the minute, so it’s all incredibly stressful. If the service is too long, or too complicated, the television audience will turn off and that could be devastating. (We) want to create a sense of majesty.”
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “These claims are incorrect.”
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