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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Kate Middleton's Coronation countdown - outfit chaos, tiara row and kids' lessons

The stars of the Coronation show will no doubt be the newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla - but another royal is likely to give them a run for their money.

Royal fans will be desperate to see the Princess of Wales, who has no doubt planned a glittering outfit and possibly dazzling jewellery to wear on the big day.

Even though Kate does not have an official role in the ceremony, she will be taking part in the procession back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey.

But it's not just herself she's got to worry about getting ready for the historic spectacle - she also has to make sure Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are prepared too. Here we look at her hectic Coronation planning...

Outfit chaos

One thing that Kate will have no doubt but a lot of time into preparing is the outfit she is set to wear on Coronation day.

Pictures of her at Westminster Abbey as well as in the procession and on the Buckingham Palace balcony will be beamed around the world - so she will definitely want to look her best.

Fans are eager to see what Kate will wear to the Coronation (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

It's not known what Kate will wear, with royal fans putting their money on outfits by her go-to designers, which include Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham.

But according to a source, a delay in deciding on the exact dress code meant Kate and some of the other royal ladies had a rush to finalise their outfits in the past few weeks.

The insider told the Mirror two weeks ago: "Senior female royals were only informed of outfits this week prompting a rush to finalise fitting arrangements."

Tiara rows

And its not just outfits that have caused chaos - apparently the tiaras that royal women including Kate may or may not wear have also been causing a headache.

One source claimed that indecision between the households had also led to rows over what tiaras the female royals should wear.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Kate could ditch wearing a tiara altogether and has been planning something more relaxed.

It is unknown if Kate will wear a tiara (Getty Images)

At the late Queen's Coronation in 1953, senior royals wore tiaras with the Queen Mother wearing a headpiece from the crown she wore at King George VI's Coronation.

The glittering headpieces are usually seen at formal state occasions but Kate, who often favours the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, could be planning to wear a floral arrangement in her hair instead, reports The Times.

However, royal author Hugo Vickers said: "Considering that a Coronation is the most important state occasion in a reign it would be disappointing to do less than at a state banquet but I guess they want the entire focus on the King and Queen."

Lessons for George

However, it is not just herself that Kate has been preparing for the Coronation - she's also been getting her children George, Charlotte and Louis too.

All three children are expected to make appearances during the Coronation celebrations, with oldest George handed the prestigious task of being a page of honour for his grandfather the King.

Prince George with his mum Kate (PA)

It's believed Kate and William thought long and hard about allowing George a part in the ceremony - but they agreed after he reportedly showed an interest in the Coronation and according to royal expert and author Ingrid Seward, Kate will be teaching him and the younger two about the Coronation in preparation for the big day.

She told the Mirror: "Over the Easter holidays Catherine will have been teaching not just George, but all three of the children a simplified version of what they will be witnessing on the day.

Kate with all three children George, Charlotte and Louis (@KensingtonRoyal/Twitter)

"By making it fun and by re-enacting parts of what their grandfather will be doing both she and William hope George won’t be too daunted by his responsibilities.

"William and Catherine have been advised to use the virtual online tour of the Abbey as a guide for George.

"If he can visualise where he is supposed to go and what to do, it will reduce any nerves he might feel being the youngest page. The other three boys are 13 and 12 respectively."

Busy engagements

But despite the Coronation just days away, Kate has still had to keep busy with her usual royal duties, which has seen her carry out a number of engagements.

At the start of last week, she visited a baby bank in Windsor, where she helped staff sort through the donations and folded baby clothes.

Meanwhile at the end of last week, she and William embarked on a two-day visit to Wales, which proved to be action packed.

Kate tries her hand at abseiling with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Kate laughs after a baby refuses to give back her bag at the Aberfan Memorial Garden (PA)

They joined up with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, where they tried their hand at abseiling and took part in a mock rescue, before relaxing with the team at their local rugby club.

The next day, they paid an emotional visit to the Aberfan Memorial Garden to pay their respects to the 116 children and 28 adults killed when a waste tip slid down a mountain into the Aberfan in 1966.

However, there was a lighter moment, when Kate had her handbag snatched by a cheeky baby, who refused to give it back - despite the pleas of his mum.

Birthday celebrations

And not only did Kate have to fit work around her Coronation prep, she also managed to squeeze in a birthday celebration for daughter Charlotte, who turns eight today.

On Saturday, Kate was spotted taking the youngster along with several of her friends to a special birthday treat.

They were spotted at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden enjoying a performance of Cinderella by the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.

Kate with daughter Princess Charlotte, who turns eight today (Getty Images)

One fellow audience member took to Twitter to say that she spotted Kate, Charlotte and the other youngsters at the venue enjoying the "wonderful ballet".

Meanwhile, a video was also shared on social media showing Charlotte taking to the stage with the dancers after the performance to pose for a special picture.

The little princess appears to be joined with several other girls her age in a purple dress with her hair in a ballerina bun with them waving wands before they try to catch glitter as it falls to the stage.

Kate dressed in a chic white blouse, black trousers and flat black shoes can also been seen in the clip going to round up the girls after their photo as she clutches a mobile phone.

It has long been known that Charlotte has been a fan of ballet, with Kate once revealing back in 2017 how her daughter "absolutely loves" the form of dance.

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