Prince William is planning a ‘modern’ and ‘relevant’ coronation after reflecting on his father’s ceremony last Saturday.
The ancient event included a ‘homage of the people’, something the Prince of Wales, 40, is likely to leave out of his own coronation when he succeeds his father.
At the service for King Charles III, 74, the congregation at Westminster Abbey were invited to swear their allegiance to the King and his “heirs and successors”, by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Viewers watching the coronation from around the world were invited to join in, with Welby inviting “those who wish to offer their support to do so”.
According to The Times, a source close to William said: “There is no way he will go down that route or anything like it.”
The source continued: “He is really thinking, how do we make his coronation feel most relevant in the future? He is mindful of the fact that in 20 years’ time, or whenever his time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also unifying to the nation and the Commonwealth? I think his coronation will look and feel quite different.”
Those close to Prince William believe that the future monarch is likely break with tradition, and while he will be committed to being crowned at Westminster Abbey, his decision not to have an investiture as Prince of Wales is telling to how he may decide to do things in the future.
The source said: “You can see it in how he has taken having an investiture off the table, and his thinking on how to leave a legacy in communities rather than just going in [to] do ribbon cutting. You can see it in how he is running an environmental prize with Earthshot that is not just about handing cash out, but about the long-term impact globally. He is thinking about his coronation in the same way.”
The heir to the throne gave an interview to the BBC to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday in 2016, in which he admitted he had been having thoughts about his future as King of England, and the ways in which he could modernise the monarchy.
He said: “It occupies a lot of my thinking space as to how on earth you’d develop into something modern in today’s world. I think the royal family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant. That’s the challenge for me, how do I make the royal family relevant in the next 20 years’ time?”
