Prince William ‘will take an active role in planning King Charles III’s coronation’

Prince William is expected to take an ‘active role’ in his father’s coronation and help set the tone for the scaled-back event.

He is said to be particularly keen on ensuring the May 2023 coronation reflects modern Britain by avoiding any ‘archaic, feudal or imperial’ elements. 

His inclusion in the planning process will be welcomed as a sign of continuity between King Charles III and his heir to the throne, and will mark the first time an heir has played an active role in a coronation in three generations.

Charles was just four when his mother was crowned and the late Queen was 11 at the time of her father’s coronation. As such, neither played a formal role in proceedings.

The Prince of Wales is likely to hold an active advisory position in addition to taking part in the coronation itself, The Telegraph reported.

Discussions are underway as to how the royal palace can modernise and shorten the event while also ensuring it captures the significance of the occasion.

There are hopes Prince William will bring a fresh perspective to discussions and will instinctively reflect his own generation. 

Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm who will partake in the coronation committee.

While plans for ‘Operation Golden Orb’ have been in the works for years, royal sources have previously said officials had never seriously considered the ins and outs of the event to ensure it would best reflect the ‘climate at the time in which it happens’.

The coronation, which will see the eyes of the world once more turn onto the Britain, is set to take place on a Saturday – scuppering the hopes of many who might have wished for a bank holiday to mark the occasion, as insiders claim it is ‘unlikely’ extra time off will be given.  

It will also take place on the fourth birthday of Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, potentially causing a clash in the Sussex household if the King’s second son is invited to the ceremony as is expected.

It’s not clear what – if any – role the Sussexes will play in the coronation.  

King Charles, 73, is said to want a more modest affair than is tradition with the event being cut down to less than an hour, the guest list slashed by a three quarters and a less formal dress code.

‘The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,’ the Palace confirmed last month.

The announcement comes amid mounting speculation the momentous occasion is being slimmed down due to the cost of living crisis and to make way for a more streamlined, modern monarchy.

Palace insiders said that while the Coronation will include the same core elements of the traditional ceremony which has retained a similar structure for more than 1,000 years, it would recognise the ‘spirit of our times’.

It is expected to be much ‘smaller and simpler’ than the three-hour spectacle of the late Queen’s momentous Coronation in 1953.

The guestlist could also be slashed from 8,000 to just 2,000 with a more relaxed dress code. Peers may possibly be allowed to wear lounge suits rather than ceremonial robes.

Ancient and time-consuming rituals – including presenting the monarch with gold ingots – are also set to be axed to save time.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says the date itself will have been chosen after consultation with ‘the Government, the Church of England and the Royal Household’. 

Palace insiders have assured while the event will be smaller than the Queen’s coronation, it will not be devoid of pageantry.

King Charles ‘WON’T progress with plans for slimmed-down monarchy and will keep number of working royals at 11’

By Tom Scotson for MailOnline 

King Charles III said he will not progress with plans for a slimmed-down monarchy and will keep the number of working royals at 11, sources claim.

His Majesty’s decision is more ‘conservative’ than critics and pundits have speculated after the monarch was expected to streamline the list of working royals. 

The 73-year-old King will also pay tax like his late mother, after in 1993 she ripped up George VI’s tax break agreed by Neville Chamberlin. 

The news comes after the Palace said it wanted a cut-down Coronation which will have fewer arcane rituals and be significantly shorter than the 1953 ceremony when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.

Data shows the former Prince of Wales paid £5.8million in income tax after receiving £23million from the Duchy of Cornwall estate in 2021. 

Close advisors believe with fewer generations of working royals the family will have to cut back on their 3,500 annual engagements. 

Aides are discussing what will happen to charities which attract thousands of pounds through royal representation and visits. 

One senior royal source told the Daily Express: ‘These are things that are all being looked at as part of a wider review at the moment.’

Sources told the paper Kate and William may have to increase their workload and take on new jobs.  

But Kate has made it clear that she would prefer to look after her own children than expand the family’s portfolio. 

The departure of Harry and Megan and Prince Andrew has put more strains on the group’s ability to meet all of its commitments. 

Senior royals can be defined as members of the family close to the line of the succession who represent the Crown on special visits. 

For years reports were made that King Charles III wanted a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy which would cut down the number of working royals from eleven to 7.  

Experts suggested this would make his operation a ‘leaner machine’ with ‘less to gossip about’. 

There would also be ‘no hangers-on’ in the Firm, with each member expected to pull their weight in a new and more streamlined monarchy. 

But King Charles’ original model, which reportedly involved a tight core of just seven people, including himself, has been thrown into doubt following a series of external events. 

The plan, put in motion before the Queen’s death, originally included the long-reigning monarch along with Prince Philip, King Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry.

Philip died aged 99 in 2021, while Harry’s future in the slimmed-down monarchy seems hugely doubtful following his decision to quit front line royal duties and move to America with his wife Meghan Markle.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, who would likely have featured in a slimmed-down monarchy as a son of the Queen and King Charles’ brother, has been outcast since his US sex assault lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre.

But that has pushed Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, into the fray as ‘key’ parts of King Charles’ future monarchy, according to royal watchers.

Royal experts always expected Princess Anne – who has always been one of the most popular royal figures according to polling – to play an important role in Charles’s plans. 

Edward and Sophie, Earl and Countess of Wessex took a significant chunk of work when Harry and Megan departed the royal family and may continue to play a central role. 

They were more prominent than almost any other member of the Royal family in the days leading up to Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.