The fascinating coronation cameos you may NOT have seen

Despite wall-to-wall TV expertise, there may be some unexplained incidents, standout moments, and quirks that have yet to be explained. Here we highlight some of the more unusual elements of the day.

Pageboy with child-star mother

One of Charles’s pageboys was Ralph Tollemache, 12, whose mother Sophie appeared in the John Cleese film A Fish Called Wanda when she was six.

Wonky ball

The cross on top of the Orb is bent off-center, having been dropped by a would-be thief in 1671.

During the English Civil War, Irish-born Colonel Thomas Blood switched sides to fight Oliver Cromwell.

But when Charles II returned to the throne, Blood became one of the most wanted men in England and attempted to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London.

During the botched raid, the Orb fell and was damaged, leaving the cross still lopsided.

Timber salvaged from the royal yacht

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach was built 13 years ago, with interior wood paneling made from 100 historic artifacts, including oak from Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose. The railings also came from the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Bag of 50 pcs

As Lord President of the Privy Council, Tory MP Penny Mordaunt traded a bag of coins for the ancient use of the Jeweled Sword of Sacrifice.

The purse contained 100 newly minted, cupro-nickel 50p pieces bearing an effigy of the crowned king. Before decimalisation in 1971, a colleague offered 100 silver shillings.

Gospel Choir

The magnificent gospel choir – a first for a British coronation – featured singers who performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

The Ascension Choir, led by Abimbola Amoako-Gyampah, consisted of singers from the Kingdom Choir in South London who sang the Ben E King song Stand By Me for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Rolling out the blue carpet…

A new royal blue carpet was laid in Westminster Abbey especially for the coronation.

It is designed with a frictionless fabric so that Their Majesties’ robes do not snag on the floor.

BBC Huw swipes at Liz Truss

BBC presenter Huw Edwards was accused of making an unsubtle dig at former Tory Prime Minister Liz Truss.

When she arrived at the Abbey after Boris Johnson, he told viewers she was ‘Prime Minister for a very short period’ – a reference to her 44 days in No. 10, the shortest time for a British Prime Minister.

The hot equerry, the slippers of a king… and a very grim ruse of the light

The ‘Hot Equerry’

An army of female viewers swooned at the King’s adjutant, Major Jonathan Thompson.

Nicknamed the ‘Hot Equerry’, the 39-year-old was described on social media as ‘handsome’, ‘dashing’ and ‘handsome’.

Major Thompson fans may be disappointed to learn that the kilted officer of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland has been married to marketing manager Caroline for 13 years and they have two children.

Trees replanted in Sandringham

At the Great West Door of the abbey stood a few tall yew prunings, underplanted with a meadow of wild grasses and primroses, primroses and pansies.

The trees will be replanted in a new biodiverse topiary garden in Sandringham, which will be open to the public as a lasting reminder of the day.

Ghost of the Grim Reaper

Social media went into a frenzy over a top view of the abbey nave that allegedly showed the Grim Reaper – a shadowy figure carrying a stick. In fact, it was a trick of the light and was the outline of a preacher.

Charles’ slippers

The king wore ‘opera pump’ slippers, handmade by Northampton-based Gaziano & Girling from Swiss calf leather.

The leather on the soles comes from a tannery in Devon using ancient methods. The silver buckles were commissioned by the Goldsmiths’ Company and modeled on a pair worn by George VI.

Blue moons

The braids (made from recycled plastic bottles) woven into the mane were part of a tradition that began with Queen Victoria’s coronation. Charles chose royal blue, his mother’s favorite color.