As royal watchers begin to imagine what the next coronation might look like, speculation is growing that Prince William’s accession to the throne will be marked by a “very different affair” from that of his father, King Charles.
Insiders and historians are painting a picture of what could be a landmark shift in how Britain crowns its monarchs.
What will Prince William’s coronation look like?
Until the coronation of King Charles in May 2023, many people had not witnessed a British coronation.
It had been 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s ceremony in 1953 – the first to be televised.
Charles’ coronation introduced some modern updates. However, royal experts believe Prince William will take modernisation even further, while still honouring tradition.
He predicted that William will “navigate the difficulty of the coronation in a way people won’t expect”. He clarified that while William is “a reformer,” he is not “a radical”.
“I think the public will see a very different coronation,” Gareth said. “He was essentially tutored by Elizabeth II, and he does have this sort of modernising, quite reformist spirit from his mother.”
The balancing act, Gareth noted, will be between tradition and modern values.
Meanwhile, royal author Robert Hardman told Harper’s Bazaar earlier this year that the ceremony will likely be a “very different affair”.
He said: “It’ll be less ceremony. It’ll be shorter. I think he’ll try to, I wouldn’t say modernise, but maybe some of the elements will feel more contemporary.”
What will happen to Harry when William becomes King?
One question hanging over the future coronation is the role, or lack thereof, of Prince Harry.
The Duke of Sussex has been estranged from the royal family since stepping back from senior duties in 2020 and relocating to the US with Meghan Markle.
While Harry has attended major events like the Queen’s funeral in 2022 and King Charles’ coronation months later, his participation in future royal milestones remains uncertain.
In an interview earlier this month, royal biographer Hugo Vickers emphasised that William is not obligated to invite his brother to his coronation.
Will Charles abdicate to William?
Despite ongoing health concerns amid the king’s cancer battle, there is currently no indication that King Charles, 76, will abdicate in favour of his eldest son. Royal experts largely agree that Charles sees kingship as a lifelong duty, much like his mother before him.
In an interview earlier this month, former royal butler Grant Harrold rejected any idea of abdication.
“Just like his mother, he’ll continue to serve until his final breath,” he told Express.
Prince William’s reign
Tom Quinn, author of Gilded Youth, believes William and Kate’s reign will feel less formal and more emotionally accessible.
“They want to be a king and queen who are seen to engage much more with ordinary people in a very relaxed way,” he told Harper’s Bazaar.
“What we can expect to see when William and Kate take the throne is a much more emotionally engaged couple. [With King Charles], the emphasis has been on ceremony, on dignity, all that kind of old-fashioned stuff. And William and Kate, I think, won’t be doing that. They’ll be doing the opposite.”
Even so, tradition will not disappear. William is said to be more conservative about royal matters than some believe. Earthshot Prize CEO Jason Knauf once told The Times that William is “pretty traditional about this stuff”.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, noted that William’s coronation will likely be smaller than his father’s, just as Charles’s was smaller than Elizabeth’s.
“But there is a limit to how small you can make these ceremonies,” she cautioned to Harper’s Bazaar. “If you make them too small, then they’re pointless.”
