King Charles has reportedly been “deeply attuned” to the cost-of-living crisis while planning his Coronation next year, say royal insiders.
But one insider has claimed that the event will still retain some spectacle to mark the historic occasion.
The new monarch, 73, is said to have an “instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance”, and that he is considering slimming down his coronation in comparison to that of his mother’s in 1953, which was a three-hour affair, packed with extravagance and pageantry.
Charles’s coronation is set to last just over an hour, and there will be fewer ancient rituals, such as presenting the monarch with gold ingots.
He will begin by slashing the guest list from 8,000 attendees to 2,000, and relaxing the dress code for those who will attend, with lounge suits likely permissible instead of ceremonial robes.
The ceremony, Operation Golden Orb, is expected to set the tone for a modern and streamlined monarchy.
One source involved in the planning for the Coronation discussed how Charles is “mindful” of striking a balance, between including what is necessary, while celebration tradition and history, yet there would be “significantly” fewer realms involved in his anointing than the Queen’s.
One insider told the Mai l: “It was always planned to be a more modest affair given the world we now live in. This direction of travel has accelerated given the economic challenges we are facing.
“His Majesty is very attuned to the public mood on these things and has always had an instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance.”
However, sources have also claimed that the event will not be completely devoid of pomp and pageantry.
A significant Commonwealth presence is to be expected, as Charles inherits 14 countries from his mother, alongside a greater array of religious and ethnic diversity and more women involved.
It also has been revealed that discussions have been taking place on the subject of Prince William. The King is reportedly wanting to give the Prince of Wales a prominent role in the ceremony.
Neither Charles nor the late Queen had roles in either of their parents’ coronations, but Prince William is 40 and is set to have a prominent part.
Speaking to BBC Radio Four’s World at One, royal author Robert Lacey said he believed some aspects of the Coronation could be slimmed down and modernised. He said: “Let’s not forget recently we have had the immensely moving funeral of the Queen. That was an hour. And for me that the kind of thing we should be aiming at.
“One has to remember too while all the reverence and gravity of the Queen’s funeral was very much focused on tribute to her. A Coronation is a tribute to an institution rather than a person, with whom quite a lot of thoughtful people in this country disagree.”
A date for the Coronation is yet to be announced, with insiders speculating that it could be held in June 2023. Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation took place 15 months after she ascended to the throne.
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