- Prince William is the son of King Charles III.
- As the new Prince of Wales, William is the heir to the British throne.
- He recited the Homage to Royal Blood and appeared as the Stole Royal during his father’s coronation.
Prince William had a few unique roles during the coronation of his father, King Charles III. The 40-year-old Prince of Wales, who is also the heir to the British throne, was the only member of the Royal Family to pledge loyalty to the new monarch with a special vow, and the only one to help dress the king in his new robe. After pledging his loyalty, Prince William kissed his father on the cheek. Let’s break down exactly what Prince William did at his father’s coronation.
Homage to Royal Blood
Known as the Homage of Royal Blood, the tradition took place about midway through the ceremony, when William kneeled in front of his father and placed his hands between his father’s hands. At the time, William recited: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.” The “words of fealty” has been confirmed in the liturgy of the coronation service, which was released by the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
While the Homage to Royal Blood is only for the Prince of Wales, a new tradition for UK citizens to swear loyalty to the king with begin on Saturday called the Homage of the People. This year, King Charles invited the public who will be watching or listening to the ceremony to join in the pledge. The role would traditionally have been done by dukes and earls at Westminster Abbey.
The Church of England said this is a “new and significant moment in the tradition of the Coronation . . . As never before has the general public been offered such an opportunity to join with national figures in declaring their allegiance to the Sovereign.”
Stole Robe
William’s other unique role was as the Stole Robe. He was part of the Robe Royal service during the coronation when the official robe garment is presented to King Charles. William will assist bishops in placing the robe, officially called the Supertunica, on the monarch.
The Coronation Service of Their Majesties The King Charles III and The Queen Consort will be attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 guests, including Members of the Royal Family, international representatives from over 200 countries, and approximately 100 Heads of State. The hand painted invitation, which was shared via the Royal’s Instagram, was sent to all guests. Notably absent among the guests were US President Joe Biden, though his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, is set to attend, and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who is set to stay in America with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In the official announcement for the King’s coronation made back in October 2022, Buckingham Palace promised that the coronation would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” The Archbishop of Canterbury will perform the official crowning of Charles with St Edward’s Crown and the crowning of Camila with Queen Mary’s Crown at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.
