Prince William and Princess Kate, alongside other senior members of the Royal Family, are busy preparing for the coronation of King Charles on May 6.
There will be a full day of activities for the family at both Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. In addition, a big concert will take place the next day. The complete list of attendees has not yet been revealed, though the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children, Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Princess Louis, will all be there.
Prince Louis was too young to attend his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II’s, funeral last year. But now, as he turns five in April, he’s set to make his big royal debut for his first major historical event.
William and Kate’s children all have very different futures ahead of them. For their parents, however, ensuring the children feel equally important is essential, no matter what is to come.
One royal commentator has now claimed the couple has their own way of dealing with Prince Louis to prevent their youngest son from feeling ‘spare’ as is uncle, Prince Harry, did.
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King Charles’s grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, are all expected to be part of the coronation and procession.
Yet while Louis and his siblings will be in attendance, King Charles’ two other grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, probably won’t. Reports suggest that the two haven’t been invited, with one reason being that they, at this time, are too young.
It’s been rumored that Prince George will get a more significant role at the coronation, though what exactly that entails is yet to be seen. In any case, George’s potential role at his grandfather’s big event has sparked a “bit of an argument.” One expert even claimed that Prince William and Kate Middleton are worried about the pressure being put on the young royal’s shoulders.
The royal children at King Charles’ coronation
According to royal commentator and author Tom Quinn, William and Kate are worried that the pressure might be too much for the young prince.
“I’ve heard from my contacts that there is a bit of an argument going on about whether George should play a more formal role,” he told the Express. “I’ve heard that Kate and William are worried that it will be too much for him.”
So what about Prince Louis? The young royal, who turns five on April 28, will attend his first major royal historical outing with his parents and siblings at the coronation. He appeared on the balcony during the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, but was nowhere to be seen at her funeral last year. This is most likely because he was too young.
With regards to Prince Louis’ royal future, there are some question marks as to what we can expect. He’s currently fourth in the line of succession to the British throne, but will likely never come close to being a king.
Even so, it seems that King Charles might have a plan in store for him. The same goes for his parents, William and Kate.
Just days after Lilibet and Archie’s titles were officially added to the Buckingham Palace website, King Charles announced another significant change within the Royal Family.
Prince Louis’ future: The next Duke of Edinburgh?
His youngest brother, Prince Edward, also titled the Earl of Wessex, was honored with a new title: the Duke of Edinburgh.
A palace statement said: “His Majesty the King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday. The title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.”
“The Dukedom was last created for Prince Philip in 1947, upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, who held the title of Duchess of Edinburgh before acceding to the throne in 1952. The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.”
Prince Edward was handed the title on his 59th birthday. He will hold the title his entire life, while his son, James, also known as Viscount Severn, now becomes the Earl of Wessex.
According to The Guardian, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip wished that Edward be handed the title. King Charles has now honored said wish.
When Prince Philip passed away in 2021, the same title was handed down to Charles. Yet when he became king, it reverted automatically to back the crown. Charles could then decide who he thought should have the title of the Duke of Edinburgh and elected for Prince Edward.
But while Prince Edward will hold the title until his passing, King Charles might have a plan for young Prince Louis in play.
“Charles may even wish it go to his own grandson”
According to the Mirror, the Duke of Edinburgh title isn’t inherited; it will revert to the crown when Edward dies. That might pave the way for one of William and Kate’s children to be given the title – and Louis is the most likely candidate.
Writing in the Daily Mail – before Edward was given the title – royal expert and author Richard Kay argued that Charles wanted to make the crown more modern and downsize the number of royal titles.
“Charles’s charitable portfolio is being streamlined for when he is king, and this same forensic approach is being applied to how much and what the Royal Family does in his reign,” Kay wrote. “As it will certainly downsize, it means fewer royals carrying out engagements.”
“So it is against a background of a slimmed down monarchy that the prince has been developing ideas about working royals, their titles, and how they fit in with his vision of a modern Britain.”
Kay continued: “Someone close to Charles told me that rather than more royal titles, the prince prefers fewer… The Edinburgh title, created by King George I for his grandson, Frederick, has been revived twice (by Queen Victoria for her second son Alfred and by George VI for Prince Philip), and Charles may even wish it go to his own grandson, Prince Louis.”
Harry portrayed himself as a “spare” in his tell-all memoir released earlier this year. In an interview to promote the book, the Duke spoke about how he fears his niece and nephew – Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – will “end up” like him, becoming spares within the royal sphere.
Royal family’s plan for Prince Louis – to not make him a “spare” like Harry
While that’s one way to look at it, royal expert and author Tom Quinn argues that Princess Charlotte might serve as a supporting act for George, similar to the way Princess Anne was to her brother, Charles. However that would leave Prince Louis as a “double spare” without any clear role.
“Like all royal children, he will quickly become aware that he has a life of luxury, but he can’t really escape it and have an ordinary life, but he’s also not the number one, he’s not going to be, or it’s very unlikely, that he’d ever become the monarch,” Tom Quinn told Express.
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Meanwhile, the royal expert argues that the Palace has learned from past mistakes regarding younger royals not being given any particular role. They want to prevent Louis from becoming a “lost soul,” like Harry felt he was.
“I think because the Royal Family now is so aware of the mistakes that they’ve made in the past, especially with bringing up children, I think they will make enormous efforts to make sure that Louis doesn’t feel like a lost soul,” Quinn added.
“And I think it will be easier for Kate and William to ensure that that happens, partly because the world has changed so much, even since William and Harry were young the world’s changed a great deal.”
William and Kate want to ensure that all their children get the best possible opportunities in life. That has already started, as the children are beginning to understand more and more about their life as royals and what it means.
William & Kate ensures that Prince Louis isn’t feeling left out
As mentioned, Quinn argues that the Palace doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as in previous decades. According to royal commentator Angela Mollard, William and Kate are doing their best to ensure that Prince Louis doesn’t feel left out, with the risk being that he becomes another “offshoot like Harry.”
Mollard suggests that William and Kate can use the coronation to make Louise feel included, giving him a memory that will strengthen his bonds with the monarchy. This will be important not just for now but also in the future when his big brother, Prince George, becomes king.
“Some people might say four-year-old Louis was so funny, he’s the cutest – it’s like, do you make that decision to take your kids to a posh restaurant? Yes, you do, because it’s going to be funny but more than that,” Angela Mollard told Sky Australia, as quoted by the Mirror.
“It’s going to make sure that Louis has a memory of the Coronation, so when his big brother takes on that role, he and Charlotte are there to support him,” she added.
‘We’re a family, we do it all together’
Moreover, Mollard states that allowing Louis to attend the coronation might also help avoid future rifts between the siblings.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will likely have more significant roles than Prince Louis during the coronation. Therefore, it’s even more critical for Louis to be there, as it brings the family together.
“George needs to be braced and supported by his siblings,” Mollard continued. “The whole brand of the Waleses is very much, ‘we’re a family, we do it all together. We do not want an offshoot like Harry in the future’.”
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