Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Prince George and Nicholas Barclay on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s May 6 coronation day.Photo:Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
King Charles’ first State Opening of Parliament brought thePages of Honorback together — butPrince Georgewas missing!
The State Opening of Parliament also saw four of the eight Pages of Honor that attended to the King andQueen Camilladuring the crowning ceremony return to reprise their roles. Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Nicholas Barclay and Ralph Tollemache helped carry the King’s robes as they did on May 6, while Arthur Elliot did the same for his great-aunt Queen Camilla. The boys also got to show two newcomers the royal ropes: Charles van Cutsem attended to Charles, while William Keswick helped Camilla.
Gert’s Royals explains that Pages of Honor are “typically sons of extended family or friends and are usually 10-13 years old” — and that their tenure is contingent on the traditional outfits.
King Charles and Queen Camilla at the House of Lords Chamber at the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament on November 7.Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty
Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty
“How long a page of honor serves, depends on how long they can fit into the uniform. Pages of Honor only perform duties at a few events. So, the uniforms are passed down from page to page & not custom-made,” the blog states.
In sustainable style, the scarlet tunic uniforms that King Charles’ coronation pages wore were originally made duringQueen Elizabeth’s reign, and Oliver, Nicholas and Ralph sported the outfits again on Tuesday.
Oliver is the son of David and Rose, the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who arePrince WilliamandKate Middleton’sneighbors in Norfolk. Ralph is the son of the King’s godson Edward Tollemache, and Nicholas is the grandson of Sarah Troughton, one of the sixQueen’s Companions(a modern take on ladies in waiting) to Queen Camilla, theDaily Mailreported.
King Charles and Queen Camilla at the House of Lords Chamber at the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament on November 7.Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty
Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty
New Pages of Honor Charles and William have similar family ties. Charles is the son of Prince William’s close friend Hugh van Cutsem (whose elder daughter Grace, Prince William’s goddaughter,went viralas a bridesmaid at his wedding to Kate in 2011), while William is the grandson of Queen’s Companion Lady Sarah Keswick.
While it may have seemed strange for Prince George to be absent,Gert’s Royalsreports that there was no scheduling snafu. According to the blog, “Royals do not typically serve as Pages of Honour, except for extra special occasions like coronations. That is why Prince George only served as Page for the Coronation.”
Prince George served as a Page of Honor for King Charles at his coronation on May 6.Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images
On May 6,Prince WilliamandKate Middleton’s eldest royal son mademodern royal historywith his coronation participation as a Page of Honor.The Telegraphreported that Prince George, who was 9 at the time, became the youngest future king to play an official role in a crowning ceremony. While his grandfather King Charles and great-grandmotherQueen Elizabethsimilarly attended their parents' coronations in 1953 and 1937 as children, they only watched the service.
Before the coronation day, Prince George’s involvement was a subject of family discussion behind the scenes as Prince William and Princess Kate juggled the unique honor with the pressure it might put on their son’s shoulders.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said, “We’re all very excited aboutPrince George’s role in the coronation, it will be an incredibly special moment.”
Prince George served as a Page of Honor for King Charles at his coronation on May 6.Getty Images
Getty Images
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The Prince and Princess of Wales were “cognizant that he is old enough to understand what’s going on,” a royal source told PEOPLE at the time. But they were mindful that normal life resumed back in the classroom, where the coronation would likely be the talk of George’s classmates.
“His parents are very excited and delighted that he is a page,” a spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s something that his parents have thought long and hard about and are very much looking forward to — and I’m sure George is too.”
Prince George at Trooping the Colour in June.Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Prince William evenreferenced the testswhen explaining why Princess Kate wasn’t with him in Singapore for theEarthshot Prize. The festivities kicked off with the inaugural Earthshot Week on Monday and capped with the glamorous environmental prize ceremony on Tuesday.
“Catherine is very sorry she can’t be here. She is helping George through his first set of major exams,” the Prince of Wales, 41, said in a speech at the United for Wildlife summit on Monday morning.
PEOPLElearned in Septemberthat Princess Kate, 41, would not join her husband at the third annual event because the inaugural Earthshot Week coincided with Prince George’s exams. Instead, the royal mom stayed home in Windsor to support him.
source: people.com
