Prince George at King Charles' coronation on May 6, 2023.Photo:Getty Images
Getty Images
The picture shows George acting as one of the four Pages of Honor to his grandfather, carrying the monarch’s coronation robe as the King processes out of Westminster Abbey after being crowned. King Charles, 74, is also seen holding the orb and scepter while wearing the Imperial State Crown (although he wascrowned in the St. Edward’s Crown, only used at coronations, he swapped it for the less-heavy headpiece to make his way back to Buckingham Palace).
“Wishing Prince George a very happy 10th birthday today!” Westminster Abbeywroteon Twitter. “This dramatic overhead photograph shows His Royal Highness and his fellow Pages of Honour leaving the Abbey with HM The King following the Coronation service in May.”
Prince George at King Charles' coronation on May 6, 2023.Getty Images
While the Prince and Princess of Wales are trying to give their son anormal childhoodwhenever possible, hisroyal roleas second in the line of succession and future monarch was apparent at the coronation.
While his younger siblings —Princess Charlotte, 8, andPrince Louis, 5 — joined the congregation at Westminster Abbey, Prince Georgebecame the youngest future kingto play an official role in a coronation.
“He was terrific,” a close family friend recently told PEOPLE.
Prince William and Princess Kate, both 41, were aware of the pressure their eldest child would feel in the spotlight but felt he was ready for the task.
Added a guest, “The service was emotional and family-oriented and very inclusive — and George played his part.”
While Westminster Abbey shared a social media tribute for Prince George’s birthday —just like King Charles and Queen Camilla did— the young royal did miss out on another royal birthday tradition: the ringing of the Abbey bells.
Before 2020, the bells marked the birthdays of 12 members of the royal family.Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their four children — then now-King Charles,Princess Anne,Prince AndrewandPrince Edward— all receive the honor, as did Charles' wife, Camilla. Prince William, Kate and their kids — Prince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louis— completed the list.
However, the tradition changed amid financial issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Westminster Abbey’s bells only marked the birthdays of Queen Elizabeth and Charles.
The list changed after the death of Queen Elizabeth, ringing only for the four most senior members of the family in 2023: King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate.
The bells will also ring for King Charles' Accession Day on September 8, which will also mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.
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Prince George’s 10th birthday portrait.Millie Pilkington/Kensington Palace via Getty
Millie Pilkington/Kensington Palace via Getty
The new pic is reminiscent of aseries of snapstaken in November 2014, when George was just 1 and posed on the steps of Kensington Palace for portraits released ahead of Christmas.
Prince George celebrated his big day out of the public eye. It’s possible the Prince and Princess of Wales took their three children on a summer vacationas they have in years paston George’s birthday.
It’s possible that they spent part of the day on Saturday watching the England women’s national soccer team compete in the World Cup, beating Haiti 1-0 in their first outing of the tournament. Prince George is a big sports fan, along with the rest of his family, and Prince William and Princess Katetweetedlast week, “Good luck@Lionesses, we’re all cheering you on!”
source: people.com
