Young royals steal the show...and our hearts
PRINCESS Charlotte played big sister to Prince Louis at their grandfather’s Coronation yesterday as the young royals melted hearts from the moment they arrived at Westminster Abbey.
The eight-year-old princess offered a reassuring hand to her brother, five, as they entered the Abbey with the Prince and Princess ofwales.
But later in proceedings a more relaxed and playful Prince Louis pulled a series of animated expressions as he marvelled at the massed crowds and the spectacular flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
One fan posted their admiration for the young prince, tweeting: “Never change, Prince Louis”. TV presenter Dan Walker summed it up: “The lad is a legend”
It was a long day for the youngsters and during the first part of the ceremony, Louis let out a big yawn and also took the chance to point out something of interest to his sister. He yawned again shortly after the King was crowned.
Louis has become known for entertaining royal fans with his reactions. He was seen letting out a howl and clapping his hands over his ears on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee flypast as his “Gangan”, the late Queen, told him what was happening.
During
yesterday’s service Kate could be seen bending down to talk to him, before he briefly left the twohour-long ceremony, returning in time to sing the national anthem to the King.
Louis was dressed in a Hainsworth Garter Blue Doeskin Tunic with specially designed lace-work embellishments to the collar, cuffs and fronts, made by Savile Row tailors Dege and Skinner.
Charlotte matched her mother’s outfit in an Alexander Mcqueen dress and cape in ivory silk crepe with ivory satin stitch embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, as well as a Jess Collett and Alexander Mcqueen headpiece in silver bullion and crystal.
The eldest of the three Cambridge children, Prince George, nine, played his biggest role yet on the world stage as he carried his grandfather’s Coronation robes as one of the four pages. He could be seen poking his tongue out in concentration as he carried out his important job. He is believed to be the youngest future king to play an official role at a coronation.
He was joined by the son of King Charles’s lord-in-waiting David Cholmondeley, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13. Nicholas Barclay, 13, the grandson of Sarah Troughton, the Lord-lieutenant of Wiltshire, was also involved, as well as Ralph Tollemache, 12, the son of Charles’s godson Edward Tollemache.