Honestly, plans for King Charles III have just begun. The coronation committee has probably only had a few meetings, if that. All of the focus on whether Queen Camilla will wear the Koh-i-noor is important, but the conversation probably took Charles by surprise given how little is in place at this point for his May 2023 coronation. That’s what this new Telegraph story is about, how everything needs to be planned and how Charles has put William in a major position of power on the coronation committee, and how this whole thing will probably be done smaller and on a budget. Some highlights:

Prince William’s active role: The Prince of Wales is to take an “active role” in planning the coronation of his father King Charles. The Prince, who is likely to also have a place in the May 6 ceremony itself, is expected to join those on the King’s coronation committee in the coming months to help set the tone for the event. The King’s eldest son will have an active advisory position, taking a keen interest in the ceremony and how it reflects modern Britain. He and the Princess of Wales are likely – but not confirmed – to have a role in the Westminster Abbey event, with discussions currently under way about how it can be modernised and shortened from the spectacular celebrations for the late Queen.

Zero clarity about Prince Harry: There is less clarity over the King’s younger son, the Duke of Sussex, who is no longer a working member of the Royal family.

Charles will probably do a “civil” coronation outside of the church too: The coronation committee will recommend considering a separate civil ceremony at Westminster Hall or in Horse Guards Parade as a “venture of ‘recognition’ of the new monarch outside the religious canopy”.

The coronation won’t be about the “British empire,” it will be about the “united kingdom”: With both Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum adding to “pressures on the monarchy to be a symbol of national unity”, it finds, the coronation should better reflect the Union as well as reducing any previous Imperial associations – to acknowledge that Britain is no longer a “truly international power”.

It should be smaller, less feudal & not so archaic: Dr Bob Harris, of The Constitution Unit at UCL, writes: “The UK no longer has the capacity to mount anything like this spectacle, nor should it do so in straitened times. The next coronation will inevitably be smaller. Archaic elements such as the Court of Claims could be dropped. So should the homage, and thought be given to how the King as head of the nation should be enabled early in the reign to signify support for, and encouragement of, modern civil society. A modernised form of homage could take place, for example, in Westminster Hall, or in a procession on Horse Guards Parade.”

Modern Peg: The involvement of the Prince of Wales in planning the May coronation will be welcomed by royalists as a sign of continuity between the generations and the closer working relationship between the King and his heir. The Prince will, at age of 40, naturally represent the concerns of his own generation, with an eye to modernising the monarchy for the sake of its future.

[From The Telegraph]

It’s funny that the Telegraph’s sources can’t even make it sound like William has even taken an interest in his father’s coronation thus far. Everything is in the future tense – William “will” do such and such, he’s looking forward to eventually advising the committee, he will tell them to do this and that. Why does it feel like Charles is telling his son “this is what you need to be doing” and William is ignoring him and f–king off to Norfolk? The only part of the planning of interest to William will be finding a way to be cruel to Harry. Anyway, this coronation already sounds like a bummer – whoops, Britain is no longer a global power or an empire, whoops, our prime minister was outlasted by a head of lettuce, whoops the British pound is in free fall, whoops, the crown prince is a lazy lightweight who still refuses to do any work. KC3 is going to have to bribe Kate with significant jewels to get her to do jacksh-t too.

Photos courtesy of Instar.