King Charles and Queen Camilla have spent decades lying and scheming to get what they want, and all of those efforts have come into fruition this year. Camilla will be known as “Queen Camilla” now, not Princess Consort or even Queen Consort. She will have all of the jewelry (minus the Koh-i-Noor) she wants. And now, she’s taking steps to ensure that her children and grandchildren will be included in the coronation too. Keep in mind, Camilla and Charles are still playing stupid games about Charles’s mixed-race grandchildren, but his all-white step-grandchildren? He’s all about including them.

The Queen’s grandchildren will have a prominent official role at the coronation and Prince George is also set to feature in the service, in two significant breaks with royal precedent. In a “bold move”, the King and Queen have decided that her grandchildren, who have long been shielded from the limelight, will be included in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6, to signal their closeness to Charles and his consort.

Camilla, 75, has five grandchildren, who call her by the nickname “GaGa”. Her son, Tom Parker Bowles, has Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, and her daughter, Laura Lopes, has Eliza, 15, and twins, Louis and Gus, 13. She is devoted to them, as is Charles, who read Harry Potter to them when they were younger and did impersonations of the characters in JK Rowling’s series about the boy wizard. Camilla’s decision to include the five teenagers sends a strong message that she and Charles are a couple who reflect the realities of modern life, of which “a blended family is a central element”. Unlike the 1950s, when Elizabeth’s coronation took place, step-parents and stepchildren are common as a result of divorce.

Buckingham Palace has said the coronation “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”. It is understood that Camilla has asked her grandchildren to hold the canopy over her as she is anointed with holy oil during the most sacred part of the ceremony. Duchesses have previously performed the role. A royal source said: “The Queen Consort has said she does not want duchesses. She would like it to be her grandchildren.”

In another break with tradition, a significant role for George, nine, is being discussed. The King and Queen are due to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales soon to talk about possible options. Royal sources say Charles and Camilla are eager for George, as a future king, to feature, and William and Kate are also keen, provided a role can be found that does not subject him to overwhelming scrutiny.

A source who knows the King and Queen well said of their decision to give Camilla’s grandchildren an official role: “It sends a nice signal and is quite a bold move. It is another example of the King and Queen Consort being unafraid to shake things up a bit to reflect the realities of modern life, of which a blended family is a central element.”

The inclusion of Camilla’s grandchildren and Prince George in the two-hour ceremony is likely to further fuel speculation over whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the service, and whether they will be accompanied by their children, Archie, who will be four on coronation day, and Lilibet, who will be nearly two. Palace sources have indicated that the Sussexes will be invited as “much loved” members of the King’s family but Harry and Meghan have not yet indicated whether they will attend.

[From The Times]

I hope this is the thing which convinces the Sussexes to stay home, honestly. There are two lines of palace briefings happening concurrently. One, “Harry must be punished,” we hate Harry and Meghan, we don’t want Meghan to come, Meghan and her children should stay away, we’ll boo the mixed-race royals, Harry won’t even be seated with his family! Two, look at this gloriously blended modern family, look at how much Charles adores his step-grandkids, Charles and Camilla are going out of their way to include Camilla’s family because that’s their priority. Yeah. Opting out is always an option, Haz. The message will be clear, just like it was during the Jubbly, when they made such a BFD about the all-white balcony.

The part about George is coming straight from Buckingham Palace too – the palace briefed multiple outlets about how the coronation would lean into imagery highlighting the line of succession, meaning lots of shots of Charles, William and George together.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.