Nicolai Haugsted
King Charles reportedly sprang back to life when Prince Louis interrupted his preparations for the historic ceremony.
King Charles’ Coronation was one of the most carefully orchestrated royal events in modern British history, with months of preparations leading up to the historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
But behind the elaborate traditions and perfectly timed processions, the atmosphere was apparently rather less majestic than television viewers might have imagined.
Even the King himself had reportedly reached the limits of his patience after spending weeks rehearsing for his big day.
Now, a former senior government minister has revealed how an unexpected visit from a young member of the royal family transformed Charles’ mood almost instantly.
Prince Louis came to the rescue
Former cabinet minister Dame Penny Mordaunt has shared previously unknown details about the preparations for Charles’ Coronation in May 2023.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Mordaunt recalled watching the monarch struggle to maintain his enthusiasm during yet another rehearsal.
“We were doing dress rehearsals on the Thursday before, and the King was bored out of his mind. He’d just done two weeks of this, and he’d had enough. I was watching him glaze over in the coronation chair,” she told the audience according to The Mirror.
Fortunately for Charles, someone arrived who proved considerably more interesting than another run-through of the ceremony.
His grandson Prince Louis, then just five years old, had come to visit.
“And then he suddenly sprung to life because beside him was Prince Louis, who had come to visit. They stopped the rehearsal so that he could show Prince Louis all the Crown Jewels. That’s a memory that I shall treasure.”
The touching moment offered a rare glimpse of Charles simply enjoying being a grandfather, rather than preparing to become the centre of an elaborate royal ceremony.
Royal glamour came with a rather unusual footwear choice
Mordaunt had a particularly demanding responsibility during the Coronation.
As Lord President of the Privy Council, she was tasked with carrying the ceremonial Sword of State, which weighs approximately eight pounds, or 3.6 kilograms.
Her appearance attracted considerable attention, particularly her striking outfit featuring gold-leaf embroidery inspired by classical Greek designs.
However, maintaining such an elegant appearance for hours was not quite as straightforward as it looked.
Mordaunt revealed that the participants had been required to assemble well before the ceremony began.
“Before the ceremony kicked off, we were all lined up in the cloisters in Westminster Abbey, ready for when the end of the procession had come through London. We would join the end and, as we went up the aisle, then the Royal Family would arrive, timed to perfection.”
The prospect of spending hours holding a heavy sword while wearing formal shoes was not especially appealing.
“But I was going to have to wait around with this whopping great sword, and I thought, we’ve got to stand here for a couple of hours before we even go in. I’m not having that.”
A member of staff eventually offered to hold the sword until she needed it.
Her footwear, however, required another solution.
Fluffy slippers behind the royal spectacle
Rather than suffer through hours of standing in uncomfortable heels, Mordaunt decided to make a temporary adjustment to her Coronation outfit.
“I said, ‘Well, I’m not putting my heels on.’ So I was there in this fabulous demi-couture dress, with these great big fluffy slippers on, with all the Pursuivants of Arms, who had got their robes stuffed with Fruit Pastilles, and I had this nightmare that I was going to forget to put my shoes on,” she recalled.
The image of a senior minister waiting to participate in a centuries-old royal ceremony while wearing fluffy slippers is certainly rather different from the polished spectacle millions eventually watched.
Fortunately, Mordaunt avoided accidentally making her entrance in the wrong footwear.
Her performance during the ceremony subsequently earned widespread praise, with many viewers impressed by how effortlessly she appeared to handle the enormous sword.
Even the royal family joked about her stealing the show
Mordaunt’s prominent role did not go unnoticed within the monarchy.
She previously revealed that a member of the royal family had sent her a humorous letter following the Coronation.
“How kind of the King and Queen to come to your event,” the letter reportedly began.
The joke suggested that her memorable appearance had attracted so much attention that she had practically become the star of the occasion.
Behind the scenes, however, the responsibility had required some preparation.
Mordaunt previously admitted taking painkillers before the ceremony to help her cope with the physical demands of carrying the sword.
“You want to make sure you are in good nick. I did take a couple of painkillers before just to make sure I was going to be all right.”
She also explained that she did not have to carry the heaviest sword throughout the entire service.
“We got through it and it was only half of the ceremony that I had to carry the Sword of State, which is the really heavy one, and then I traded it in for the very exquisite Jewelled Sword of Offering, which is much lighter.”
