Prince William will support his father, King Charles, on his coronation day this weekend in some significant and unique ways.
There’s a lot of hubbub surrounding the big day, with excitement and criticism abound.
Although Prince William has largely stayed out of the headlines recently, he will have some extremely important roles over the weekend.
William is the next heir to the British throne, his estranged brother Prince Harry being now fifth in succession.
William will recite the Homage to Royal Blood, being the only royal who will pledge loyalty during the ceremony.
The Prince is also the Stole Royal, the only one that will help King Charles into his new robe during the ceremony.
Although these roles sound major and unique, with William being the only royal taking part in them, for those who aren’t singing God Save The Queen, it may not mean much.
Fortunately, the Coronation Liturgy has been released, and all of these royal terms and ceremonies can be explained.
What is the Homage to Royal Blood?
The Homage to Royal Blood is a traditional part of the ceremony only for Prince William as their heir to the throne, where he pledges his loyalty to the new King Charles.
During the ceremony, William will put his hands in his fathers’ and say, “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God,” as detailed by the Coronation Liturgy.
Although the Homage to Royal Blood is more traditional, there’s a twist to create a new tradition on the homage as well.
Rather than just reserving pledging allegiance to other royals, dukes, and earls, Charles invited all members of the general public to join in the pledge and swear their loyalty.
What does it mean to be the Stole Royal?
The Stole Royal is part of the Robe Royal service.
William will be among the bishops to present King Charles with his official kingly robes during the ceremony and will help the bishops dress Charles in the robe as well.
Though the official royal robes haven’t been seen yet, there have been sneak peeks of the luxurious threads shared on official social media accounts.
The glimpses of the robes show a deep red with gold embroidery, truly fit for a king and queen.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will each have two royal velvet robes, one to be worn on arrival and one to be worn when leaving. Both are wearing robes that have historically been worn by Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI.
Other significant coronation items include The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and The Sovereign’s Orb, both having long-standing roles in the ceremony.
Royal fans will have to stay tuned to the ceremony to see how all of these traditions come together on Saturday.