King Charles' coronation outburst: A year on

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s actions resulted in "an added layer of stress” for Charles and Camilla.

King Charles III was displeased when Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived late to his coronation last year, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman's book "The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William arrived late to King Charles’ coronation on May 6, 2023, causing logistical issues.

Hardman writes that King Charles and Queen Camilla unintentionally arrived early for their crowning at Westminster Abbey. 

The royal couple reportedly arrived before pages like Prince George.

Hardman said that The Prince and Princess of Wales were expected to be there eight minutes before the king and queen consort, but they arrived “a minute and a half late” with their two younger children, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. 

Hardman described the situation as “an awkward scene” and explained that the delay in the coronation created “an added layer of stress” for Charles and Camilla.

“We can never be on time … There’s always something … This is boring,'” Hardman claimed the monarch said.

Hardman learned from sources that William, 41, and Middleton, 42, could have been late because they made a coronation video on the morning of the event.

Furthermore, staff for the couple informed Hardman that their car was delayed behind Charles and Camilla’s procession, which would not have happened if the king had not arrived early.

“It is unusual for the two most important arrivals at such a significant event, and over such a well-trodden route, to be so unpunctual,” Hardman wrote in his book. 

“The result is some frantic rewriting of the running order.” He continued. “There isn’t time for the Waleses and their two younger children to enter ahead of the King and Queen. They must now follow behind and bring up the rear.”

Despite the delay, the coronation proceeded smoothly, and Charles was proclaimed Britain’s new monarch.