bitchy | Prince William is already briefing the media about his own coronation plans

Roya Nikkhah at the Sunday Times had kind of bonkers story about Prince William this weekend. Make no mistake, this has come directly from Kensington Palace, with what I can only imagine were several briefings from senior staffers just days after King Charles’s coronation. The timing is everything – with the ink barely dry on Charles’s throne lease agreement, William is already “thinking” about HIS coronation and how it will be much different than his father’s. We all knew this was coming, by the way – William and Charles openly briefing against each other. For months now, it’s already been happening, but mostly the briefing war has been directed at and about the subject of Prince Harry. Now Charles and William are turning on each other and it’s kind of sad, pathetic and hilarious. Some highlights:

William is already thinking about how to “evolve” his coronation: After playing a key role in last Saturday’s lavish ceremony, Prince William has started thinking about how to “evolve” the ancient ceremony when he succeeds his father. Unlike the King, William will not include a “homage of the people”. At Charles’s service, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, invited the congregation at Westminster Abbey and those watching the service around the world to swear their allegiance to the King, his “heirs and successors” — a decision that prompted widespread controversy. A source close to William said: “There is no way he will go down that route or anything like it.”

Peg’s reflections: William has been carefully “reflecting” on the events of last week with his closest friends and advisers. A source close to the prince said: “He is really thinking, how do we make his coronation feel most relevant in the future? He is mindful of the fact that in 20 years’ time, or whenever his time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also unifying to the nation and the Commonwealth? I think his coronation will look and feel quite different.”

No formal Bridge plans: The source added: “Are courtiers sitting at Kensington Palace coming up with a grand plan about what the next Bridge will look like [London Bridge was the codeword for the late Queen’s death, and Forth Bridge for Prince Philip]? No. But of course the prince and his team are reflective about the events of last week and it is extremely important to him that it evolves to be relevant whenever it happens.”

William didn’t plan jacksh-t at his father’s coronation: It is understood that, contrary to some reports, William was not closely consulted on the planning for Charles’s coronation. The prince, who will be known as King William V, is thought to be committed to being crowned at Westminster Abbey, where every British monarch’s coronation has been held since William the Conqueror’s in 1066.

But what about William’s Prince of Wales investiture? Those close to him point to his decision not to have an investiture as Prince of Wales as an indicator of how William will continue to break with tradition as heir to the throne. In July 1969, Charles had a coronet placed on his head by his mother in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle in north Wales that looked medieval in parts. A source close to William said he was focused on the issue of “relevance”. The source said: “You can see it in how he has taken having an investiture off the table, and his thinking on how to leave a legacy in communities rather than just going in [to] do ribbon cutting. You can see it in how he is running an environmental prize with Earthshot that is not just about handing cash out, but about the long-term impact globally. He is thinking about his coronation in the same way.”

Commonwealth concerns: Another source close to William said: “He’s taking stock, he’s thinking ‘that was a supreme success and it was because Pa altered things. I’ve got to be cognisant of how that evolution happens in my day. What is it that stays? What do I need to change? What will our relationships with the realms and the Commonwealth be then?’ I don’t think he’ll be taking the filleting knife to it, but he will be checking it is sharp.”

[From The Sunday Times]

While this is macabre – planning for his father’s death just days after his father’s coronation – I also think that over the next few months, of course Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace will start to put together plans for the next “big” thing, the death of King Charles and William’s coronation. That’s the nature of the monarchy – they plan out everything, they write their plans down, they prepare decades in advance. The Queen Mum and Prince Philip both had their funeral plans organized decades before their deaths, as did QEII. Charles was tweaking his coronation plans for many, many years. The fact that there are already plans to make a plan isn’t shocking. What’s shocking is that William didn’t even wait a full week before having his office brief Roya Nikkhah about how HE will do things differently.

Now, do I also find it hilarious that even Peg’s own office is confessing that William had nothing to do with his father’s coronation? Yes. It’s amazing. How f–king lazy is William? He was supposed to be part of the planning committee. Guess he had rose bushes to tend to. And I’m so curious about the PoW investiture. Will it even happen??

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.