During King Charles III’s coronation on May 6, 2023, Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales’ late arrival caused a noticeable disruption along with a temper “tantrum” courtesy of His Majesty.
A ‘grumpy’ King Charles exploded over Prince William and Kate Middleton’s coronation tardiness.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their younger children, were scheduled to arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the King and Queen but ended up arriving after them due to timing issues. This delay was captured on camera, showing King Charles looking visibly agitated as he and Queen Camilla waited in their carriage​

The procession to Westminster Abbey was expected to take 33 minutes, but only took 26 minutes, causing the royal couple to arrive six minutes ahead of schedule. This led to an awkward moment where they had to remain in their coach, waiting for William and Kate to arrive. The delay was attributed to various factors, including the possibility of the Waleses filming a Coronation Day video that added precious seconds to their schedule​

Royal author Robert Hardman described the scene in his book Charles III: The Inside Story, noting that the Wales family was running a minute-and-a-half late and had to adjust the procession order, ultimately arriving after the King and Queen instead of before them.

SOURCE: THE ROYAL FAMILY CHANNEL/YOUTUBEKing Charles III moments after snapping at a young page boy, Palace of Westminster, London, July 17, 2024.

The situation was further complicated by concerns about street protests, with over 11,500 police officers deployed for the largest police operation in London’s history. Despite the challenges, the coronation proceeded, albeit with some last-minute changes and visible tension among the royal family.

Although the King lost and quickly regained his temper, coronation faux pas’ are a quirky trend in the annals of British history.

At Queen Victoria’s crowning in June 1838, the coronation ring was forced onto the wrong finger, causing her great pain. Additionally, the elderly Lord Rolle, when approaching the Queen to pay homage, tripped and rolled down the steps of the throne, providing a moment of unintended comedy in an otherwise solemn event.

Way back in February 1308, the medieval King Edward II’s crowning in Westminster Abbey turned into a scandal when the king’s favorite (and rumored lover), Piers Gaveston, took the place of the traditional royal steward at the Coronation Feast, which offended many nobles and caused a disruption.

SOURCE: MEGAKing Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II in their official coronation portraits, 2023 and 1953, respectively.

Although generally considered a successful event, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in June 1953 also had its small mishaps. For instance, the heavy St Edward’s Crown was accidentally placed on her head with a bit too much force by the Archbishop of Canterbury, causing her to flinch slightly.

None of these examples had to face the digital age of 2023, but Charles, William and Kate, can rest assured that coronation mishaps are something of a tradition.