Prince Louis steals the show (again) at the coronation
A future king watched on as his father was crowned monarch.
Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne, caught a glimpse of what his future crowning could look like as he honoured his father, King Charles III, on his coronation day Saturday.
The eldest child of the King and the late Princess Diana, William, 40, played a key role in the coronation service at London's Westminster Abbey.
After Charles III was anointed and received the bejeweled crown of St. Edward, William paid homage to his father.
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," said William, kneeling in front of the King before rising, touching the iconic crown and giving his father a kiss on the cheek, which Charles III appeared to receive emotionally.
Earlier in the service, William presented the King with the Stole Royal, a key piece of regalia used in the coronation.
The prince had a front-row seat to the proceedings, sitting alongside his wife, Princess Catherine of Wales, and two of their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Their eldest child, Prince George, second in line to the throne, also played an important part, helping to carry the King's robe as he proceeded down the aisle of Westminster Abbey at the start of the religious service.
William wore the ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards, fitting given that he's their colonel and the prince of the constituent country. He also wore his velvet robes, a symbol of his membership in the Order of the Garter, the most senior knighthood in the realm.
Meanwhile, Kate was in full formal regalia, apparently at the King's request. She wore a velvet robe over a long gown by Alexander McQueen with silver embroidery and an opulent headpiece. Her dress, like that of her daughter, is embroidered with four flowers, each representing the UK's four nations.
Throughout the traditional ceremony, the Waleses appeared regal and stoic, in comparison with the King and Queen, who looked at times overwhelmed with emotion by the profundity of the spectacle.
The younger couple bowed and curtsied as the reigning King and Queen passed them by. Enthusiastically, they led the congregation in the singing of God Save the King."
For William and Kate, today's events are a precursor of sorts for their future coronation. Amid the spectacle, it's likely William was thinking ahead at his crowning.
If all goes as planned, it will one day be him sitting on the 14th-century chair of St. Edward, reciting the coronation oath and receiving the five-pound crown, set with rubies and gold.
That William is an adult with children of his own at the time of his parent's coronation stands in stark contrast with Charles some seven decades ago. The former Prince Charles was just four when his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned in 1953.
An iconic photo from that coronation shows a young Charles stealing the show as the late queen accepted the crown. Flanked by the ever-regal Queen Mother and Princess Margaret on either side, the young heir to the throne was described as unusually solemn" in the image caption, his elbow resting on a ledge with a balled-up fist propping up his tired head.
One of the maids of honour at the queen's coronation, later recalled how Prince Charles tried to run off with the crown when Elizabeth II removed it from her head at Buckingham Palace after the formal proceedings.
While William, the current heir apparent, didn't steal the show at this coronation ceremony, his youngest son, Prince Louis, could be deserving of that honour. In what is a soon-to-be-viral photo, the five-year-old can be seen widely yawning during the solemn ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Following the coronation service, the Waleses returned to Buckingham Palace in a coach immediately behind the King and Queen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales sat facing forwards, while their children faced the back of the carriage, with George in the middle and his younger siblings near the windows, exuberantly waving at the crowd as they made the 30-minute journey back to the Royal Family residence.
As the day's proceedings wound to a close, all five appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the King, Queen and other senior members of the Royal Family. Prince George stood third to the right of the King, while his parents and siblings took a position further down, as they observed the ceremonial flyby over London.
With files by Sarah Laing
Joshua Chong is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star's Express Desk. Follow him on Twitter: @joshualdwchong