One of the big coronation announcements released on Tuesday was a confirmation on which children would have roles. Apparently, King Charles and Queen Camilla each get different sets of page boys and page girls, and they have leeway to select kids from their families or friend’s families. We’ve known for weeks that Camilla wanted her pages to be her grandchildren, much to Prince William’s chagrin, as it elevates the extended Parker Bowles relatives at the expense of the Windsors. But the real gossip is within the names selected as Charles’s pages. Prince George will be a page. But so will the oldest son of Rose Hanbury and David Rocksavage, the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Charles and Camilla are really keeping the Rocksavages close, aren’t they? Charles just appointed David as his Lord-in-Waiting.
Prince George is the most notable – and youngest – page of honour chosen by the King and Queen Consort. But all of the boys who will carry the couple’s robes into Westminster Abbey demonstrate Charles and Camilla’s determination to put loyal family and friends at the heart of this historic occasion.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales were touched that the King wanted his grandson to play such a significant role, they wanted to ensure that nine-year-old George felt up to the public scrutiny. After discussions with their eldest son and future monarch, they felt happy he would rise to the occasion.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said last night: ‘We’re all very excited about Prince George’s role in the Coronation, it will be an incredibly special moment.’
A page of honour is a historic ceremonial position, now only employed on state occasions. The king’s pages also include Nicholas Barclay, 13, the grandson of Sarah Troughton, who is one of the Queen’s companions and oldest friends. He will be joined by Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, son of David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, and his former model wife, Rose. Oliver’s father was recently appointed to be the King’s Lord-in-Waiting – a significant royal role.
The fourth page is Ralph Tollemache, 12, son of British banker and aristocrat The Honourable Edward Tollemache – a godson of the King and a page of Honour to Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen Consort’s pages of honour all come from Her Majesty’s family. They include her grandsons Gus and Louis Lopes, 13, and Freddy Parker Bowles, 12. Her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot, 11 – whose father is former Tory Party chairman Ben Elliot – will be her fourth page.
[From The Daily Mail]
First of all, don’t even start with “Charles snubbed Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.” Archie and Lilibet are too young to be pages, which is why Charlotte and Louis weren’t asked as well – they’re much too young. It’s not a snub for any of the kids. Now, are these names also a victory lap by Camilla? For sure. Her grandkids and relations are the right age to act as pages, so what Camilla wants, Camilla gets.
As for Charles making a point of including the Cholmondeleys… well. My theory is that Charles and Camilla know exactly what Prince William has been getting up to in Norfolk. The social and professional network between Tom Parker Bowles, Giles Coren, the Rocksavages, the Norfolk Turnip Toffs and Charles and Camilla is a perfect circle with no secrets. Everyone in that crew knows exactly what Rose and William were up to and Charles is making an effort to keep the Cholmondeleys inside the proverbial tent. The added benefit is that it keeps William on a short leash too.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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