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Arriving late to a party is never a good look, but for members of the royal family, it’s even more of a faux pas. Unfortunately, Prince William and Kate Middleton found themselves in this situation when they arrived behind schedule at King Charles’ coronation

Observant onlookers immediately took note of their delayed entrance. Footage from the event hints that Charles was less than pleased with the turn of events.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis arrive at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte arriving at King Charles III coronation | Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images

King Charles seemingly lost his composure over Prince William and Kate Middleton’s delayed arrival

During the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, a clip captured a moment of concern between King Charles and Queen Camilla. The video shows Charles visibly anxious as they waited for a few minutes outside the venue before making their grand entrance. 

Lip readers examined the video and told Express exactly what they believe Charles told Camilla. Per the readers, Charles told Camilla, “I’m worried,” which could have been a reference to a delay.

“I’m worried about time, I mean it’s been longer this time and, well, erm, I mean look! I know,” Charles reportedly said.

A second lip reader noted that Charles then told his wife that they “can never be on time.” Charles clearly looked troubled in the clip, and there may have been a good reason behind his concern.

The holdup is reportedly attributed to William and Kate not being punctual for the ceremony. This led to them following Charles in the procession, rather than entering the Abbey ahead of him.

This is why Prince William and Kate Middleton were late to the coronation

William and Kate were supposed to arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of Charles and Camilla. When that didn’t happen, royal onlookers were left wondering what was amiss.

If things had gone smoothly, William and Kate were supposed to be seated prior to Charles and Camilla. Instead, the couple arrived late with their children and were seated last.

The only exception, of course, was Prince George, who was early to the event. George served as a page during the coronation and was at Westminster Abbey ahead of his parents. 

According to Express, an inside source told author Omid Scobie that William and Kate’s children were to blame for their tardiness. Luckily, the delay had little impact on the ceremony, which was planned out well in advance. 

While the service went on uninterrupted, Charles and Camilla clearly had a moment outside of Westminster Abbey. 

Royal watchers react to the coronation delay

Naturally, fans were quick to pick up on the fact that William and Kate were late to the event. In fact, several onlookers spotted the delay unfold on live TV and were quick to comment about it. 

“Prince William, Kate, and their 2 younger children were supposed to have arrived 5 minutes ahead of him, but instead they were a minute late; so he couldn’t get out of the carriage until Prince William and Kate enter the building,” one viewer wrote.

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Another person added that Charles definitely looked unhappy with William and Kate’s delay. Luckily, Charles and Camilla were able to pull themselves together, and the remainder of the ceremony went very smoothly. 

The coronation of Charles and Camilla was the first such ceremony in 70 years. Following the grand event, members of the royal family gathered at Buckingham Palace for a special portrait. 

William and Kate, of course, were not late to the portrait. The Prince and Princess of Wales looked stunning alongside the other royals as they posed for the historic occasion.