King Charles is ‘excited’ for coronation amid family drama, has ‘support’ from Camilla: royal family friend
Lady Anne Glenconner, Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting, was a maid of honor at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. She recently wrote a book titled "Whatever Next?: Lessons from an Unexpected Life."
King Charles III is said to be "very excited" as he prepares for the biggest day of his life.
The eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, will be crowned on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey. Following nearly a thousand years of tradition, the service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
"I think they’re very excited," Lady Anne Glenconner, Princess Margaret’s former lady-in-waiting, told Fox News Digital. "And it’s so exciting because there are very few people alive like me who were part of the last coronation. I’m the only person to have written about the coronation who was actually in it. We’re absolutely looking forward to it very much."
King Charles III will be crowned on May 6 at London's Westminster Abbey. (Alastair Grant / WPA Pool / File)
The 90-year-old has known Charles, 74, since he was about 3 years old. Her mother, Lady Elizabeth Yorke, was a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Glenconner wrote a follow-up to her 2020 memoir that was published on Feb. 21 titled "Whatever Next? Lessons from an Unexpected Life."
"When Prince Charles had mumps or measles, he used to come to my family home here," she chuckled. "I’ve always known him and he’s such a friend. … And [this coronation] will be different. … There won’t be so many people in the Abbey. … There were 8,000 people when the queen was crowned. I think there’s only going to be 2 to 3,000 people this time. And I think he will be much more inclusive of all different religions and all the people that have worked for his charities."
While members of the royal family will attend Charles’ coronation, it remains to be seen if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will return to the U.K. for the festivities. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in California.
It's unclear whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel to the U.K. for King Charles III's coronation. (Angela Weiss / AFP / File)
In recent months, the king has been rocked by family drama. In December, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke of their struggles with royal life in a six-part docuseries on Netflix titled "Harry & Meghan." Then in January, Harry released an explosive memoir titled "Spare." The 38-year-old has previously spoken about his estrangement from his father and elder brother, Prince William, since he departed from the U.K.
Glenconner said Charles has been "absolutely great" as a king.
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"He made a wonderful address at Christmas, which the queen always did," she explained. "I [thought] he was quite nervous about it. It was the first time he was going to be addressing the nation, addressing the Commonwealth. But he did it so well. … He’s had a long time to prepare, of course. … He’s environmentally up-to-date and wants to help. And people love him. I noticed [when] he’s gone out, people are clapping and shouting. He goes and talks to them. You can see him reacting to them very well."
Lady Anne Glenconner was among those who stood beside Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
"And everybody loves the queen consort," Glenconner shared. "I have met her a few times now and she’s delightful. And of course, they’re so in love. It’s so lovely seeing them together. I think she’ll be a great queen."
Palace officials previously said for years that the 75-year-old "intended" to be known as "Princess Consort" instead of the traditional "Queen Consort." However, the question of title was resolved when Elizabeth declared that she wanted Camilla to be known as "Queen Consort" after her son became king. It was an endorsement that formally signified the family’s acceptance of Camilla as a respected senior member. It was also widely seen as a move by Elizabeth to pave a smooth transition to Charles’ reign.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, attend a reception to celebrate the second anniversary of The Reading Room at Clarence House on Feb. 23, 2023, in London. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images / File)
The endorsement was made in February 2022 when Elizabeth marked the 70th anniversary of her ruling. She passed away in September of that year at age 96.
Glenconner noted that Camilla has been essential to Charles’ reign.
"The thing about the queen consort is that she never pushes forward – he’s always first," she explained. "She just supports him and loves him. … I think it’s the support. You could see their body language together. You could just tell they’re very happy. And I think that’s her secret [to their marriage]. She just makes him very happy. And she’s not going to make herself into a star. … She’s his wife, she’s supporting him."
Camilla and Charles married in 2005. (Victoria Jones / Pool / Getty Images / File)
In 2020, Glenconner spoke to Fox News Digital about the queen’s younger sister, who passed away in 2002 at age 71. At the time, she described how Margaret was a different kind of "spare."
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"She was used to it," said Glenconner at the time. "It’s a life she was born into. She wanted to do her very best, which she did. It’s not fun to have all eyes on you and have the world watch your every move. But she didn’t complain about the life she was given."
"I never found her to be difficult," she said. "She simply wanted to do her work as smoothly as possible. There have been rumors about how difficult she was – rumors that I wanted to put to rest because she really was a wonderful friend. The press also depicted her as this party girl. I mean, she liked parties. She loved dancing, singing and music. But there was also a much more serious side to her that the press didn’t write about. Perhaps that story wasn’t as interesting. But I got fed up with those narratives because they didn't really know my friend."
From left, Carolina Herrera, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and Lady Anne Glenconner attend a party at the home of Lynn and Oscar Wyatt in Houston on Feb. 5, 1982. (Don Berkman / WWD / Penske Media via Getty Images)
"I remember we used to visit a little place in London for young men who had AIDS," Glenconner continued. "Their partners had passed away and their families either wanted nothing to do with them or they were just too scared to visit. This was a time of great unknown. I remember we used to go there long before the Princess of Wales did. She wanted to know someone was there for them. And she would make them laugh or tell stories during this time of despair. There were no paparazzi. It was just her. And they loved her for it. She made them forget."
"When my son, Henry, got AIDS in the ‘80s, she couldn’t have been more marvelous. He absolutely adored her – all my children did. I never forgot that. There was really another side to her."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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