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Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by karenl on January 19, 2023, 12:16 am

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11647945/Prince-Albert-describes-King-Charles-educated-man-great-sense-humour.html

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by karenl on January 19, 2023, 12:19 am, in reply to "Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/king/first-european-royal-confirms-attendance-at-king-charles-iiis-coronation-185676/

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by JohnW on January 19, 2023, 4:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

What has the world come to?

Perhaps someone might remind the Prince that, by tradition, monarchs don't attend each other's coronations and that, in any case, most people wait for invitations to functions before announcing that they are attending.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Karen on January 19, 2023, 5:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

At the late Queen's Coronation in 1953, Prince Pierre the father of Prince Rainier III of Monaco represented the Prince of Monaco.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by JohnW on January 19, 2023, 6:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Indeed, he did. I assume because Prince Rainier wanted to observe the tradition to which I referred.

Close relatives of all (?) the independent hereditary monarchies each represented their own ruler. The only monarchs who attended in person, I think I am correct in saying, were the rulers of British protectorates, eg. the Malayan and Brunei Sultans, Queen Salote (of blessed memory), and some Middle Eastern Sheikhs and Emirs.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by susieQ on January 19, 2023, 9:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

JohnW your posts always interest me. I hadn't known about Queen Salote until I looked her up after your comment.

Thanks

Posted by JohnW on January 19, 2023, 11:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Thanks, SusieQ

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by karenl on January 19, 2023, 11:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

We discussed Queen Salote not too long ago. The Sultan of Kelatan rode in the carriage with her to the Coronation.

Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation

Posted by Nellie on January 19, 2023, 11:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

I'd just like to recycle this anecdote.

While Noel Coward and friends were watching all the processions to the Abbey, he was asked "Who is that with Queen Salote?"
"Her lunch" he replied.

Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation

Posted by karenl on January 20, 2023, 12:07 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation"

Yes! Noel Coward didn't mince his words, even while in jest.

Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation

Posted by JohnW on January 20, 2023, 1:44 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation"

Queen Salote is said to have won the affections of the crowd when it became known that she had refused to close her carriage against the rain as a mark of her respect for Queen Elisabeth II.

No-one that I know of has recorded what the Sultan of Kelantan thought of that. In my experience, Malays are very fearful of rain and go to great lengths to avoid getting wet, particularly on the top of their head. Perhaps he was just relieved not to have been eaten!

Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation

Posted by karenl on January 20, 2023, 2:00 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Salote arrives for 1953 coronation"

I don't think he dared to object to Queen Salote, I think the poor man suffered in silence.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Hollie24 on January 20, 2023, 12:43 pm, in reply to "Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

I'm not surprised Albert and Charlene are both attending. Charlene could have gone by herself, I suppose, but I think that would have been too stressful for her. Or Albert could have sent Caroline, but I think she hasn't done any official overseas visits in years. Stephanie? Nope. Who else could go? Not the Casiraghis or Ducruets. It makes sense that Albert and Charlene attend.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by JohnW on January 20, 2023, 6:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Well, it would, if it didn't breach the established convention that monarchs don't attend other monarch's coronations, and if he didn't need an invitation. (Perhaps Charles, gentleman that he is, might feel compelled to invite the Albert, since he has already declared his intention of attending.)

Were Albert not to force a breach of convention, Caroline would be an ideal representative for the Prince.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Susan T on January 20, 2023, 6:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

When Albert and/or The Prince of Liechtenstein (and to a lesser extent, The Grand Duke of Luxembourg) attend events in the UK, they are not given the same status as the other Crowned Heads of State.

So, it wouldn't surprise me that Albert is invited because in Charles's eyes, he's not really a monarch because he's not a king.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Nellie on January 20, 2023, 7:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Yes, I think the princely heads of state are not on the same level as the kings and queens, so do not rank as crowned heads.
Are they actually monarchs? I'm not sure. That probably depends on tradition or practice in each state.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Susan T on January 20, 2023, 8:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Only in Windsorland. Elsewhere, Heads of State are equal, and precedence is either by length of time in office or alphabetical order.

It's Charles's party and he can invite who he wants to, seat them how he wants to, and we get to tut-tut about it.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Nellie on January 20, 2023, 9:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

Quote: "It's Charles' party"

Well, yes in a way. It is a State event as I understand things.

I'm sure The king, the church, the government and the Duke of Norfolk all provide input but I'm not at all clear about just who would be the arbiter overall.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Susan T on January 20, 2023, 10:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

And William's wedding was a state event. As was the Queen's funeral. And at both events, the Heads of State of Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Monaco were treated as less than the Heads of State of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, etc. And the royals from non-European countries were treated as less than their European counterparts. And of course, royal Heads of State, regardless of their continent, ranked higher than elected Heads of State.

Regardless of who has the final word in Windsorland, the seating chart will not follow international protocol.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by JohnW on January 20, 2023, 11:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

I can't recall any informed commentators being able to identify any logic or system of precedence in use at recent UK State events, our late Queen seeming to take quite an arbitrary approach. But it is a principle of international law that Heads of State are equal, taking precedence according to their length of service.

Hereditary monarchies also accord precedence to other hereditary monarchies. Luxembourg, Monaco and Liechtenstein, however, are no more junior to the Kingdoms than are the Kingdoms to the Emperor of Japan or, let's not forget, Empress Farah Dibah. I have never seen the Princes or the Duke bow to the Kings/Queens. I recall one occasion when Charlene curtsied (I'm sorry, I don't recall to whom), but it was much commented on (as being a faux pas).

If Albert attends he will break convention, but the sky will not fall in. That his father sent a representative to QEII's coronation, however, suggests that he was acting in the same way as a King would have. As to whether either Caroline or Stephanie would be suitable to represent their brother, their reputations are infinitely better than was that of their grandfather in 1953.

Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation

Posted by Hollie24 on January 20, 2023, 7:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Albert Confirms He And Charlene Will Attend The Coronation"

I wonder if it's because of the whole HSH vs. HRH thing? HSHs are counted as lower than HRHs, but I thought exceptions were made for when HSHs are Heads of State, like Albert is?

In any event, I think Albert and Charlene attending is logical. He really doesn't have anyone he could send to represent him--although I did get a really good giggle imagining Jacques, and maybe Gabriella too, showing up at the Abbey with their nanny in tow!

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