The late Queen Elizabeth II’s godson has revealed that he did not receive an invitation to King Charles’ Coronation. George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon and his wife Fiano, Lady Carnarvon, said they “haven’t received anything” inviting them to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. More than 2,000 people are said to have received invitations to the event but Lord Carnarvon said: “You can’t always be part of everything”.
It comes just seven months after the couple sat alongside King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family at the Queen’s funeral.
Speaking on the Coronation Lord Carnarvon told the Daily Mail: “No one’s sent me an email or [made] a phone call saying, ‘You’re not coming.’ We just haven’t received anything.”
The King is expected to present a ‘slimmed down Monarchy’ at the Coronation, with some extended members of the family in attendance
But this is the first time an Earl of Carnarvon has not been invited to the Coronation of a British Monarch.
Reflecting on the Queen’s funeral, Lord Carnarvon said: “‘We were honoured to be part of the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at St George’s Chapel. It was the people who had connections with the family as friends or people who’d worked on the estates.
“It was an extraordinary day, but very, very sad. The end of a great era.” Lord and Lady Carnarvon will instead watch the Coronation in their own home, Highclere Castle, where the TV drama Downton Abbey is filmed.
It comes after Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson confirmed she had not been invited. The Duchess said: “The great thing about this moment in time is the unity of family. I think they’re doing a great job of unifying the family.
“I’m not there in the state occasion but that doesn’t mean I’m not there privately. You can’t sit on the fence, you’re either in or out.”
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Lady Carnarvon added that the changes being made to the Coronation are “the right thing to do”.
She said: We will be watching. We are not there – new Kings, new way of doings things.” Charles’ Coronation will be a stark contrast to his mothers when 8,000 people packed into the Abbey to see her crowned in 1953.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said the ceremony would “recognise and celebrate tradition” and contain “new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society”.
The King will become the first Monarch to read a prayer aloud during the ceremony.
In a first members of the public will also be invited to join a “chorus of millions” in swearing allegiance to the King and his heirs.
Charles will declare to the audience: “I come not to be served- but to serve”.
Millions of loyal subjects around the world will then be invited to join together in pledging allegiance to him.
Once called the Homage of the Peers and reserved only for Lords, it is now called the Homage of the People.
