Big yawns and ‘appalling’ haircuts – how royal kids cope in a life full of ceremony

Even King Charles III has admitted to finding his own mother’s coronation a bit of hard work back in 1953 (Picture: Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images)

It’s a moment of jubilant merriment across the country, as our nation commemorates the crowning of a new monarch with street parties, concerts and a whole host of other celebrations.

And as the country marks King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey, we’ve seen a break from tradition, with ‘Grandpa Wales’ involving his grandchildren and step-grandchildren in more prominent roles than his predecessors.

Second in line to the throne, Prince George, made history as the youngest future king to have an official role at the coronation. Serving as one of his grandfather’s pages of honour, the future king help carry the monarch’s heavy robe down the aisle of Westminster Abbey.

However, as his little brother Louis proved with a big yawn just as his Grandpa was being crowned, lengthy royal ceremonies can be hard work when you’re just a kid.

In fact, even King Charles III has admitted to finding his own mother’s coronation a bit of hard work back in 1953.

Here, we take a look at how previous young royals have fared throughout coronations and other historic royal events.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was only 11-years-old when she saw her father, King George VI, ascend to the throne. The ceremony, which took place on 12th May 1937, was initially planned for Edward VIII (Picture: Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images)

King George VI’s coronation was the first to be broadcast, and was seen as an opportunity to demonstrate the might, pageantry and wealth of the British Empire on the world’s stage. Aware that the abdication meant that Princess Elizabeth was now heir apparent to the throne, her father was keen for her to be as well-versed in the pomp and pageantry of the coronation ceremony, as she was now expected to follow in his footsteps and become Queen (Picture: Keystone/Getty Images)

In order for her to record the occasion, King George VI asked his daughter to write a review of his coronation. In a child’s exercise book, which is preserved in the royal archives, the young Queen documented events with refreshing candour. Writing in red pen, Elizabeth wrote: ‘We sat down and waited for about half-an-hour until Mummy’s procession began. Then came Papa looking very beautiful in a crimson robe and the Cap of State.

‘I thought it all very, very wonderful and I expect the Abbey did, too. When Mummy was crowned and all the peeresses put on their coronets it looked wonderful to see arms and coronets hovering in the air and then the arms disappear as if by magic. Also the music was lovely and the band, the orchestra and the new organ all played beautifully.’ (Picture: Central Press/Getty Images)

However, that’s not to say Elizabeth was entirely riveted by the lengthy ceremony.

‘At the end the service got rather boring as it was all prayers,’ she wrote. ‘Grannie and I were looking to see how many more pages to the end, and we turned one more and then I pointed to the word at the bottom of the page and it said ‘Finis.’ We both smiled at each other and turned back to the service.’

Alongside seven-year-old Margaret, Elizabeth added she enjoyed having ‘sandwiches, stuffed rolls, orangeade, and lemonade’ after the ceremony, before heading to the balcony to observe millions of visiting subjects below. (Picture: Topical Press AgencyHulton Archive/Getty Images)

The following portrait session was significantly less joyful for the heir apparent, who added: ‘After that we all went to be photographed in those awful lights.’(Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

At the coronation of Qeen Elizabeth II, a young Prince Charles sat with his chin resting on his fist, looking bored. As the coronation ceremony is lengthy, it seems fair enough that a toddler would get fed up – but the King has since revealed it wasn’t the coronation that left him looking like he’d rather be elsewhere. Decades later, Charles explained that he was upset his hair had been cut too short and plastered it to his head ‘with the most appalling gunge.’However, it wasn’t just any old gel that the young prince had had his head slathered in; Lady Moyra Campbell, one of the Queen’s six ladies in waiting, has since explained the ‘gunge’ was actually the Duke of Edinburgh’s special hair lotion. (Picture: Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images)

King Charles’s coronation is likely to bring back memories of his late mother’s ceremony nearly 70 years prior. Her ceremony took place on 2nd June, 1953 (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In a 2012 tribute to the Queen, the then Prince of Wales recalls watching her practise walking wearing the St Edward’s Crown, which weighs a hefty 5 lbs.

‘I remember my Mama coming, you know, up, when we were being bathed as children, wearing the crown,’ he said. ‘It was quite funny – practising!’ (Picture: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Aged just four, the young Prince Charles sat between the Queen Mother and his aunt, Princess Margaret, as he watched Queen Elizabeth II crowned.

Younger sister Princess Anne was just two at the time, and therefore was deemed too young to watch the ceremony.

The future King was joined by over 20 million subjects who tuned into the coronation from home – but while the nation was riveted, it seems a young Charles was less than impressed. (Picture: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Charles also showed his naughty side, not unlike any other four-year-old at the time. After the Royal party had returned to Buckingham Palace, Charles picked up the the Imperial State Crown, prompting fears that he might drop it.

‘Prince Charles got his paws on it, however old he was, when we got back to Buckingham Palace,’ former lady-in-waiting Anne Glenconner said.
(Picture: Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images)

Anne continued: ‘Because [the Queen] took it off, put it on a table, and Prince Charles made a beeline for it.

‘And we thought he was going to drop it. We thought, “Oh my goodness, that would be a bad omen”.

‘But luckily, I think my mother, as a lady-in-waiting, seized it from him and took it away.’ (Picture: Bettmann Archive)

After Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, the family returned to Buckingham Palace to wave at the 150,000 wellwishers, who had come down to London especially for the event. Princess Anne joined the family, with her and Prince Charles the first to come out and wave at the crowds. The pair emerged again at 7pm, before their bedtime (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Many younger royals were on full display for the first time for Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, with many of the Prince’s godchildren having roles to play in the ceremony. This picture of three-year-old flowergirl, Grace van Cutsem, hit headlines, as she covered her ears after the roaring crowds (Picture: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee saw many of the young royals come into their own. Here at the Platinum Pageant, Louis, Charlotte and George speak to their cousins before hijinks ensue (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

However, Louis has made it clear that he can’t and doesn’t want to be tamed – here, he cheekily sticks his tongue out and thumbs his nose at his mother during the Platinum pageant (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Aware of the solemn proceedings ahead, Princess Charlotte holds her little brother’s hand,asthe young Wales children stand in the Abbey waiting for proceedings to begin at the coronation of ‘Grandpa Wales’ today (Picture: Karwai Tang)

Sat with his parents and sister, Prince Louis couldn’t help but let out a yawn during the two-hour ceremony (Picture: via REUTERS)

Rain stops play! A downcast Louis looks at the crowds – and the terrible weather – as he travels back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey (Picture: SEBASTIEN BOZON / POOL / AFP)

Princess Charlotte gives a smile and a wave, as she and her siblings, George and Louis, head back to the palace after all three behaved impeccably at their grandfather’s grand ceremony (Picture: PA)

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