British royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales joined the King at a pre-coronation reception for overseas guests at Buckingham Palace on Friday May 6, although eagle-eyed fans noticed that Queen Consort Camilla was not in attendance.
However, there was a good reason, as HELLO!'s royal editor says: "The Queen Consort was never due to attend the evening reception. She has a huge day ahead so no doubt took the opportunity to rest."
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Earlier in the evening, the Belgian royals accidentally shared a tweet that read: "The King and Princess Elisabeth attend the reception hosted at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla ahead of their coronation tomorrow at @wabbey."
However, Camilla, 75, was not at the reception, and instead the King joined his son and daughter-in-law as they mingled with foreign royals Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain.
World leaders at the reception include British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US First Lady Jill Biden.
Prince William donned a suit, while his wife, Princess Kate, looked elegant in a royal blue dress by Self Portrait with the Queen Mother's diamond and sapphire fringe earrings. As well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh joined the King at the reception.
The royals put their best fashion foot forwards, with Queen Letizia opting for a lime green look by Victoria Beckham while Princess Charlene looked incredible in a lavender one-shoulder two-piece.
Joining her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria wowed in a pink Roland Mouret dress, Crown Princess Mary chose a puff-sleeve raspberry pink dress by Andrew GN, and Queen Rania of Jordan chose a statement Schiaparelli dress for the Buckingham Palace reception with gold accessories.
The reception comes after Charles and the Waleses greeted members of the public on The Mall in a surprise appearance less than 24 hours before the coronation. People cheered and could be heard shouting God Save the King.
During one heartwarming moment with a well-wisher, Princess Kate touched upon her children's nerves, sharing: "They are doing really well, thank you. [They] are excited but a bit nervous obviously with the big day ahead. But they can't wait."
Her eldest child, Prince George, nine, has a major role as one of his grandfather's pages of honour, who will form part of the procession through the Nave of the Abbey on the day.
Charles' youngest son Prince Harry has not been pictured at the rehearsals or reception, but arrived in the UK on Saturday via a commercial flight ahead of his father King Charles' historic coronation.
His wife Meghan will not travel to the UK and has instead remained in the US with the couple’s children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The palace said in a brief statement back in April: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
When is King Charles' coronation taking place?
King Charles III's coronation is taking place on 6 May 2023, at 11am BST. The decision to hold the coronation on this date has led to the creation of a special coronation bank holiday weekend in the UK for people to celebrate, which runs from the 6 to 8 May.
What will happen at King Charles III's coronation?
The coronation will begin with the King's Procession, where Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey after travelling from Buckingham Palace. King Charles' coronation will involve six basic stages: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture, the enthronement, and the homage. At the heart of the coronation is the anointing with holy oil.
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During the key event, the King will remove his crimson robe and sit in King Edward's chair, which was made in 1300 and has been used by every monarch since 1626, under a canopy of silk or cloth of gold held by four Knights of the Garter.
The archbishop will then use the golden eagle-shaped ampulla – which pours the oil from its beak – and the 12th-century silver-gilt anointing spoon which is the most ancient treasure of the Crown Jewels, to anoint the King in the form of a cross. Traditionally the choir sings the anthem Zadok The Priest as the anointing is carried out.
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Following the service, the newly-crowned pair will return to Buckingham Palace in the Coronation Procession, where they will be joined by other members of the royal family. The day's events will finish with senior royals appearing on the balcony with Charles and Camilla.
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