Kate Middleton May Not Wear A Sparkly Tiara To The Coronation For A Thoughtful Reason

All eyes will be on the Princess of Wales at King Charles’ coronation. This is the way it always goes for Kate Middleton, even when the royal event in question isn’t about her at all. She draws attention, perhaps even more so at the royal coronation when she is very much a part of the narrative. Not just as second in line to be Queen Consort when her husband Prince William takes over the throne, but because she will be featured prominently in the historic events.

King Charles’ coronation takes place this Saturday, May 6, and despite the fact that he initially said his crowning will be a “scaled-down” event in comparison to his mother Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, it’s still a big deal. The invitation list for the main event at Westminster Abbey includes 2,200 politicians, celebrities, friends, and members of the royal family. Including, of course, King Charles’ own children Prince William and Prince Harry. While Prince Harry will attend without his wife Meghan Markle and their children, Prince William’s entire family will be on hand. Prince William will play a huge role as the first person to kneel before King Charles to pledge his loyalty, while the couple’s 9-year-old son Prince George will be a Page of Honor with three other boys, carrying his grandfather’s robes.

As for Kate Middleton and her two younger children, 8-year-old Princess Charlotte and 5-year-old Prince Louis, their roles might not be quite as official. But they are just as important. Middleton is expected to take part in the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, riding in a horse-drawn carriage with her husband and children behind King Charles and Queen Camilla. She will also be on hand to wave at well-wishers from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The mom of three will also, of course, be busy monitoring her two younger children during the ceremony, especially her youngest son Prince Louis. This will be the first royal event of this scale any of her children have attended, and as a hands-on mom she’ll likely be mindful of how tough that could be for them to sit through.

Middleton’s coronation look will also be drawing lots of attention. There have been hints that she might forgo wearing one of her sparkly tiaras in place of a floral headpiece, as a nod to King Charles’ love of nature and flowers, according to The Times. “The sight of the Princess of Wales in a floral crown will set a particular tone, showing the King’s reverence for nature and his passion for flowers,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told The Times. “It seems like an especially egalitarian touch as well. As the wife of the future King, she will be setting an example for the other women in the congregation, who might find it awkward to even think of wearing tiaras.”

No matter what she wears, all eyes will be on Kate Middleton at the coronation.