There WILL be a spectacle: Palace insiders say the coronation of King Charles III will ‘not be devoid of pageantry’- but admit the monarch’s ‘instinctive aversion to pomp’ during a cost-of-living crisis will mean ‘a more modest affair’

• King Charles is ‘deeply attuned’ to the cost of living crisis as he plans Coronation
• But royal insiders say the ceremony will not be devoid of pomp and pageantry
• Two thirds of The Mail+ readers believe the day should not be slimmed down 

King Charles has an ‘instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance’ and is ‘deeply attuned’ to the cost of living crisis as he plans his Coronation next year, say royal insiders.

But, despite reports that the ceremony will be ‘smaller and simpler’ than the three-hour extravaganza his late mother had in 1953, the sources were at pains last night to stress that it will not be devoid of pomp and pageantry.

It comes as more than two thirds of readers of The Mail+ said they believed there should be no wholesale slimming down of the King’s Coronation.

Seventy per cent of those who responded to our online poll answered ‘No, pomp and pageantry is what Britain does best’, while just 30 per cent declared: ‘Yes, we don’t need a lavish coronation in the 21st century.’ More than 1,800 readers responded.

The Mail on Sunday reported at the weekend that next year’s ‘cut-down’ Coronation is set to last little more than an hour and will have fewer ‘arcane rituals’.

King Charles has an ‘instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance’ and is ‘deeply attuned’ to the cost of living crisis as he plans his Coronation next year, say royal insiders

The King, 73, is understood to want his Coronation to set the tone for a streamlined and modern monarchy, while retaining some of the pomp and majesty of his mother’s lying in state and funeral.

The guest list for the ceremony, Operation Golden Orb, is likely to be slashed from 8,000 to 2,000.

Discussions have also been held about a more relaxed dress code, with peers possibly allowed to wear lounge suits instead of ceremonial robes. Ancient and time-consuming rituals – including presenting the monarch with gold ingots – will be axed to save time.

One insider told the Mail: ‘It was always planned to be a more modest affair given the world we now live in. This direction of travel has accelerated given the economic challenges we are facing.

‘His Majesty is very attuned to the public mood on these things and has always had an instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance.’

Another source who had been involved in planning for the Coronation explained that Charles had always been ‘mindful’ of including only what was necessary, but with one eye on tradition and history.

It comes as more than two thirds of readers of The Mail+ said they believed there should be no wholesale slimming down of the King’s Coronation

They pointed out there would naturally be ‘significantly’ fewer realms involved in his anointing than the Queen’s.

She was head of state of 32 countries during her 70-year reign. Her son inherits just 14, with a number of Caribbean countries already indicating they are soon to go their own way. But there would still be a significant Commonwealth presence as well as a greater array of religious and ethnic diversity and more women involved.

The source also revealed that a significant amount of discussion had been going on behind the scenes around giving the new Prince of Wales a prominent role.

It will be the first time for three generations that this will have happened. Charles was just four when his mother was crowned, although he watched from a distance. The late Queen was 11 at the time of her father’s coronation. Neither had a formal role.

But Prince William is 40 and the Mail understands he will play a far more prominent part.

But, despite reports that the ceremony will be ‘smaller and simpler’ than the three-hour extravaganza his late mother had in 1953, the sources were at pains last night to stress that it will not be devoid of pomp and pageantry

Speaking to BBC Radio Four’s World at One, royal author Robert Lacey said he believed some aspects of the Coronation could be slimmed down and modernised. He said: ‘Let’s not forget recently we have had the immensely moving funeral of the Queen. That was an hour. And for me that the kind of thing we should be aiming at.’

‘One has to remember too while all the reverence and gravity of the Queen’s funeral was very much focused on tribute to her. A Coronation is a tribute to an institution rather than a person, with whom quite a lot of thoughtful people in this country disagree.’

n A leading royal biographer has said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poor by Hollywood standards.

Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, told the Henley Literary Festival: ‘It’s not very pleasant to be a D-list celebrity who, for them, doesn’t have enough money.’

According to The Daily Telegraph, Miss Brown said: ‘Harry has made this book deal where he’s supposed to spill everything about his horrible life as a royal, but now he’s actually tortured about it because he understands there is no way back if he does it.’

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