King Charles III has apologized for the restricted guest list at his coronation on May 6, which has been significantly scaled back compared to previous ceremonies. Among those not invited is Lady Pamela Hicks, Prince Philip's first cousin and a close friend of the British Royal Family.
Lady Pamela's daughter, India Hicks, 55, shared on Instagram that her mother was not offended by the lack of an invitation. She revealed that King Charles III had personally apologized through one of his secretaries.
India, a British writer and interior designer, wrote, "One of the King's personal secretaries was passing on a message from the King. They explained that this coronation was to be very different from the Queen's. 8,000 guests would be whittled down to 1,000, alleviating the burden on the state." She continued, "The King was sending his great love and apologies, he was offending many family and friends with the reduced list. My mother was not offended at all."
Lady Pamela responded to the monarch's apology, saying, "How very, very sensible. I am going to follow with great interest the events of this new reign."
India Hicks and Lady Pamela attended Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on September 19, 2022. Lady Pamela, who served as a bridesmaid and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, is the daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten, uncle and father figure to Prince Philip.
King Charles III's coronation will take place at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6, with a guest list of only 2,000 attendees and a service lasting 60 minutes. This is a stark contrast to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, which had 8,000 guests and a nearly three-hour-long ceremony.
In addition to King Charles III's immediate family, Queen Consort Camilla's children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes will attend with their families. Other attendees include community and charity representatives, state leaders, and First Lady Jill Biden, who will attend in place of President Joe Biden.
Breaking with tradition, King Charles III has also invited royal family members from around the world, such as Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murthy, will also be present at the ceremony.
