REVEALED: 30 Dark Secrets Behind The Royal Coronation

1. The tension between William and Harry

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I don't think the side eye that Harry received from his brother Prince William went unnoticed by many people. The two of them have strained relationships since Harry left the royal family and they have barely spent any time together, especially on a personal level.

2. The new generations are increasingly anti-monarchist

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There was a lot of love and joy among the older generations, however, the younger generations treated the Coronation with a lot of apathy. There are also a LOT of people who do not support the monarchy and see it as a symbol of an archaic and outdated institution.

3. Harry was purposefully hidden on TV

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If you watched the Coronation you may have missed Harry entirely because he was rarely shown - a coincidence? No way. And, if you did manage to see him on the TV you'll have noticed he was sat on the third row to ensure he wasn't sat amongst the royals.

4. There were a lot of criticisms about King Charles and Camilla

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King Charles has ranked as the 9th most popular royal, leaving his way down on the lost. Camilla ranks in lower than this and the pair still receive a lot of negativity about the past. Because of King Charles' affair with Camilla during his marriage to Diana, some people find it very difficult to see them as King and Queen.

5. Prince Andrew wore garter robes

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Prince Andrew is one of the most controversial members of the royal family ever. He had his HRH title stripped due to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. But, you may have noticed that he WAS wearing garter clothes, which was the decision of Prince Charles to allow him. Harry on the other hand wore a normal suit.

6. People were saddened by the replacement of a beloved Queen

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One of the sad realities that the coronation represented was the official replacement of Queen Elizabeth II, one of the most beloved royals of all time. Despite the joy that a Coronation brings, there's also a sadness that inevitably comes with the fact that a new start means the end of something else.

7. There were lots of protests

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There were lots of arrests that happened during the Coronation due to the sheer amount of protests which took place. There were more protests than ever before, which shows the dark reality that while the Coronation may make it appear as though people are united, there are a lot of divisive issues.

8. There's a huge lack of inclusion and diversity within guest / the royal family

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There was a conscious and noticeable effort during the Coronation to increase diversity which has been seriously lacking within the Royal family and royal procedures. However, it was hard not to notice the huge lack of inclusion and diversity among the guests.

9. The huge amount of money spent

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A huge dark secret of the Coronation is that it cost approximately $250 million just for the day. This money is of course coming from tax payer's money. The majority of this money was spent on safety measures. But, the cost of the Coronation has outraged some people who do not choose to contribute towards royal events.

10. The cost of living crisis

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One of the dark secrets of the Coronation is the fact that it shows a lot about the chiasm between many people's reality right now, and the royal family. While many people struggle to pay for food or to heat their house, on TV we are seeing the most elaborate ceremony you could possibly imagine.

11. Trying to right the prejudiced past

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It's no secret that the royal family and the British past are dark. There is a history that is tainted with racism/ sexism. The Coronation attempted to show that the modern crown was inclusive to all religions (Sikhism, Judaism, and other religions played a part in the day), as well as female priests.

12. People didn't like the 'democratic' song

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The public allegiance had a little bit of a twist this time with the Chirus of a million voices. Charles had for the first time invited the public to sing along to make the sworn public allegiance to the Coronation seem more democratic. However, despite the good intention, it received a LOT of criticism, especially amongst young people online.

13. The royals have a very stained past

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For many people, the coronation resembles everything that the royal family stood for. And while now the crown is seen as the head of the state and a symbolic representation, it of course, for many represents a colonial past filled with violence and exploitation. This stained past can never be removed from the symbol of the royal family.

14. Tainted family ties were remembered

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The royal family has particularly over the past few years, attracted a lot of attention. The strong friendship between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is always remembered in the context of Prince Andrew. But, there is also disdain for how King Charles has dealt with it, as he reportedly 'bailed' his brother out at times according to some claims.

15. There were many other dark comments made about the new King

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A lot of people commented on the age of Charles, and the fact that the next coronation will be in the not SO distant future. Some comments felt that he was too old to be King and to serve the country. There were very derogatory comments made about the King by people disagree with his past, or with his views.

16. Rehearsals in a reconstructed Westminster Abbey

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One of the secrets behind the Coronation was that there had been a 'set' made, a recreation of Westminster Abbey. Now, if you think about the amount of money that this would have cost, it's understandable that many people were horrified at this unnecessary expense.

17. Meghan denied the invitation

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Another dark secret of the Coronation that the royals didn't want to get too much attention was the fact that Meghan Markle politely declined the invitation to the Coronation. Although she claimed she wanted to be there in support of her father-in-law, one of her reasons was her son Archie's 4th birthday which landed on the same day.

18. Harry got a flight immediately after the ceremony

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Now there were a lot of rumors surrounding whether or not Harry would be attending the Coronation. He did make an appearance, however, it could only be called such because immediately after the ceremony he departed on a flight right back to California. Again, this is not something that the royal family wanted to draw attention to as it highlights the family tensions.

19. Prince William's speech had a secret meaning

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Prince William did a speech that declared that at the heart of the Coronation celebrations is a simple message: 'service'. Some people believe that this is a direct snipe back at the Sussexes. During the time of their stepping away from the royal family, the palace released a statement addressing the public that they would be stepping down from service. Meghan and Harry took offense, hitting back that 'we can all live a life of service', royal family or not. So when Prince William did his speech, Twitter blew up with people taking this as a clear dig, tagging Harry with comments such as 'it's not a free ride Harry'.

20. Archie and Lilibet were not invited

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Although the invitation was extended to Harry and Meghan, the invitation did not go out to their children Archie and Lilibet with the reasoning that they were too young - despite being the grandchildren of the king. And while some see this as a shunning of the family, others believe the reason was fair and genuine.

21. Meghan Markle wanted to minimize the drama

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The real reason was revealed by Meghan herself as to why she didn't attend the Coronation of her father-in-law. She claimed that she wanted to minimize drama, not wanting to take the attention away from what was truly the purpose of the day. Some believe this is a cover and that she's taking another stand against her disapproval of the treatment towards her.

22. The anointment is secret

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The anointment part of the ceremony is concealed from cameras because it is so sacred. So, during this part of the Coronation, nobody gets to see it apart from the first-hand those there on the day. The anointment is the most religious part of the ceremony and so barriers were built to shield it from view.

23. Diana's legacy

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Whenever the royal family is involved, Diana's legacy is felt. Diana was one of the most popular royals there has ever been. And so, after her death, she has remained one of the most talked about and beloved. People found it very difficult to comprehend the fact that after her death it is Camilla sitting next to Charles rather than her.

24. It symbolizes inequality

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When people see the crowns and the jewels and all of the embellishments that have been passed down in history, it is a reminder of the bloody and shameful colonial past. It also symbolizes how different the lives are for those at the top, in comparison to an average working person. This is the reason why many people disagree with the concept of a royal family.

25. Some of the jewels have bloody and violent pasts

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The embellishments, the jewels, the clothing...it all looks spectacular, but there is a lot of bloody and violent history behind some of these precious jewels. One in particular, called the Koh-I-nor was removed from the Queen consort's crown as in the past it had been violently stolen from India and a lot of blood had been shed.

26. There was a secret after party

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Just because it's the royal family doesn't mean that they don't love to be apart like the rest of us. The coronation celebrations didn't end as we thought, and apparently, Kate Middleton and Prince William carried on the party into the night. The secret party was only let slip by Ollie Murs who amongst many other stars, had been invited.

27. The police made pre-emptive arrests

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Police responded to activists and protests by making pre-emptive arrests. As soon as they suspected there could be any kind of trouble, the police made an arrest. However, this was slammed by MPs and people all over the country who claimed that this went against fundamental rights to peaceful protest.

28. The mood was dampened

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The sad reality of the British weather hit...even on the day that we crown the King. It's become a worldwide joke that it always rains in Britain and in true style, it lived up to its reputation. London sadly looked grey, and not a ray of sunshine could be seen amongst the millions of people who'd turned out.

29. There's no democracy

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One of the biggest issues that people have about the royal family is that the royal family is a bloodline, and being born into that bloodline makes you eligible to be King/Queen. In today's world, people love to have a choice and a say, especially when it comes to the head of the state.

30. Some people think King Charles was too harsh

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There are those people who believe Prince Andrew should not have been allowed at the Coronation at all. Then, there are others who complained that Prince Andrew was treated unfairly by King Charles who did not treat him in the same regard as the other members of the royal family.

31. Things you might not have known about the new king: he can play 3 instruments

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It's no surprise someone of royalty - and of money - has been brought up to play an instrument or two. Most people see learning particular instruments from a young age as a 'posh' thing to do - and the king is no different. He can play the cello, the piano and the guitar!

32. And he's a classically trained singer!

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Apparently playing three different instruments wasn't enough for this hard-working music student, because Charles has also been trained as a classical singer. Not only that, but he began writing songs at the age of 17. And to think he didn't even sing at his own coronation concert!

33. He enjoys sketching and painting

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This is a man (or a king) of many talents, it would seem. As well as being musically inclined, he's also very creative - and particularly enjoys both painting and sketching! Do you think he picked all these hobbies up naturally or was pressured into having a ton of talents because he'd be king one day?

34. He was dating Diana's older sister when he first met her

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We all know Charles and Diana's tragic story by now - but what you might not have known is that they weren't just two single people who met through royal connections. Charles was actually already dating Diana's older sister when he first met her - he was 29 and she was 16 at the time.

35. He was a weatherman - sort of?

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If there's one person you don't expect to be presenting the weather when you switch the news on during a casual afternoon, it's Prince (at the time) Charles. He actually presented a special weather forecast when he visited the BBC's Scottish headquarters in Glasgow.

36. There's a frog named after him

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And we don't mean some random guy's pet frog named Charles! The king actually has a specific breed of frog which is named in his honor: the Hyloscirtus princecharlesi, also known as the Prince Charles stream tree frog. The only trouble is now, are they going to rename the species kingcharlesi?

37. He became prince at age 9

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King Charles wasn't born a prince, it was actually an official title that had to be given to him by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. She didn't bestow the title onto him until he was 9 years old, when she made him Prince of Wales - and officially heir to the British throne.

38. And he was the very first royal baby of the 20th century!

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With so many royals knocking about - honestly, it's always surprising when you see so many of them turn up to huge royal events - you might have thought there were a ton of them born during a century. But King Charles was the very first of the 20th century, born 1948.

39. He can speak (a little) Welsh

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If you're a fan of Netflix's The Crown, you might remember the episodes when Charles visited Wales and had a bit of a bad start with the local people before he proved himself. Charles did actually bother to learn Welsh, though he can't speak it too fluently! It is a hard language, though.

40. He's actually a qualified diver

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Another of King Charles favorite pastimes - at least in past years, maybe he doesn't have time for it these days - is exploring shipwrecks! He's a qualified diver, and the first British monarch to ever be one. He began his diving journey in the 1970s when he trained in scuba diving.

41. He wrote a children's book

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You're probably starting to think 'is there anything this man can't do?'. He sings, he paints, he plays instruments and now he's written a kid's book. When he was still Prince of Wales, Charles wrote a book named The Old Man of Lochnagar, about an old man who roams Scotland.

42. He broke protocol to be at the birth of his sons

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When there's a royal birth, it used to be protocol that the man couldn't be present in the room while the woman is giving birth (think of all those old fashioned movies you've seen with the man pacing outside the door). But Charles broke protocol by being present with Diana for both Harry and William's births.

43. He's founded 20 charities

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When he was a prince, Charles was very active with charitable organizations - so much so, that he actually founded around 20 new charities, as well as being the patron of over 400. His charity work spans 40 years, but he'll now be taking a step back from it after becoming king.

44. He was bullied at school

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Imagine growing up to learn that you bullied the current King of England. Charles went to a boarding school in Scotland, and it was less than pleasant for him. He was bullied to a point where he'd be driven to be isolated from his classmates. He wrote a letter to his family saying that his classmates were "foul".

45. His staff have said he actually saves and uses leftovers

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Being a royal, you might get used to having meals plated up for you, the leftovers disappeared and a fresh meal the next day. But not Charles! Apparently, he never liked wasting food, so he'd have the staff use leftovers to put to another recipe the next day, whether he was the one eating it or not!

46. He managed a farm for 30 years

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The Duchy Home Farm was a farm that the then-Prince Charles managed for 30 years! Where does he find the time for all this? He was very big on organic farming methods, and would raise the farm animals using organic ways only. He's also spoken openly about the world needing more sustainable farming methods.

47. He never stops working

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He must fill his hours of the day easily based on all this stuff he does - both hobbies and for his royal work - but apparently Charles has officially been labelled a 'workaholic'. At least when he was a prince. He worked seven days a week, from breakfast until midnight.

48. He did fall for Camilla first

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We know the story about Charles being in love with Camilla while he was married to Diana, but it's true that he actually fell for Camilla first. She was already involved with another man, Parker Bowles, and Charles missed his chance when he was sent off for Navy duty.

49. ... And he didn't want to marry Diana

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You can't really blame Charles if he was pushed into a marriage when he was already in love with another woman he couldn't have - obviously that's a sore topic though, and we don't really know what went on behind closed doors. Either way, neither Diana or Charles seemed to actually want to marry each other - which makes it all the more tragic.

50. He's performed in Shakespeare plays!

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Remember when we said is there anything this man can't do? He's showed off his acting chops, too. I think he's got every creative endeavor covered there then! He played in Shakespeare during his teenage years, but as Prince of Wales, he appeared in a BBC Shakespeare skit.