Following King Charles III’s Coronation, Prince William gave a heartfelt speech honoring his father during Sunday’s concert on the grounds of Windsor Castle. In his speech, Prince William paid tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whom he said would be very proud, and quoted her definition of a Coronation which was that “Coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future.”
To a crowd erupting in cheer, Prince William shared a few words about his father, the King. He began reflecting on King Charles III’s commitment to service. Prince William said, “for all that the celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry, is a simple message: service. My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve. Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the U.K., across the commonwealth and around the world, he has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected.”
Prince William then listed King Charles III’s passionate causes and what he focuses on to help his people. Referencing his concern for the environment, Prince William said, “Take the natural world – he warned us of the risks to our planet’s health long before it was an everyday issue.” Prince William also referenced his father’s dedication to helping “over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realize their ambitions.”
While celebrating and honoring his father, Prince William shared that King Charles III also celebrates and supports the people, including “people of all faiths” and “all backgrounds and all communities.” According to Fox News, representatives from the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths were in attendance at the Coronation, and it was the first in which female clergy participated in the event.
Closing his speech sharing words of pride for his father and his country, Prince William said, “I commit myself to serve you all, king, country and commonwealth. God save the King.”