Kate and William to skip Coronation rehearsals to celebrate Charlotte's eighth birthday
Rehearsals for the King's Coronation have begun across the country ahead of the celebrations on May 6.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales will reportedly have to cut short rehearsals for the King's Coronation over clashes with Princess Charlotte's birthday. The young Princess will turn eight on May 2, just days before King Charles and Queen Camilla will be officially crowned. Rehearsals for the big day are said to be taking place in the week leading up to the ceremony, clashing with celebrations for Charlotte's birthday, OK! reports.
A source told the publication William and Kate don't want their daughter's birthday to "get buried in Coronation hype" and ensure it is "celebrated properly".
They said: “Charlotte will be at school at Lambrook on that Tuesday so the plan is to collect her at the usual time and drive back to Windsor for a small party with her friends at Adelaide Cottage.
"It might even be a surprise party because staff have been told to keep it quiet."
Lambrook School will also be hosting an 'Exeat Day' on Friday, May, 5, meaning children will have the day before the Coronation off school.
The source added that the Wales family will all travel to London on Friday and are "very excited".
But Princess Charlotte isn't the only young royal celebrating their birthday around the Coronation.
Prince Harry's son Archie will turn four on the day of the Coronation, meaning the Duke of Sussex will miss the celebrations after his attendance at the ceremony was confirmed.
Meghan Markle will remain in the US with Archie and Lilibet to celebrate the occasion.
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Prince Louis will turn five on April 23, but it will not clash with any preparations.
Rehearsals for the Coronation began in the early hours of Tuesday morning as hundreds of military personnel were seen following the procession route.
The route will be taken by Charles and Camilla on their way back from Westminster Abbey via a 1.3 mile route through Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace.
The route was confirmed last week, but is just a fraction of the length taken by Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation which stretched five miles.
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However, Charles and Camilla will be taken to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and return via the same route in the Gold State Coach.
More than 6,000 men and women from the armed forces will take part in the procession as well as sailors, soldiers and aviators from across the UK and the Commonwealth.
The 84-page official Coronation Programme was released on Monday, costing around £20.