King Charles III is performing a delicate dance regarding the most important event of his reign — the coronation ceremony.
King Charles has decided that he will be crowned in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. Of course, there will be lots of rituals and pageantry during the royal and religious ceremonies.
Still, it will be very different from the glorious state affair that Queen Elizabeth II experienced over 70 years ago.
King Charles, known to be wise with the monarchy’s and taxpayers’ money, is aiming for a shorter and smaller ceremony.
The Monarch is expected to have about 2000 guests, including his sons — Prince William and Prince Harry — for a televised event of about 60 minutes long.
Two high-profile Americans appear to be pushing for invitations to the investiture and potentially putting King Charles in a challenging situation.
Donald Trump and Tom Cruise have talked about their admiration for the Royal Family and boasted of their great friendship with Queen Elizabeth.
While neither man received invitations to Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral, royal experts predict that King Charles will not snub them again.
This week, Fox News writer and royal commentator Neil Sean said: “You may have heard a friendship developed so much so that Tom was invited firstly to tea with Her Majesty The Queen and then for an informal lunch. He was a good associate of the late Duke of Edinburgh, but he’s also a major, major royal fan.”
He added: “It looks like Tom could be given some kind of, not just an invitation, [but a] certain role within the forthcoming coronation.”
A reliable source spoke to The Sunday Times of London via Page Six that Queen Elizabeth and Tom Cruise got close before her death.
The source said the pair “really hit it off” over the summer and added: “The Queen let it be known that she was really disappointed not to have met Tom at the pageant, so he was invited to have a special tour of Windsor Castle with everything laid on for him. Afterward, just the two of them had tea together.”
Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Cruise had the honor of firing a ceremonial gun. The royal insider went on to reveal: “She loved seeing him, and they really hit it off, so much so that she invited him back for lunch. He was even allowed to fly in by helicopter.”
Over the summer, Tom Cruise was unapologetic as he spoke about his love for the royals and the Queen.
He said: “She is a woman that I greatly admire. I think she is someone who has tremendous dignity, and I admire her devotion. What she has accomplished has been historic. I just remember always, as a kid seeing photos of her… the World knows the dignity, devotion, and kindness. That is what I have always felt about her.”
Tom Cruise seems to have hit all the right notes and struck the right friendship to assure him of an invite to the coronation ceremony.
Former President Donald Trump has also been very vocal and unashamed about his deep fascination with the late Queen.
He also had kind words for King Charles and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort.
The Republican politician recently stated: “I always cherish our time together with the Queen and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor.”
While praising King Charles, Trump claimed: “King Charles III, who I have gotten to know well, will be a Great and Wonderful King. He dearly loves the United Kingdom and all that it represents to the World. He will prove to be an inspiration to everyone. Queen Elizabeth has been, and will be from above, very proud of King Charles III.”
King Charles knows the whole world is watching and will have to perform a delicate dance of having high-profile people at his ceremony without creating controversies.
While working on his star-studded list of attendees, King Charles must factor in the reality that Trump is equally loved and loathed by Americans, which is why he lost his bid for reelection and the candidates he backed did not win important races during the 2022 midterms.
As for Tom Cruise, he is a high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology, which is often referenced as a cult by the media and whistleblowers.
These two men have already made the major announcement of the King’s upcoming guest list very interesting.
