Kate Middleton and Prince William Attend Buckingham Palace Lunch on Eve of Coronation
King Charles was also at the palace to welcome governors-general and prime ministers of the realm following a Westminster Abbey coronation rehearsal
It's coronation eve — and Kate Middleton and Prince William have a busy day!
The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a Buckingham Palace lunch on Friday, welcoming governors-general and prime ministers of the realm who traveled to London ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla's crowning ceremony on Saturday.
Prince William, 40, and Princess Kate, 41, coordinated in black and white for the event, where they mingled with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and others at the reception.
Kate appeared to be wearing the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings, jewels made from a shell containing seven pearls gifted to Queen Elizabeth from the ruler of Bahrain for her 1947 wedding. The earrings, which have also been worn by Princess Diana, contain a large round diamond with a smaller circle diamond hanging below it. Three baguette diamonds hang from there, with three more small diamonds making way to the dangling pearl.
The Princess of Wales has reached for the earrings several times in recent years, including for Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021 and Queen Elizabeth's funeral in Sept. 2022.
Related:Kate Middleton's Coronation Outfit Will 'Set Her Apart from the Crowd' (Exclusive)
King Charles, 74, was also in attendance, appearing jovial as he chatted with guests.
Earlier in the day, several members of the royal family attended a rehearsal for the coronation service at Westminster Abbey. Coronations of British monarchs have taken place at the venue since 1066.
King Charles left Westminster Abbey through a side door at Dean's Yard, looking cheery and shaking hands with the man escorting him before getting into the back of his car — a quick exit as the rain came down. The monarch was very smiley and had a spring in his step.
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Prince William also attended the Friday morning rehearsal. As the heir to the throne pulled up in a Range Rover, there was a palpable sense of excitement as the cars approached and police blew whistles to alert the traffic and pedestrians that a VIP was coming. William's car drove through the gates of the Dean's Yard.
Related:Prince William Is 'Crossing Fingers' on King Charles' Coronation Forecast: What Happens If It Rains?
As the Prince of Wales exited, the crowd cheered and waved — and Prince William returned the gesture as his car headed off in the direction of Buckingham Palace.
Coronation run-throughs have taken place throughout the week, with Prince William and Princess Kate bringing along their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — to the practice on Wednesday.
During the Prince and Princess of Wales' visit to the Dog & Duck Pub in Soho on Thursday, Kate told a well-wisher that her kids were ready for the event.
"I asked if the kids were excited about the coronation, and she said, 'They're very excited. They had their rehearsal yesterday so they knew what they'd expect,' " Mandy Leifheit of Seattle, Washington tells PEOPLE of her exchange with Kate.
"She said she's more nervous than the kids are since it's such a big event for the kids to be part of. She said Louis will be there and that he'll remember it," Leifheit added.
The coronation will be a momentous occasion for the Wales family, as Prince William and Prince George, 9, are the next two people in line to the throne — and both will have official roles in the ceremony. Prince William will step forward to pay homage to his father, while Prince George adorably serves as a Page of Honor to his grandfather.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson previously said, "We're all very excited about Prince George's role in the coronation, it will be an incredibly special moment."
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