King Charles makes major sacrifice ahead of coronation to avoid 'disastrous' setback

King Charles III has canceled a beloved annual tradition over concerns that it could disrupt his royal coronation with Queen Camilla in May

King Charles's major sacrifice for coronation to avoid 'disastrous' setback revealed
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

King Charles III has canceled a beloved springtime tradition ahead of his royal coronation in May, according to palace insiders. 


A Royal Family tradition has been canceled ahead of the King's coronation, a royal source has revealed. 

His Majesty has traveled to Switzerland every year for over four decades, taking a break from his busy calender in either February or March to enjoy a skiing trip at the idyllic village of Klosters. It’s understood that his annual vacation has been scrapped this spring, however, over concerns that the adventurous holiday could interfere with his upcoming royal coronation in May. 

A senior source has claimed that the King has decided to cancel the trip to reduce the risk of injury - a setback that would likely wreak havoc on the historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey. "It would be disastrous to suffer a skiing accident," they told the Sun

It’s no secret that the late Queen’s eldest son narrowly escaped a devastating fate during his ski trip to Klosters in March 1988, when a deadly avalanche struck the Gotschnagrat Mountain at the Swiss resort. Charles remained unharmed, but his friend, Major Hugh Lindsay, was tragically killed in the slowslide. 

Skiing royals

Charles skiing with Prince Harry and Prince William in the 1990s 

(Image credit: Getty)

It's understood that the King, who succeeded Queen Elizabeth II as monarch in September, is also concerned about the potential backlash to his ski trip in light of the UK's economic downturn. 

"It’s a bad look to go skiing during the cost-of-living crisis and the King is not a very ostentatious person," the source added. 

King Charles III will be crowned alongside the Queen Consort on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, in what's expected to be a far less grandiose affair than that of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales are seated for the state opening of parliament

(Image credit: Photo by Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

It's expected that about 2,000 invited guests will attend the service - a significantly lower number than the congregation of 8000 at Her Majesty's. Thousands of people are also expected to travel to London on the day to line the streets outside of Westminster Abbey in celebration of the big day. 

A Bank Holiday weekend will mark the historic occasion, with street parties and community events already being organized to take place across the UK in celebration of the new era. A live concert featuring 'global music icons' and 'contemporary' will also take place at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.