Prince William Paid a Stunning Tribute to His Late Grandmother Queen Elizabeth II at the Coronation Concert

So heartwarming.

Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks on stage inside Windsor Castle grounds at the Coronation Concert, in Windsor, west of London on May 7, 2023.
(Image credit: Photo by Stefan Rousseau / Getty)

Prince William is next in line to the throne, and as such he played an integral role in his father King Charles III's Coronation this past weekend.

At the Coronation concert, which took place on Sunday, May 7 in Windsor, the Prince of Wales took to the stage to share a few emotional words about his dad and his predecessor, the late Queen Elizabeth II, William's grandmother and the U.K.'s longest reigning monarch.

Himself a father of three, William started his speech with the king of dad jokes, saying, "A huge thank you to everyone for making this such a special evening. I want to say a few words about my father, and why I believe this weekend is so important. But don't worry, unlike Lionel, I won't go on all night long" (via Hello!).

If you didn't catch that reference, the royal was talking about Lionel Richie, who was one of the headliners at the concert, alongside Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger and more. (If you recall, many A-listers reportedly declined to perform at the concert—including Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Elton John and the Spice Girls.)

William went on to pay tribute to the late Queen, whose coronation was the last one before Charles', back in 1953.

"As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. And I know she's up there, fondly keeping an eye on us. She would be a proud mother," her grandson said.

He then praised the King's commitment to service, his decades-long fight to preserve the environment, and his philanthropic work through the Prince's Trust.

He added, "My father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, and all communities, deserve to be celebrated and supported."

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

Read more
King Charles wearing a tan coat looking down
King Charles Admits to Unexpectedly Emotional Moment With Prince William: "It Reduced Me to Tears"
King Charles sitting in a chair wearing a blue suit and a blue tie with Prince Louis, dressed in a white shirt, on his lap
How "Grandpa Wales" King Charles Is Connected in a Special Way to Prince Louis
Queen Elizabeth wearing a lime green and purple hat and coat with a diamond brooch smiling and looking to the right
This Unexpected Royal is Being Called "a Reincarnation" of Queen Elizabeth
Prince William wears military uniform and smiles at Queen Elizabeth on the Buckingham Palace balcony, she wears a bright pink hat
Queen Elizabeth Would "Very Much Approve" of One Change Prince William Has Made Within Royal Family
King Charles wearing a gray suit and smiling at a bar
King Charles Makes a Surprising Pivot in His Social Media Strategy That Reveals His "Happy King" Era
Kate Middleton and Prince William wave while wearing ceremonial robes on the Buckingham Palace balcony
Prince William Is Dealing With "Huge Generational Pressure" as He Prepares for the Throne With Kate Middleton
Latest in Celebrity
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso at Sentebale’s Mamohato Children’s Centre in Maseru, Lesotho in October 2024
Why Prince Harry Is So "Torn Apart" Over Resigning From His Charity
Taylor Swift singing in a giant martini glass in the Bejeweled music video
How Working With Taylor Swift Was Different Than Dita Von Teese Expected
Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries, and Kris Jenner posing with a car-shaped birthday cake at Marquee Nightclub in Las Vegas in October 2011
Kris Jenner Is Still Making Fun of Kim Kardashian for Her 72-Day Marriage
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Latest in News
(l-r) Cara Kies, Lydia Blair, Chris Allen, Jaimi Alexander and Samantha Hubbard in episode 103 of Million Dollar Secret.
Where Is 'Million Dollar Secret' Filmed? What to Know About the Luxury Estate That Doubles As The Stag
Selena Gomez with silver earrings, a straight bob haircut and natural makeup
Selena Gomez Hosts a Master Class in Matching Your Red Blush and Red Lipstick to Your Outfit
Dua Lipa walks in Australia wearing a hardcore tank top with a Chanel 22 bag and a sheer skirt
Dua Lipa Layers a Sheer Skirt and Chanel Beach Bag Over Her Teeny Polka Dot Bikini
A boy with a bruised face (Park Ji-hoon as Yeo Si-eun) stands in front of a blurred crowd, in 'Weak Hero Class 2.'
'Weak Hero Class 2': Everything We Know
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso at Sentebale’s Mamohato Children’s Centre in Maseru, Lesotho in October 2024
Why Prince Harry Is So "Torn Apart" Over Resigning From His Charity
Women wearing the cos new collection
Out of 943 Pieces at the COS Sale, These 24 Deserve a Spot in Your Closet