King Charles and his family were reportedly nervous Miss Piggy would pop up next to them during the coronation concert. Photo / Getty Images
King Charles and his family were reportedly nervous Miss Piggy would pop up next to them during the coronation concert. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke of Edinburgh has admitted many in the Royal Box were “very nervous” about Miss Piggy following her cameo appearance at the coronation concert.
The King’s youngest brother said that he and the rest of the box invitees thought the Muppets character might turn up to sit in the empty seat behind him, joking that everyone was “much more concerned” about that than anything else.
In the end, only Kermit the Frog popped in to visit the newly crowned King and Queen in the Royal Box, towards the end of the star-studded event.
The Duke added that he thought the coronation ceremony went “very well” and that, despite it being shorter than 1953, nothing was “missing” from it.
Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, revealed the royal family were expecting Miss Piggy might pop up on a seat in the Royal Box. Photo / AP
He made the remarks while at a Guide Dogs puppy training class with the Duchess of Edinburgh in Reading for the Big Help Out initiative.
The royal couple joined volunteers and staff for an interactive training class that focused on teaching the puppies skills to help on their journey to becoming guide dogs.
While talking to the volunteers after the class, the Duke was asked about how he thought his brother’s historic crowning ceremony went.
“It all went very well and even if it was shorter than the last one, I don’t think anyone could have possibly spotted anything that was missing, so that’s nice,” he said.
“I couldn’t actually see what happened in the procession because the trouble of being part of it is that you don’t see it - we need to catch up and watch it,” he added.
The conversation then turned to the concert that was held at Windsor Castle on Sunday night, which was marked with a surprise cameo appearance from the Muppets characters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
‘Everyone around us got very nervous’
King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales, are seen during the coronation concert. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke gave a disapproving look at the mention of the characters, but said: “We were much more concerned about Miss Piggy turning up in the Royal Box.
“There was an empty seat behind me and we didn’t know who it was, we thought they just didn’t turn up, but then we suddenly thought it could be her and once we started that rumour, everyone around us got very nervous,” he laughed.
He also added that it was the fourth coronation to be rained on, saying it was therefore “quite appropriate that we managed to continue that tradition”.
The Duchess, meanwhile, said the coronation weekend had been “absolutely extraordinary”.
