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By James Crawford-Smith
Royal Reporter
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Prince William's historic ceremonial offering to King Charles III during his coronation in May has become the focus of a new viral video, with fans praising the royal after footage resurfaced on social media site TikTok.
William played a key role throughout the coronation weekend, which ran in Britain from Saturday, May 6 through to Monday, May 8.
In one of his first acts as king, after acceding to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles announced that he had bestowed upon William and his wife Kate the senior royal titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.
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These titles are traditionally held by the eldest son of the monarch and his wife. Charles was made Prince of Wales by his mother when he was just nine years old, holding the role for over six decades.
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In these new positions—making them the most senior royals after the king and Queen Camilla—William and Kate not only played hosting roles throughout the celebrations, but the prince also swore a historic oath to his father at the religious coronation service held at Westminster Abbey.
Uploaded to TikTok by user princess__jo on December 18, footage of William, dressed in his robes as a member of the Order of the Garter, shows him approaching the king on his throne at the service, before repeating a historic oath of allegiance.
"I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb," he said. "So help me God."
The moment was quickly picked up by fans on social media at the time, highlighting Charles' apparent emotional response.
As William finished his oath and stood to touch the crown and kiss his father on the cheek, the king appeared to say, touchingly: "Thank you, William."
The viral video has been viewed over 140,000 times in 24 hours and received in excess of 5,000 likes and over 140 comments, many of which have spoken warmly of the gesture.
"How beautiful 🥰," wrote one TikTok user.
"William will be a great king 🥰," posted another, with a further comment reading: "I was so proud of prince William on this day the service was incredible."
The day after Charles' coronation service, William and Kate joined the king and queen and extended royal family at Windsor Castle to watch the coronation concert featuring performances from Lionel Richie and Katy Perry.
One of the highlights of the event was a speech delivered by William that was dedicated to his father.
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"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," the prince joked in reference to Richie's 1983 hit song.
"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. And she would be a very proud mother.
"For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message: service. My father's first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve."
William closed his words with a tribute, saying: "Pa, we are all so proud of you."
He also took it as an opportunity to acknowledge his own new senior role and responsibility.
"I commit myself to serve you all. King, country and Commonwealth," he said as the crowds gathered on the castle's east lawn cheered. "God save the King!"
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek*'s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on* Newsweek*'s The Royals Facebook page.*
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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