King Charles regrets missing chance to join his beloved people at coronation

King Charles III has revealed his 'biggest regret' about his coronation weekend - and it had nothing to do with the ceremony.

The 74-year-old monarch was sad as he was being too far away to see the performers at the Windsor Castle concert during his coronation weekend.

Prince William and Harry's father told people involved in organising the event, which starred Lionel Richie, Take That and a host of other artists, that he wished he had been sitting closer to or had taken his binoculars.

The newly crowned King and his wife Queen Consort Camilla were joined by Princess Anne and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, to host a Buckingham Palace reception to thank organisers of the Coronation weekend in May and events following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year.

There was a reminder of a moment on Coronation Day that amused countless viewers when the royal party met Clare Balding who did the BBC commentary for the processions from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey and back again.

"I managed to say - which is a perfectly acceptable horsey phrase - that the Princess Royal had been very quickly mounted, and joined the procession," Ms Balding, 52, recalled.

"I didn’t bat an eyelid at that. I didn’t even realise. When I got home, my partner Alice said, ‘You seem to have caused a bit of a stir!’ But that’s just the sort of thing that would make them [the Royal Family] all laugh."

Over 6,000 members of the Armed Forces took part in the Coronation in May, with the estimated cost of the service reaching £50-£100 million.

Buckingham Palace noted that the King wanted a more modern and toned-down ceremony to reflect his new era, stating: "The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry."

Neil Walter, who was in charge of parking, said the King told him how he was seated so far away he could not see what was happening on the stage. "He said next time he would like to be closer - or bring his binoculars," Mr Walter said.