Prince George Plays a Special Role in Grandfather King Charles' Coronation

Prince George makes history as the youngest future king to play a part in a crowning ceremony

Prince George is making history at King Charles' coronation.

The second in line to the British throne played a prominent role in the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday as a Page of Honor. Serving alongside seven other pages for King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton's 9-year-old son processed through the Nave of Westminster Abbey during the coronation.

Prince George's coronation participation marks the first time in modern royal history that a future monarch is officially involved in such a service. According to The Telegraph, George becomes the youngest future king to play an official role in a crowning ceremony. While his grandfather King Charles and great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth similarly attended their parents' coronations in 1953 and 1937 as children, they only watched the service.

Prince George stepped into the spotlight as one of four Pages of Honor attending to the King, 74, alongside Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Nicholas Barclay and Ralph Tollemache. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla, 75, was supported by her three grandsons — Gus Lopes, Louis Lopes, Freddy Parker Bowles — and great-nephew, Arthur Elliot.

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Gus and Louis, 13, are the twin sons of Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes, and 13-year-old Freddy is the son of Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla's son. Arthur is the son of her nephew Ben Elliot, and grandson of her sister, Annabel Elliot.

The future monarch, now second in the line of succession, wore a red coat and black dress pants paired with white gloves as he carefully concentrated, helping his grandfather by carrying the train of his robe along with the other pages. He then took a seat behind the king, watching carefully as the different portions of the ceremony unfolded.

"It's a lovely idea to involve their own family members in these roles, rather than having aristocrats' sons and daughters doing it. It is all part of the inclusivity of the family and strengthens their bonds," royal author Hugo Vickers previously told The Times of King Charles and Queen Camilla bringing their loved ones into the crowning ceremony.

"Bringing George in also sends all the right symbolism for the future and gives him something he will always remember," he added.

Buckingham Palace previously said that King Charles and Queen Camilla's crowning would welcome modern elements while honoring nearly a thousand years of royal tradition.

"The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," the palace said.

Related:Queen Elizabeth's Coronation: The Best Rare Photos from the 1953 Crowning Ceremony

Before the big day, Prince George's involvement was a subject of family discussion behind the scenes as his parents juggled the unique honor with the pressure it might put on their son's shoulders.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson says, "We're all very excited about Prince George's role in the coronation, it will be an incredibly special moment."

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Prince William and Princess Kate are "cognizant that he is old enough to understand what's going on," a royal source told PEOPLE. But they're mindful that normal life resumes when George is back at school next week, where the weekend's events will likely be the talk of his classmates.

"His parents are very excited and delighted that he is a page," a spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales tells PEOPLE. "It's something that his parents have thought long and hard about and are very much looking forward to — and I'm sure George is too."

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