King Charles Shares Sweet Photo from Coronation Rehearsals to Celebrate Son Prince William's Birthday

The Prince of Wales, who turned 41 on June 21, played a major role at his father's May 6 crowning ceremony

King Charles and Queen Camilla are wishing Prince William a very happy birthday with a never-before-seen photo!

The Prince of Wales turned 41 on Wednesday, and the King and Queen were among the first to send a celebratory message on social media.

"Wishing The Prince of Wales a very happy birthday today!" read the caption on the royal family's Instagram post, with a playful touch added in the form of a balloon emoji.

Wednesday's birthday message was accompanied by a newly unveiled photograph of Prince William and his father during a rehearsal for the King's May 6 coronation. Just days ahead of the crowning ceremony, members of the royal family were spotted at Westminster Abbey for a practice run of the big day.

The sweet photograph — taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson — showed Charles smiling broadly at his son as William appeared to adjust the King's ceremonial robe. William also looked relaxed and happy — smiling as he helped his father with the golden robe — in the touching image. While the Prince of Wales wore his Order of the Garter robe for the coronation day, he was pictured at the rehearsal wearing a suit.

Related: Prince William Returns to the Lionesses' Den with England Soccer Team Visit — and Surprises Coach!

During the crowning ceremony, Prince William stepped forward as the Stole Royal (from an ancient Greek word meaning "scarf") and the Robe Royal were brought to King Charles, 74, then the heir assisted bishops in putting the robe on the monarch.

After the King was crowned, Prince William knelt before his father to pledge his loyalty and allegiance. He then touched his father's crown and kissed his cheek, prompting King Charles to say what appeared to be, "Thank you, William."

Westminster Abbey rang its bells in honor of the Prince of Wales' birthday.

Before 2020, the bells marked the birthdays of 12 royals. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, their four children — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — all received the honor, as did Charles' wife, Camilla. Prince William, Kate and their three kids — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — completed the list. However, the Abbey announced that starting in 2022, the bells would only mark the birthdays of Queen Elizabeth and Charles.

"The Abbey bells can be heard ringing out before services and in celebration of church festivals. The bells have also traditionally been rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the Royal Family," a spokesperson for Westminster Abbey told Hello! in August 2021. "Due to the financial challenges posed to the Abbey by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the bells will now ring only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales."

However, since Queen Elizabeth's death, they list of birthday bells has changed again. In addition to ringing for King Charles and Prince William's birthdays, they rang in 2023 for Princess Kate. They'll ring in July for Queen Camilla's birthday as well, according to the schedule.

Prince William also received birthday wishes from David Beckham, who recently appeared at the Prince of Wales' Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Boston to announce one of the winners. Sharing photos of William on his Instagram story, the soccer star wrote, "Have an amazing day."

Prince William's birthday falls after a busy few days. Last Saturday, the Prince of Wales attended the first Trooping the Colour of his father’s royal reign. William joined King Charles on horseback for his ceremonial role of Colonel of the Welsh Guards, one of the regiments of the Household Division of the British Army that unite for the sovereign’s birthday parade each year, and joined other royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flypast afterward.

A few hours later, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a never-before-seen photo ahead of another celebration — Father’s Day! The smiling shot showed the prince with his arms around Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 8, who looked at their dad with love. Meanwhile, Prince Louis, 5, hugged William from behind and flashed a giant grin for the camera.

Kensington Palace said the picture was taken on the Windsor Estate earlier this year by Millie Pilkington, apparently for the same photo shoot that produced Prince Louis' birthday portraits. The Father’s Day shot also featured a tribute to Queen Elizabeth, as the Wales family sat on a bench that was a gift for her 90th birthday in 2016.

Related: Prince William Poses with All 3 Kids in Second Father's Day Photo — See the Sweet Moment!

There was also a surprise follow for the first picture — another snap from the Windsor photo session. The image showed William, George and Charlotte in the same arrangement, while little Louis hopped to sit on their dad’s lap.

“Happy Father’s Day ❤️," read the Instagram caption.

William also opened up about the issue of homelessness in a new interview with The Sunday Times as he prepares to launch a new project later this month. During this he revealed that he talks to his kids about the topic “on the school run” and that he intends to bring his children to a homeless organization — like his mother Princess Diana did — when the time is right.

“On the school run, we talk about what we see. Driving backwards and forwards [in London], we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we’d talk about it,” William, who is patron of U.K. homeless charity Centrepoint, told the paper.

The prince said he asks his kids: “'Why are they there? What’s going on?’” and added that the discussions are important for his family

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Honor Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot with Special Program Message

“I think it’s in all our interests, it’s the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding,” he explained. “They [will] grow up knowing that actually, some of us are very fortunate, some of us need a helping hand, some of us need to do more and help others improve their lives.”

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In the same conversation, the prince revealed that he will soon be launching “a really big project” focused on unhoused people through The Royal Foundation, which he runs with Princess Kate.

“It’s nerve-racking,” William told The Sunday Times of the five-year campaign. “But I’m really excited. I’ve been waiting for the right time to do this.”

Related: Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte Accidentally Bump Heads on Balcony at Trooping the Colour

Prince William was back to work on Monday after a busy weekend, attending the Order of the Garter ceremony and procession at Windsor Castle with Kate, King Charles, Queen Camilla and more.

On Tuesday, he visited the England women's soccer squad — nicknamed "the Lionesses" — as they prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Prince William is president of the Football Association, the game's governing body in England, and has been a staunch supporter of the Lionesses in recent years.

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