by Queen consort Camilla will wear the crown of Elizabeth I’s grandmother, Queen Mary, at her and King Charles III’s coronation on May 6, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday.
The crown was in the Tower of London, which displays other jewels of the British monarchy, where it was removed for some alterations, the statement said. It will be “the first time in modern history that an existing crown will be used to crown a spouse” rather than a new one being ordered, Buckingham Palace said. A decision related to concerns about “sustainability and efficiency”, two subjects dear to the new monarch.
Queen Mary, wife of George V, performed the piece for her coronation in 1911.
“The minor changes will reflect the Queen Consort’s individual style and pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,” who died in September at the age of 96 after more than 70 years of reign, the British Royal House explained. The Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, from the personal collection of Elizabeth II, who used them as brooches, will be incorporated.
Changes also include the removal of four of its eight detachable arches to give a different impression of the original 1911 crown. King Charles III will in turn wear the St. Louis Crown. Edwards – this has since changed and can be seen again in the Tower of London.
The May 6 ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey and will be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England’s highest religious figure. Leaders from around the world will participate and millions of people are expected to watch on television. It is not yet known whether Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, who live in the United States, will attend the coronation.
Charles and Camilla will arrive at Westminster from Buckingham Palace without other members of the royal family, in what is known as ‘The King’s Procession’, and will return with an escort, in the ‘Coronation Procession’.
To close the first day, members of the royal family will greet the population from a balcony of Buckingham Palace, in front of which thousands of people are expected to gather.
A musical performance at Windsor Castle is planned for the day after the coronation, for which 10,000 tickets will be raffled off to the general public. The concert will be broadcast live by the BBC.
A coronation page was created online, in which the Palace revealed the theme of the ceremony: the king’s love of nature, which also inspires the coronation emblem. The site features flowers from the four nations of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales).
There are also cooking recipes and a link to a Spotify playlist to celebrate the heart. Artists include the Spice Girls, Tom Jones, Queen and Harry Styles. Rapper Dizzee Rascal, convicted of assaulting his ex-fiancée, has been removed from the list.
Camilla, 75, was forced to cancel her entire schedule this week after testing positive for Covid-19. This is the second time he has contracted the disease.
