Advertisement

All the details on the crown and royal jewellery that Camilla wore to the coronation

london, england may 06 queen camilla stands after being crowned by archbishop of canterbury justin welby during her coronation ceremony in westminster abbey, on may 6, 2023 in london, england the coronation of charles iii and his wife, camilla, as king and queen of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and the other commonwealth realms takes place at westminster abbey today charles acceded to the throne on 8 september 2022, upon the death of his mother, elizabeth ii photo by richard pohle wpa poolgetty images
All the details of Camilla's coronation jewelleryWPA Pool

This May, both the King and Queen Consort were coronated together – marking the first double coronation since Queen Elizabeth II’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, in 1937 (see all the details of the day, and get up to speed on what the coronation entails – including the bespoke outfit worn by the Princess of Wales).

It was reported weeks ago that the service would be "rooted in longstanding traditions", but would also "reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future".

their majesties king charles iii and queen camilla coronation day
WPA Pool - Getty Images

While plans for Charles' investiture have been in place since his mother's coronation in 1953, Camilla's part was only confirmed when, during her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II declared that Camilla would be known as Queen Consort on King Charles' accession.

camilla queen consort
Camilla, when she was Duchess of Cornwall, attending a dinner during the Commonwealth Heads of Government 2013 Opening Ceremony in 2013 Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Following the King's six-part coronation ceremony, the Queen Consort had her own, simpler one, during which the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed her head with holy oil, before placing the Queen Consort's ring on her hand and the crown on her head.

The Queen Consort's ring

queen adelaide's coronation rings are part of the royal collection at the tower of london
Queen Adelaide’s coronation rings are part of the Royal Collection at the Tower of LondonPrint Collector - Getty Images

Part of the official coronation involves placing a special ring on the fourth finger of the monarch, representing that the sovereign is ‘wedded’ to the people. A ring was given to the Queen Consort in the same way, and will be offered to Camilla on the day of the coronation.

The Queen Consort’s ring was originally made in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV, and was worn by Mary of Moderna for her coronation as Queen Consort in 1685.

The ceremonial ring was used again for The Queen Mother’s coronation.

Queen Mary's crown

the crown of queen mary of england
Camilla will wear an updated version of Queen Mary’s crown, with the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond removedullstein bild Dtl. - Getty Images

Which crown Camilla would wear for the coronation had been much debated, but Buckingham Palace finally confirmed the crown that had been chosen for her in February.

She sported a crown made by Garrard for Queen Mary, who was also a Queen Consort and was coronated alongside King George V in 1911.

"The choice of Queen Mary’s Crown by Her Majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission," Buckingham Palace said in a statement, which it added was a decision made "in the interests of sustainability and efficiency".

queen camilla is crowned with queen mary's crown during her coronation ceremony at westminster abbey, london picture date saturday may 6, 2023 pa photo see pa story royal coronation photo credit should read jonathan bradypa wire
JONATHAN BRADY

The crown is composed of a silver frame, lined with gold, and set with approximately 2000 diamonds, mainly brilliant-cut, with some rose-cut. The crown has an openwork band, set at the front with the Cullinan IV diamond, a large cushion-shaped stone, and a frieze of quatrefoils and rosettes, each with a large brilliant in the centre, surrounded by smaller stones, between borders composed of single rows of brilliants. Above the band are four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis.

The front cross is set with the Cullinan V diamond, in its brooch setting and the other three crosses are set in the centre with a large diamond each. The four detachable half-arches each taper towards the top, and terminate in scrolls, and contain six graduated brilliants, between borders of stones. The monde is pavé-set with diamonds and surmounted by another cross set with the pear-shaped Cullinan III diamond in the centre. The crown is fitted with a purple velvet cap with an ermine band.

The palace confirmed that these additions include the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, which "were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn by Her late Majesty as brooches". The Koh-i-noor diamond was not featured in the updated crown.

Further Cullinan diamonds (individual diamonds cut from the same original stone, the Cullinan Diamond) feature in other items of the Crown Jewels collection, including the Cullinan I that sits in the King's official Sceptre with Cross, which was also used during the coronation service.

camilla queen consort
Camilla wearing Queen Mary’s tiara for a banquet during a state visit to the King and Queen of Norway in 2005Anwar Hussein Collection - Getty Images

Camilla has worn poignant pieces belonging to Queen Mary before, including a tiara for a banquet during a state visit to the King and Queen of Norway in 2005.

You Might Also Like