King Charles' Royal Cypher Debuts on 'Beefeater' Uniforms at Tower of London: 'Emotional Day'
The new royal cypher has debuted on the uniforms of the Tower of London guards, who are officially known as Yeoman Warders
King Charles's royal emblem has made its debut at the Tower of London.
On Monday, guards at the 1,000-year-old castle, known as Yeoman Warders, donned new uniforms bearing the King's royal cypher for the first time.
"The wait is over, today our Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London will wear their new uniforms for the very first time, bearing HM King Charles III's cypher!" the historic royal palaces charity wrote on Instagram, along with three photos of the warders' new look.
The monogram that now lies at the center of the uniform shows the crown above the King's first initial, "C," intertwined with an "R" for Rex (Latin for King, traditionally used for the monarch dating back to the 12th century), with "III" inside the "R."
The account also shared a video from London's ancient castle, showing the guards — or Beefeaters, are they are popularly called — admiring the historic significance of their new uniform.
"Today is a monumental day in our history, because for 70 plus years now, people have been seeing E II R on this uniform," Clive Towell, a Yeoman Serjeant, said in reference to the previous cypher of Queen Elizabeth. "However, today, two weeks before the coronation, 70 plus years on, it will say, for the first day, 'C III R,' Charles the third King. And so for us, this is huge. Emotional day, but a really good day as we step into this new reign."
"We can actually stand proud today when thousands come through the gate, and we'll just look down and say, 'Job done. Ready to go,'" added Peter McGoran MVO, who is cited as a Chief Yeoman Warder.
The design of the cypher was chosen personally by Charles out of several created by heraldry experts at The College of Arms in London. It first appeared on post leaving Buckingham Palace in the fourth week of the monarch's reign in October, shortly after the end of official royal mourning for the Queen — who died "peacefully" aged 96 on September 8.
During her historic reign, Queen Elizabeth bore an "ERII" insignia. When used by Queens, the "R" stands for "Regina," or "Queen" in Latin.
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The update to the Beefeaters' uniform comes just two weeks ahead of King Charles' coronation, which is set to take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. His wife, Queen Camilla, 75, will also be crowned during the three-day celebration.
Both the King's sons, Prince William, 40, and Prince Harry, 38, will attend the ceremony, while Meghan Markle, 41, will remain in California with Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 22 months — and celebrate Archie turning 4.
"It's going to be a low-key party at home," a source told PEOPLE in a recent cover story. "They'll have friends around them and Meghan's mom, Doria [Ragland]. Meghan will definitely have support that weekend."
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Following the fanfare around Prince Harry's recent memoir, Charles is said to be eager for the situation to "calm down" in time for his coronation.
A source close to the royal household told PEOPLE: "It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don't sort it out, it will always be part of the King's reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue."
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