King Charles III acceded to the throne on the sad death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8th, 2022. Last Saturday, May 6th, 2023, saw the crowning of Charles and his wife Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth at Westminster Abbey. The coronation was a mixture of old and newly adapted traditions to celebrate the modern United Kingdom and Commonwealth and its diversity. Members of the royal family arrived in traditional regalia, with some nods to modernity. Let's look at the royal family's ceremonial robes and some of the history behind them.
King Charles III
King Charles simplified the coronation and modernised elements of it. However, he still changed his outfit numerous times throughout the ceremony because these robes form an essential part of the coronation tradition dating back to the fourteenth century. Usually, robes are made new for the coronation of each monarch. Charles, however, chose to use some of his mother's, grandfather's, and great-grandfather's in what Buckingham Palace stated was an effort to promote "sustainability and efficiency".
Charles arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing a crimson Coronation Tunic featuring gold artillery lace, embroidered oak leaves, and acorns paired with a white silk shirt and Royal Naval trousers. Over the whole ensemble, he donned his grandfather George VI's crimson Robe of State made of velvet and adorned with gold lace and ermine.
Charles changed into an anointing gown of plain white during his anointment. This gown is simple in design and free from any decoration, symbolising purity before God. Then, during his crowning, George V's Supertunic a (a long Byzantine-inspired gold silk coat) was donned under the 200-year-old Robe Royal, a robe fastened with a gold eagle clasp and woven with leaves, flowers, crowns and fleur-de-lis and made for the coronation of George IV in 1821.
These robes were removed before the newly crowned Charles processed out of the Abbey in George VI's purple silk velvet and gold embroidered Robe of Estate, which he continued to wear to greet the public on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Queen Camilla
Queen Camilla's ceremony was much shorter and simpler. She arrived at Westminster Abbey in a tailored ivory coat-like dress designed by Bruce Oldfield and embroidered with British wildflowers, including daisy chains and forget-me-nots. On top, she donned Queen Elizabeth II's crimson velvet Robe of State.
At the end of the ceremony, Queen Camilla changed into a newly made purple velvet Robe of Estate embroidered with flowers in gold.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine
Prince William wore his red Welsh Guards ceremonial dress uniform to the coronation as colonel of the regiment. Over the uniform, he donned his navy blue Order of the Garter mantle made of silk velvet with a white taffeta lining and satin ribbons. His Pilot Wings badge and Queen's Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilee medals were pinned to the uniform. He also sported his Order of the Garter collar and garter and his Order of the Thistle sash and badge, Garter Star and Thistle Star.
Princess Catherine chose a beautiful ivory silk crepe dress embroidered with roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks to represent the UK's four nations, designed by Alexander McQueen. Her deep blue cape edged in scarlet was a Royal Victorian Order mantle. On her head, instead of the traditional tiara, she donned a headpiece of leaves made of crystal, silver bullion, and silver thread. Finishing the outfit off, in a tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, she wore her pearl and diamond drop earrings.
Prince George
As a Page of Honour, Prince George, the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, wore a uniform made during the reign of Elizabeth II. The Georgian-style uniform featured a scarlet tunic trimmed with gold lace and blue velvet cuffs, a gold braid trimmed ivory satin waistcoat, and wool trousers adorned with gold braid at the outer seams.
The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry
As a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Prince Harry was entitled to wear the order's blue mantle. However, he opted for a simple black morning suit with a double-breasted waistcoat, white shirt, and light grey tie. He wore his various medals pinned to his chest and on a ribbon around his neck.
Princess Royal, Princess Anne
Princess Anne performed an important role during the coronation as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting. This meant that she led King Charles and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on horseback along with six thousand members of the armed forces. Princess Anne wore her Blues and Royals uniform, various medals, and the emerald green silk velvet Thistle Mantle with a white taffeta lining for her role.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew and Sophie
The newly created Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew, who inherited his title from his late father, Prince Phillip, wore a simple black morning dress with his Garter Mantle. His wife, Duchess Sophie, chose a white Suzannah London gown embroidered with British meadow flowers and a floral headpiece designed by Jane Taylor. Over the top, she donned her Royal Victorian Order Mantle.
We hope you have enjoyed a brief look at what some of the royal family wore to the coronation of King Charles III. If you have a big event or wedding to attend, a significant birthday bash, or even for the office, we can create a custom masterpiece just for you – from overcoats to suits to custom shirts and more. Get in touch with our talented tailoring team today.