The Imperial State Crown features several
notable jewels, including the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Cullinan II
Diamond, and St. Edward’s Sapphire. The Stuart Sapphire also has a
prominent place in the Imperial State Crown but has a somewhat
murkier past than the other jewels. This large, oval-shaped
sapphire is roughly 104 carats and 3.8 cm by 2.5 cm. It is believed
that it most likely…
King Charles III is making considerable
changes to the coronation to modernise the ceremony and recognise
the monarchy’s position in the twenty-first century. Both the
coronation ceremony and procession will look quite different from
his mother’s coronation in 1953.
Nearly every European monarch is related
to the House of Windsor in some way or another. King Christian IX
of Denmark and Queen Victoria of Great Britain both sought to marry
their numerous children and grandchildren into houses across
Europe, and these bloodlines are still…
While there are reports of changes ahead
of King Charles III’s Coronation in May, each Coronation has had
its own changes. King George VI was the first monarch to give a
Coronation speech to be broadcast over the radio on the day of his
Coronation. King George V gave the first royal radio
broadcast on 23 April 1924 when he opened the British Empire
Exhibition. In addition to being the first…
On 6 May at Westminster Abbey, King
Charles III will be crowned with St. Edward’s Crown at the moment
of coronation. The design dates back to the eleventh century, but
the crown itself that will be used is much younger. The original
St. Edward’s Crown reportedly…
Although the Coronation is still weeks
away, one of the major questions asked is what will The King wear?.
There have been suggestions that he will wear a military uniform,
as William IV did in 1838, but there is also a far more traditional
set of clothing used by kings for…
King George V and Queen Mary, like King
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, were crowned as King and Queen of
the United Kingdom (and Dominions) and as Emperor and Empress of
India. Their 1911 coronation was luckily less eventful than that of
George’s parents. George came to the throne following his father’s
death on 6 May 1910. The couple had been very involved with his
parents’…
While there is a traditional uniform for
kings at their coronation, there is not for queens. This has
allowed each queen to wear a gown specifically created for their
coronation day. Queen Alexandra’s coronation dress remains one of
the most sumptuous in British…
King Charles III has often been compared
to his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII. Both ascended the
throne after their mother’s enjoyed record-breaking reigns, and at
the time of each king’s ascension, they both held the record for
longest-serving Prince of…
Queen Camilla made the headlines in
February when it was announced that she would wear Queen Mary’s
crown for the 6 May coronation at Westminster Abbey. Throughout the
centuries, some consorts have re-worn previously created crowns.
However, several consorts have also had a specific crown created
for them. Five different consort crowns have been created over the
last three and a half…
