During the Coronation Service of King
Charles III, a Bible will be presented to him as his first gift.
The presentation of the Bible has been a part of every Coronation
since Mary II and William III in 1689. King Charles will receive
one that is specially made for his Coronation. A copy will
eventually be placed in the Royal Collection. This has happened for
every Monarch since George III…
A crucial part of any Coronation is the
oath that the new Sovereign takes. Just like the ceremony itself,
the oath that is part of it has changed throughout the centuries,
according to historical context and the will of the Monarch. The
last big change to the…
The oldest surviving royal wedding dress
in Britain is now on show for the first time in a decade. The gown
worn by Princess Charlotte of Wales, the House of Hanover’s missing
queen, is on display at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace as
part of a new…
The weighty reminder of power that will be placed in the hands of King Charles III
20th April 2023
It’s one of the oldest and storied item
in the Crown Jewels, the Sovereign’s Orb. Created in 1661 by Sir
Robert Vyner for Charles II’s coronation, the orb is a hollow gold
sphere with a cross on top. It symbolizes the monarch’s Christian
sovereignty and their position as head of the Church of England.
The orb weighs 1.32 kg (3lbs.) and is bejeweled with bands of nine
emeralds, 18…
Two pieces of the True Cross, said to be
that on which Jesus was crucified, have been given to King Charles
III by Pope Francis and they will play a role in the Coronation.
The King has had them incorporated into a new silver cross for the
Church of Wales which will be…
It was a ground breaking and glamourous
royal wedding and the images of it remain as familiar now as they
have ever done. The world watched, enthralled, when Grace Kelly
married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 19th 1956. Her
wedding dress has become one of the most…
A significant artefact of the Chinese
Ming Dynasty will be put up for auction in London after spending
almost eight decades in private hands. The artefact in
question is a decorative box that is believed to be part of a
five-piece set of such items designed specifically for Emperor
Xuande; the pieces all bear his reign’s characters etched at the
bottom of the box and inside the…
The King and Queen’s racing stables will
open their doors to the public for an exclusive behind the scenes
tour in celebration of the Coronation. William Haggas, John & Thady
Gosden and Sir Mark Prescott will welcome guests to their yard in
partnership with Discover…
The historic part of the Crown Jewels you might never have heard about
18th April 2023
The Jewel House at the Tower of London is
home to the Crown Jewels, part of which includes a total of sixteen
silver trumpets, dating back to 1780, also known as the state
trumpets. However, only one of the trumpets is on display for
visitors to see. Seven of these…
King Charles III’s coronation will be a
blend of modern and traditional. The Supertunica he will wear is
firmly in the “traditional” column. In fact, it dates back to
medieval coronations and is one of the items mentioned in the
‘Liber Regalis,’ which is basically a Coronation guide book that
dates back to 1382 when Richard II reigned. The ‘Liber Regalis’
says the Supertunica…
