While they might not always be crowned
alongside their kings, the consorts in the thousand years since the
Norman Conquest have usually had coronations at Westminster Abbey.
But one queen of England was given her crown thousands of miles
from the realm. Queen Berengaria is a little known figure in
English royal history but she has a place all of her own. The
consort of King Richard I is the…
The spectacular robe that King Charles will wear after his Coronation - the Robe of Estate
21st March 2023
The Coronation of King Charles will see
the Monarch wear two crowns and two spectacular velvet robes. While
Charles III will begin the ceremony in the Robe of State, he will
leave Westminster Abbey as a crowned King and wearing a sumptuous
Robe of Estate. There might be…
The wedding that helped create a very modern royal family
21st March 2023
It was a royal wedding for the history
books, the marriage of a future king and a regal love match to
boot. On this day in 1929, Olav of Norway married Martha of Sweden
in Oslo. The couple’s romance had captured the public imagination
while their rather glamourous…
The mistake at Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation
21st March 2023
When the whole world is watching, the
pressure to pull off an event perfectly like a coronation is
immense. It’s been 70 years since the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth
II and during the three-hour service, it’s reported the then
25-year-old made only one mistake. It was a first-of-its-kind event
as modern technology meant that this was the first British
coronation to be televised…
On 6 May, King Charles III and Queen
Consort Camilla will be crowned at Westminster Abbey. For many,
this will be the first coronation they have ever seen. The ceremony
will follow a pattern laid out in the Liber Regalis, kept at
Westminster Abbey and which has informed…
The Gold State Coach's starring role in coronations
20th March 2023
When King Charles III and Queen Camilla
are crowned on 6 May, many Coronation traditions will take place
for the first time in 70 years. Among them will be the use of the
Gold State Coach for a Coronation procession. However, there is
expected to be a modern twist on this…
In another lifetime, perhaps she’d be
recognised as England’s first queen regnant, but Elizabeth of York
was fated to be a consequential queen consort instead, with her
popularity helping to sow peace in the aftermath of the Wars of the
Roses. Elizabeth holds a unique position in English history: she is
the only woman to be daughter, niece, sister, wife, and mother to
kings. The long and…
The history of the Coronation Chair
17th March 2023
It is a chair with understated elegance
and steeped in history. The Coronation Chair, also known as King
Edward’s Chair or Saint Edward’s Chair, was commissioned by King
Edward I in 1296. Originally, it was meant to hold the Stone of
Scone, taken from Scotland by King…
The Coronation of Edward VII
17th March 2023
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…
What is the Robe of State?
17th March 2023
As well as wearing several crowns at his
Coronation (well, this is a once only event after all), King
Charles will also be clothed in a variety of robes. The first out
of the royal wardrobe will be the Robe of State and while The King
won’t wear it for the whole of the ceremony, it won’t be the only
time this special garment is used during his reign. The Robe of
State is worn by the Monarch…

