The Coronation of King Charles III will
involve thousands of people but, ultimately, the responsibility for
organising this historic royal event falls to one person. The job
belongs to the Earl Marshal. The Earl Marshal is one of the Great
Officers of State and for centuries, the role has belonged to the
Dukes of Norfolk. It became an hereditary position within the
family in 1672 and, ever…
As Queen Camilla walks into Westminster
Abbey on May 6th 2023, it is expected that she will be wearing one
of the most important sets of jewels in the Royal Family’s
collection. A spectacular necklace, worn by Queen Elizabeth II as
she was crowned and by the last three…
Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and
lent her name to the era of political and social change, but it
began with a ‘botched’ coronation ceremony. When Victoria was
crowned on 22 June 1838, it was the third coronation ceremony of
the century; and she followed two…
For almost a millennium, kings and queens
have been crowned at Westminster Abbey. But perhaps the king most
intrinsically linked to the Abbey was never crowned there: Edward
the Confessor. Instead, Edward the Confessor was crowned at
Winchester Cathedral. He succeeded his older half-brother,
Harthacnut, in 1042 but delayed his coronation until Easter 1043.
Winchester Cathedral—or the…
Following royal tradition, King Charles
III will wear the Imperial State Crown as he leaves his Coronation
on May 6th 2023. The Imperial State Crown is set with an impressive
2,868 diamonds, the largest and most famous being the
cushion-shaped brilliant Cullinan II…
There have only been a handful of queen
regnants in Britain’s history. Queen Elizabeth II was the most
recent, having reigned a historic 70 years, but 400 years before
her reign began, the first queen regnant was crowned: Queen Mary I.
The eldest daughter of Henry VIII…
As the Coronation draws near, speculation
about what King Charles III might wear increases. Kings usually opt
for a version of the tunics, breeches and silk stockings that have
made up the Coronation outfit for centuries. However, it’s been
reported that His Majesty might prefer to wear military uniform.
And if he does, he will follow the example of the man he replaced
as the oldest person ever…
You could not be faulted if you walked by
the Stone of Scone and not even realized you were in the presence
of a legendary and mysterious rock. Pronounced ‘Scoon,’ the ancient
symbol of Scottish sovereignty is an unassuming rectangular stone,
made of sandstone…
For almost a thousand years, coronation
services have taken place at Westminster Abbey, in times of peace
and strife. The sovereign sometimes arrives at the Abbey a popular
figure; sometimes, they’re deeply unpopular. More often than not,
they’re crowned by birthright…
It’s been quite the week for changing
names. In the past seven days, five members of the family of King
Charles III have gained new titles but one was noticeably left the
same. However, could Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor alter her own
style now? Lady Louise’s parents became the Duke and Duchess of
Edinburgh on March 10th 2023. Prince Edward was given the title by
King Charles on…
