State & Ceremonial

Another first for King Charles - an official Coronation emoji

The first Coronation of the 21st century will come equipped with a very modern accessory – its own emoji. With less than a month to go until King Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned, a brand new social media symbol will appear on Twitter whenever some special hashtags are used. Five phrases will generate a version of St. Edward’s Crown, adding a whole new spin to an object…
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State & Ceremonial

King Charles III's regalia for The Coronation

Many hundreds-year-old traditions will be continued when King Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned. At the heart of the service will be the Coronation regalia and now details of the precious items to be used have been confirmed by Buckingham Palace. Part of the Royal…
British RoyalsHistoryInterestsState & Ceremonial

What happened to the first St. Edward's Crown?

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 dates back to Edward the Confessor’s reign but can first be found in sources in the thirteenth century. He reigned from…
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HistoryQueen CamillaState & Ceremonial

How many consort crowns are there?

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…
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European RoyalsFeaturesHistoryHistoryInsightSpainState & Ceremonial

King Felipe and the Catholic Church: a changing tale of faith and diplomacy

To analyse the religious situation in Spain, one must consider faith and diplomacy as inextricably linked. Spain is one of the world’s most religious countries, officially, with some statistics putting the percentage of the population that ascribes to the Roman Catholic Church as high as 96%.  To put that number in context, that same survey put Italy’s percentage of Roman Catholics at…
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