The upcoming coronation will be the event of the century for the
British monarchy — and King Charles has decided to lighten things up a little.
For hundreds of years, coronation ceremonies were all about long,
trailing velvet robes. The aristocracy wore dark crimson robes trimmed in ermine,
and these rows of fur designated each guest's standing. A duke's cape would have four rows,
a baron two, and a duchess' extravagant robe would have four rows of ermine with a train
extending out to six feet. These were worn on top of full-dress uniforms and
evening dresses. The coronets or crowns were also designated according to rank.
The upcoming coronation will be significantly smaller than the last one, which had
8,000 guests. There are 2,000 attendees expected this time, and all are probably quite surprised
to learn that King Charles has issued a less formal dress code for the Peerage and members
of Parliament. Instead of the traditional heavy robes, the Peerage has been told to wear
business dress or their regular parliamentary ermine, which are made from scarlet wool.
Queen Elizabeth started wearing faux instead of real fur several years back,
a decision likely taken in response to unethical fur-sourcing practices. Charles'
approach is designed to reflect modern sensibilities while still paying homage
to tradition. Besides all that, the coronation will only last an hour,
compared to 1953's three-hour ceremony. The details about royal outfits are generally
kept under wraps until the events take place, but speculation has still run rife.
When Diana and Charles married in 1981, the wedding gown was a significant topic
of discussion in the media. However, the groom's attire seemed like something of
an afterthought. Since then, Charles has seemed to embrace change: Don't
expect to see him in outdated breeches, an embroidered tunic, silk stockings,
and velvet. Instead, insiders predict that he'll be wearing his military uniform.
King Charles wore his military uniform to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. It was
his Royal Navy No. 1 tailcoat and sword, decorated by the collar of the Order of the Garter, Order of
the Thistle sash, and his Order of Merit ribbon. The jacket was covered with full-size medals,
too. For his 1981 wedding, Charles wore a Royal Navy commander full dress uniform.
He wouldn't be the first monarch to wear a military uniform at a coronation, however,
since Edward VII did exactly that in 1902. Will Charles wear a robe over
it? The answer is unknown, but the way things are going? Probably not.
Camilla's level of formality at the coronation will surely mirror Charles'.
When Queen Elizabeth was crowned, she chose a stunning gown designed by Norman Hartnell.
"God save the queen! God save the queen!"
It was made of silk satin and decorated with pearls, diamantes, and shiny gold beads. This
1950s dress followed the decade's style with short sleeves and a full, billowing skirt.
Designed by Bruce Oldfield, one of the U.K.'s most respected couturiers, Camilla's coronation
dress will be less extravagant. Oldfield is 72 years old and known for his impeccable
craftsmanship. Previously, Camilla had worn one of his creations to the 2016 State Opening of
Parliament. Of course, Camilla isn't afraid of bold colors either, and most recently she wore
a cobalt blue dress to the Commonwealth Day Service on March 13th. It'd be nice to see
her wearing a vibrant color on Coronation Day, but for now, that gown is being kept top-secret.
King Charles' eldest son, Prince William, has received considerable acclaim for his well-chosen
knit ties, navy-check button-down shirts, and beautifully tailored navy suits. For his 2011
wedding to Kate Middleton, he had been planning to wear a frock coat of the Irish Guards,
an Irish regiment recruited from across the United Kingdom that guards the royal family.
Just two months before his wedding, William was appointed colonel of the regiment,
and his grandmother had him wear the red tunic designated for that rank. In June 2022,
William wore the same uniform to the opening event at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He'll likely be in his highest-ranking military uniform at the coronation, but,
with the less formal dress code in place, he could opt for an elegant suit instead.
A fashion maven in her own right, Kate Middleton will have to work hard not to
outshine King Charles and Camilla on May 6th. Some are predicting that Kate will
wear a gown by one of her favorite designers, such as Alexander McQueen or Jenny Packham,
cut in the most flattering way possible. She wore a toned-down Erdem Moralioglu dress suit
with white flowers for Commonwealth Day and teal instead of green on St. Patrick's Day,
so she may take another route for the upcoming ceremony.
It's been reported that Charles doesn't like to be upstaged and allegedly was displeased
with how Diana's fashion choices often took the spotlight. Kate will be wise to keep that in mind,
meaning her outfit probably won't be that grandiose — but it will be elegant. She is
generally partial to coat dress ensembles, tonal looks, and printed dresses for casual
events. Her gown will likely be sleek with a modest neckline and single-tone detailing.
Everyone has been asking one thing in the lead-up to the coronation:
"Now King Charles' coronation less than 10 weeks
away, but it is still unclear if Prince Harry will be attending."
And a few weeks ago, Buckingham Palace finally confirmed that, yes, Prince Harry will attend
the service. His wife, Meghan Markle, will not be there, as the Palace states she'll be staying
in California with the kids. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone who's been
following the story, of course, considering the difficulties Harry and Meghan have faced with the
rest of the royal family. Harry is Charles' son, however, so the repercussions of not being there
would be significant. Who knows? It could even be a stepping stone toward a possible reconciliation.
Although it hasn't been confirmed yet, it's rumored that Harry will be a guest at the
ceremony rather than a royal participant. That means that he wouldn't be in the procession or
be invited to pay tribute to Charles during the ceremony. If he is a guest,
Harry wouldn't be seen wearing a military uniform or hanging out on Buckingham Palace's
balcony after the coronation, either, but, of course, he'll follow the gentlemen's dress code.
Per tradition, King Charles will have the coronation ring placed on the fourth finger of his
right hand. The ring has been used in the ceremony since 1831 and was made by British jewelers
Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. It's shaped like a cross and decorated with sapphires and rubies.
The monarch will also be wearing his signet ring on his left pinky;
of jewels on the Sovereign's Scepter, too, which will be presented to Charles by the Archbishop.
Featuring the massive Cullinan II diamond, it was made for Charles II in 1661. Also,
look for the royal orb created that same year. That's the jewel-encrusted round
piece you'll see him holding at the coronation, featuring a cross and large amethyst on top.
Camilla's hand will likely be graced with the queen consort's ring that day,
which was made in 1831 for King William IV's wife Adelaide. These are all part of the Crown Jewels
of the United Kingdom, and other pieces like a second scepter and the Jeweled Sword of Offering
will also be front and center. The royals possess some of the most extravagant bling on the planet,
so it's a safe bet that much of this finery will be on display at the coronation.
King Charles will be crowned with the historic St. Edward's crown,
which was first used in the 1661 coronation of Charles II. This is the familiar golden crown
with the purple velvet top and white ermine band. The medieval design features four gold crosses,
four fleurs-de-lis, large rubies, sapphires, and other stunning jewels.
For the return procession, Charles will wear the lighter Imperial State
Crown — although this one isn't exactly a breeze to wear, either.
"You can't look down to read the speech, you have to lift the speech up.
Because if you did your neck would break."
Camilla will not be wearing the crown of Queen Elizabeth to the coronation. This crown
was first presented to Queen Elizabeth's mother, but it is mired in controversy,
as it features the 105.6 carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, a gem that was stolen from India.
The queen consort will wear Queen Mary's Crown instead, which has been resized and re-studded
with the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds. Those belonged to Queen Elizabeth's collection,
and she was often seen wearing them as brooches. Other royal family members,
including Kate, may or may not be wearing coronets and tiaras to the event.
Since the order for dressing down has come from the top, guests will want to toe the
line — unless they want to be scoffed at by the media. The king's wishes for a more
modern ceremony have been well-publicized, so the chances of anyone going fully rogue
are fairly low. Many guests will attend, but signs indicate that most of the women
won't be wearing gowns. There could be a lot of day dresses and fascinator hats instead.
Attendees in the military may be wearing their uniforms, but there will be many men's morning
suits as well. If any foreign monarchs are there, they might wear their traditional
ceremonial dress clothing, although these figures tend not to attend events like this.
Royal events such as coronations have historically allowed participants to
show up sporting traditional outfits, over-the-top finery,
and exquisite jewels. Even though Charles wants the event to be more
modest to reflect modern sensibilities, you should expect plenty of surprises of the day.
For example, Camilla is a somewhat understated queen consort, but she might pick an unusually
bright color or pattern for this special day. The jury is also still out on Kate's
decision about wearing a tiara. Prince Harry is the real wildcard, and not only for what
he will wear. While the ceremonial acts that take place will likely never change,
everything else is up in the air — and more or less anything could happen.