The midnight rehearsals and the King and Queen Consort’s visit to Westminster Abbey on Wednesday for the coronation rehearsal have given a tiny glimpse into the quintessentially British pomp and pageantry that will be on display this coronation weekend.
Adding to the pomp will be what the couple will wear over the course of the day’s ceremonies and this week Buckingham Palace provided the world with a peek at the King and Queen Consort’s coronation robes.
As is to be expected they are embroidered to within a millimetre of the embroiderer’s life – specifically those from the Royal School of Needlework.
Among the King’s robes are three worn by previous monarchs while the Queen Consort gets a brand new one made specially for her featuring images of flowers and bees and a personal symbol celebrating the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
And, as is customary with anything to do with the Royal Family, there are very strict processes and protocols in place – even with what you wear.
As the King and Queen Consort approach Westminster Abbey on Saturday morning, they will hope to be resplendent in the Robes of State – the King’s, a long, red velvet robe with gold edging and the Queen Consort’s in red velvet, originally made for Queen Elizabeth II for her coronation in 1953.
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The King’s robes will feature the monarch’s new monogram – the letters C and R (for Charles and Rex, which is Latin for King) intertwined and three ‘I’s placed within it.
These will be followed by the Robes of Estate – to be worn after the crowning ceremony and leaving the abbey.
The latter has more personal elements incorporated into their design.
King Charles III’s two robes were worn by his grandfather King George VI at his coronation in 1937.
The King’s may be “hand-me-downs” but the Queen Consort’s new Robe of Estate is a brand new one in purple velvet designed and embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework and made by the renowned Ede and Ravenscroft, which describes itself as the oldest tailors in London.
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The Robe will be embroidered with numerous flower designs in Gold, including Lily of the Valley which was a favourite flower of Queen Elizabeth II, while delphinium is one of the King’s favourite flowers and also the flower of Queen Consort’s birth month of July.
There will also be depictions of insects including bees and beetles, which is a first for a coronation robe, according to the Royal Family, “drawing on the themes of nature and the environment and reflecting Their Majesties’ affection for the natural world.”
The King is world-renowned for his environmental activism.