The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla takes place today (6 May) and the latter was seen breaking tradition for the first time since the 18th century.
Traditionally, it’s typical of a monarch to commission a crown to mark their ascent to the throne.
However, to align with the current cost of living crisis, Camilla has decided to break away from the major royal tradition and has opted to wear Queen Mary’s 1911 coronation crown instead.
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According to Buckingham Palace, the decision was made in 'the interests of sustainability and efficiency'.
This is the first time that a Queen has refused a crown being commissioned for a coronation ceremony since the 18th century.
The last monarch to forgo royal tradition was Queen Caroline in 1727, who instead opted to wear a crown previously designed for James II’s second wife, Mary of Modena.
The crown that Camilla opted to wear in her coronation was commissioned when Queen Mary was crowned as Consort in 1911 alongside her husband, King George V.
Queen Mary’s Crown is said to have been inspired by Queen Alexandra’s Crown, the Consort of Edward VII.
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However, due to its controversial history, Queen Mary’s Crown has been altered with a few ‘minor changes’ for the new Queen Consort Camilla to wear at her coronation.
The original commission by Queen Mary featured the Koh-i-Noor diamond - a precious jewel which has caused significant diplomatic arguments between England and Asia over the years.
Countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan have all demanded that the diamond be returned to them, with the British government refusing to part ways with the grand prize.
Requests to recall the jewel come as many believe the diamond is a 'direct symbol of empire and conquest, and it is seen as highly inflammatory by many'.
In October 2022, a spokesperson for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said that including the diamond in the May coronation ceremony would, 'bring painful memories of the colonial past'.
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To avoid further controversy, the decision was made to remove the diamond from the crown that Camilla will wear, and instead be replaced with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds.
According to Buckingham Palace: “The [Cullinan] diamonds were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn by Her late Majesty as brooches.”
In addition to wearing Queen II’s Cullinan diamonds, Camilla will be also wearing the Robe of State which was made for Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony in 1953.
She will wear the robe when arriving at Westminster Abbey for the coronation on Saturday 6 May.
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Upon King Charles III’s head, you will see the St Edward’s Crown, which was originally designed for Charles II back in 1661.
St Edward’s Crown was also previously used for the coronations of James II in 1685 and William III in 1689.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Royal Family, Celebrity, Coronation, King Charles III, The Queen