Lcrown too heavy and the carriage uncomfortable. In 2018, in the only interview ever granted, Queen Elizabeth confessed to the BBC that the journey by carriage to Westminster Abbey the day of the coronation had been “horrible” and that with the imperial crown on his head he was afraid of “breaking his neck”.
He didn’t exaggerate: St Edward’s Crown weighs two kilos and 200 grams.It has 444 semi-precious stones, including 277 pearls, 18 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. To get used to it, Elizabeth had practiced keeping it for days, indoors in the rooms of Buckingham Palace. This time, on May 6, Charles III, the oldest sovereign ever to ascend the throne of England (he is 74 years old), will wear it.
His coronation falls short one month from the 70th anniversary of that of Queen Elizabeth II (ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, but the ceremony was celebrated on June 2, 1953). And it will also mark the transition to a “leaner” monarchy: there are “just” two thousand guests against Elizabeth II’s eight thousand.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the ceremony will follow tradition but express “the spirit of our times” and “the role of today’s monarch, looking to the future”. The whole operation was code-named the Golden Orb, a reference to one of the Crown Jewels that will be placed in Charles’ hands on that solemn day.
Coronation of Charles III, pomp and magnificence
What is certain is that not to be missed for the coronation of Charles III will be precisely that “pomp and circumstances”the pomp, of which the British are absolute masters, as seen last September 19 with the direction of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
On the other hand this ceremony – which has been repeated since the Middle Ages – over the centuries has always had the sole purpose of showing the subjects the magnificence of the empire. And then crowns, sceptres, jewels. The symbols of the monarchy.
And patience if a French chronicler defined the coronation of Elizabeth II an “operetta” event: on May 6, the eyes of the world will still stop on live TV on the couple who in the 90s made people talk more for their scandalous clandestine love story than anything else.
«The glitz is just what I expect from such an event, also because it ultimately defines its magic» comments Enrica Roddolo, journalist of the Corriere della Sera and author of Charles III. The King’s Heart and Duty (Cairo).
“All the Crown Jewels will be brought out and it will truly be an absolute spectacle to see what the Windsors will wear. Each jewel will shine in its own light and tell a particular story”.
Crowns and scepter for Charles III
The crowns and scepter alone, kept in the Tower of London, alone are worth $3.8 billionthe. «They are unique objects that represent the powers and responsibilities of the monarch» continues Roddolo.
“So solemn that no one ever thought for one moment of stealing them. We have never witnessed a theft of precious “royals”. Not even when Elizabeth II “lost” for a few hours her three strings of pearls – a gift from her father, King George VI – just before getting married. A scrupulous valet had put it away safely.’
Queen Elizabeth, the coronation in 1953
The most solemn jewel it is precisely the crown of Saint Edward that will be placed on the head of Charles III when he will be crowned in Westminster Abbey, as per tradition.
It was accomplished in 1661 for Charles II and is a copy of the one that was used in medieval times. It is made up of an ermine base surmounted by four crosses alternating with four lilies on which the arches supporting a globe with a Cross Patent stand out.
It is considered such a relic that after the investiture, before leaving Westminster, Charles III will have to take it off to put on the Imperial State Crown, the second most important jewel of the Crown Treasury, why sovereigns wear it during the opening ceremony of Parliament and for greeting the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Why will Charles III wear two crowns at the ceremony?
The Imperial State Crown consists of 2868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubiesthe. No less precious is the Cross of Wales which will be carried in procession: it contains two fragments of the relic of the True Cross, donated by Pope Francis as an ecumenical sign to England.
Charles III will also hold two sceptres in his hands, that of St. Edward and the Sovereign’s Sceptre, i.e. the “Sceptre of the Dove”, made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. The Archbishop of Canterbury will finally give him the Sovereign’s Orb.
Carlo and Camilla with Angela Merkel (Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The globe is a sphere composed of 375 pearls, 365 diamonds, 18 rubies, 9 emeralds, 9 sapphires, 1 amethyst and 1 glass stone.
It represents the role of defender of religion attributed to the sovereign. A triumph. Camilla’s “recycled” crown «But the real novelty will be Camilla’s crown. As is known, she will no longer wear the famous and controversial Koh-iNoor diamond disputed between India and the United Kingdom »spiesga historian Marina Minelli, author of the forthcoming book, The Queen’s Jewels, content creator and royal influencer.
Camilla’s crown
In order not to create friction, Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Camilla will “recycle” the one received in 1911 by Queen Mary at her coronation, modified with the addition of diamonds from Elizabeth II’s collection.
Emphasizing that “it is the first time in recent history that a new crown has not been created for the coronation, a choice made in the name of sustainability and efficiency”.
«Let’s say that it was a smart, coherent and “low cost” choice also because, frankly, it was unthinkable from an economic point of view to create another one.
The crown will be decorated with Cullinan diamonds, stones particularly dear to Elizabeth II who loved to wear them often as brooches. I’m curious to see how it will be modified for Camilla. Just as I’m curious to see if you will wear the Diamond Diadem as you leave Westminster »underlines Minelli.
It alone contemplates 1333 diamonds.
The crown of discord: the famous Koh-i-noor (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The Queen’s Anxiety
Meanwhile, in the corridors of Buckingham Palace, it is said that Camilla too – like Elizabeth II – has spent the last few months continuously experimenting with the Art Deco-style crown to make sure she can wear it with ease during the procession (and guarantee the tightness of her hair ).
In particular, he made incessant tests with his trusted hair stylist.The sovereign is also concerned by the quantity of oil that the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will officiate the rite, will apply to her forehead during the sacred anointing ceremony.
A secret blend based on sesame oil and perfumed essences, which constitutes another potential risk for her hairstyle, even if in a phase of the ceremony that will remain hidden from the public.
London indifferent to the coronation of Charles III
Meanwhile, London is preparing for the big day with street parties and souvenirs (in Bletchley Park anyone named Carlo and Camilla will enter for free). The feeling, however, is that there isn’t, after all, much interest.
«The polls published a few days ago say so. Two thirds of the British, ie two out of three, do not find the coronation a particularly significant event. Among young people, euphoria is even scarce,” says Luigi Ippolito, London correspondent of the Corriere della Sera.
If nothing else, there is an extra public holiday for the British.
“The coronation comes at a time of economic difficulty for Britain. The ceremony itself was scaled down to a more restrained measure than it was seventy years ago. At the time there had been 45,000 soldiers, this time only 6,000.
The procession for Elizabeth had been seven and a half kilometers long, now it will be less than two kilometers so as not to disturb Londoners’ Saturdays. During the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, 16,000 street picnics were organised, to date there are officially a few hundred» he continues.
Charles III: Is not my King
«Then there is the fact that compared to the coronation of Elizabeth II there was a 27-year-old girl who ascended the throne after the war, the atmosphere was one of hope, a blank page on which to project dreams. Now we are faced with a 74-year-old gentleman who does not inspire enthusiasm, divisive and polarizing, not surprisingly where he goes he finds protesters shouting “Not my King”.
35 percent of the British no longer want the monarchy. And last but not least, Charles III angered several aristocratic peers by not inviting them to the ceremony» concludes Ippolito.
Among the excellent excluded are Charles Spencer, brother of Lady Diana, and Lady Pamela Hicks, cousin of the king (her father, the first Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was uncle of Prince Philip).
Not only is Hicks one of only two surviving bridesmaids from the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947, she saw her crowningboth George VI and Elizabeth II. It seems that the king has apologized to her.
Charles Spencer instead “let off steam” in the podcast Rabbit Hole Detectives leading with historian Cat Jarman.
He spun anecdotes about the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 which was then described as a ‘catastrophe’.
Not only was the sovereign awakened by the cannons at four in the morning, but she had to put up with forty-five minutes of traffic due to the arrival of her subjects from all over the country.
The ceremonial lasted four hours and when he tried to take refuge in a room, he chose the wrong one: it was the catering room, with waiters serving sandwiches and tea. God Save the King, then, long live Charles III, as they say in these cases. He has problems to solve.
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