The palace is plowing ahead with big plans for coronation day, which will not only involve King Charles II, but also Camilla, Queen Consort. In anticipation of the May 6 event, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday, Feb. 14 that “Queen Mary’s Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London.”
The decision to use Queen Mary’s Crown “is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made.” The press release cited “the interests of sustainability and efficiency” as the reason for repurposing the ornate headwear, which mirrors Charles’ wishes to modernize the monarchy along with tightening the budget. With a challenging economy currently in the U.K., this is one way to make an opulent coronation look less fancy.
It looks like the royals are doing a bit of upcycling on the crown as well. Charles and Camilla are going to honor Queen Elizabeth II by have the piece “reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds,” which were some of the late monarch’s favorite jewels in her brooch collection. It’s a sweet way to make Elizabeth feel present at the momentous ceremony. King Charles will wear St. Edward’s Crown, which has already been prepped for the coronation.
Charles has already made moves to show that he’s looking to downsize and modernize the monarchy. Last month, he returned $1.2 billion in profits to the British taxpayers that were earned from green energy on the royal lands. Normally, these funds would go back into the Sovereign Grant, but this may be one way he hopes to keep the royal family in the good graces of the public, especially those who are looking to abolish the monarchy.
Before you go, click here to see every single detail we know about King Charles III’s coronation so far.
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