The Queen Consort Camilla’s choice of jewel-encrusted crown for the coronation has been removed from the Tower of London to be resized.
The crown, worn by Queen Mary, will be worn during the ceremony on May 6 for the first time in recent history. It’s the first time that a consort has opted to reuse an existing crown rather than commission a new one.
The palace said Camilla’s choice was
in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.”
Camilla will be making some
minor changes and additions…in keeping with the longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion.”
The Queen Consort will honor her mother-in-law by resetting the crown with some diamonds – the Cullinan III, IV and V – from the late monarch’s personal collection. The Cullinan diamonds have been set into Queen Mary’s Crown before, and they were often repurposed by Queen Elizabeth II as brooches.
Camilla is also NOT using the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond, a 105-carat jewel set into the Queen Mother’s crown, which has been the source of a decades-long contention between India and the UK amid questions over its ownership.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, there was speculation Camilla would use that crown during her coronation, sparking renewed calls from people in India to return the diamond.
King Charles III will wear the St Edward’s Crown when he is officially declared as the King during his Coronation. This will be the first and only time that Charles will wear this particular crown. It was originally made for the coronation of the Charles II in 1661. The crown was also worn by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
King Charles will also wear the Imperial State Crown during the Coronation service and according to Historic Royal Palaces, the Imperial State Crown is made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies. The crown contains some of the most famous jewels in the collection. These include the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Stuart Sapphire, and the Cullinan II diamond.
The Imperial State Crown was originally made for the coronation of King George VI in 1937, replacing the crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838.
Camilla's coronation crown will not include the Koh-i-Noor diamond, Buckingham Palace has announced. The Koh-i-Noor, pictured here in a crown made for Queen Elizabeth, has long been a jewel in British crowns — and, to many, a symbol of colonial larceny. https://t.co/Mz6Z2c9e27 pic.twitter.com/5iYYSiV4NM
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 15, 2023
