King Charles' coronation: What Royal family members are expected to wear on historic day

As the Britons inch closer to the historic coronation of King Charles III, speculations about what the new British monarch and his family members will be donning are doing rounds. While Buckingham Palace has given hints about what robes the King and the Queen Consort will be wearing, there is little known about what the royal family members are going to wear. 

The coronation, which is scheduled to take place on May 6, will become more significant since the last time the people of Britain saw a UK monarch getting coronated was back in 1953 with the coronation of Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II. Another interesting fact to mention is that the UK remains the only modern European monarchy that hosts coronation with other nations opting for small-scale church services and an inauguration ceremony. 

According to Vogue, for the historic ceremony, the British monarch has expressed the desire for the ceremony to reflect Charle’s philanthropic interests that focus on environmental sustainability and celebrate the ethnically diverse Britain. As per the fashion magazine, the king insisted his guests “dress down” for the occasion. While little is known about what the Royal family will wear at the event, here is a look at what they might end up wearing for the highly anticipated event. 

What will the King and Queen Consort wear?

When it comes to the coronation, Buckingham Palace has already revealed that the King will wear the famous  St. Edward’s Crown and Imperial State Crown before and during the ceremony, respectively. The palace had also revealed that Charles will also carry the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, the Sceptre with Dove, and the Sovereign’s Orb during the ceremony. When it comes to the robe, the UK monarch will wear two robes, the Robe of the State ( Before the crowning) and the Robe of Estate (After the crowning). Charles will re-wear the robes worn by his mother Queen Elizabeth II and his grandfather King George VII. The erstwhile monarchs wore the robes during their respective coronation ceremonies in 1953 and 1937 respectively. According to Vogue, Charles will also re-wear the coronation glove and sword belt worn by George VI a century prior.  

Britain's Prince Charles, right, and Camilla at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Image: AP

At the coronation ceremony, the news Queen Consort Camilla will wear the  Queen Mary’s Crown. This will mark the first time in British history that a queen consort will re-wore a crown for a coronation, instead of going for a coronation piece. The palace said that the decision was taken in the light of keeping the monarch’s motto in mind, i.e. “Sustainability and efficiency”. The queen consort is also expected to wear the Robe of State which was originally crafted for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. 

The team conserves the old British emblem gracing the robe of the UK monarch, Image: Royal.uk 

Will the UK royalties wear tiaras and crowns? 

Regarding what the members of the royal family will wear is still not that known, speculations are emerging that the family might go without tiaras for the day. Earlier this month, reports emerged that the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton will go for a flower crown instead of diamond headpieces. If the ladies of the royal family, i.e. Princess Royal Anne, Kate, Sophie, Beatrice, Eugenie and Anne do wear tiaras, they will be from their personal collections. The tiaras and crowns will be similar to the ones they wore at their respective weddings. 

Britain's King Charles III, Camilla the Queen Consort, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Kate Princess of Wales and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, sit, during the 'Together at Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.

When it comes to the clothes the royal family will wear, Buckingham Palace has made it clear that the members of the royal family will adhere to the “standard business attire” dress code. According to Vogue, there are chances that the Princess of Wales will choose one of her favourite British designers Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham or Emilia Wickstead. However, nothing is confirmed on that front. During a visit to Birmingham earlier this month, Middleton hinted that she might wear “something blue” at the event. Overall, the coronation of King Charles III has become one of the most anticipated events in British history.