King Charles to Reuse Coronation Vestments Worn by Past Monarchs — Including His Mother Queen Elizabeth
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The royal plans to wear the historic garments in the interest of sustainability
As preparations continue for Saturday's coronation, King Charles is incorporating his passion for the environment and sustainability into the celebration.
At the moment he is officially crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Coronation Chair, King Charles will be wearing vestments worn by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, at her 1953 coronation.
The vestments date to coronations as far back as 1821.
But unlike other traditional elements of the crowning, King Charles' decision to reuse the historic items of clothing from the Royal Collection comes less from adherence to tradition and more from the monarch's desire to make a statement about sustainability.
"Although it is customary for the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle to be reused, His Majesty will also reuse the Colobium Sindonis, Coronation Sword Belt and Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather King George VI in the interests of sustainability and efficiency," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
"His Majesty will reuse vestments which featured in the Coronation Services of King George IV in 1821, King George V in 1911, King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, including the Colobium Sindonis, the Supertunica, the Imperial Mantle, the Coronation Sword Belt and the Coronation Glove."
The environment has been a concern of the monarch since the 1970s, and he has spoken out repeatedly on the topic.
"The climate crisis really is a genuine emergency, and tackling it is utterly essential," the King, 74, previously said.
"The situation is indeed dire and the consequences of inaction and business as usual are unimaginable," he has also said.
Reusing the Colobium Sindonis is a particularly significant move, as it's a simple white tunic that symbolizes "purity before God" and will be worn during the actual anointing, considered the most sacred part of the ceremony. Cameras were not allowed to photograph Queen Elizabeth's anointing, and a screen will be held up at King Charles' coronation for the private moment.
The Colobium Sindonis is covered by the full-length, gold-embroidered Supertunica, which was made for the coronation of King George V in 1911. It has since been worn by both George VI in 1937 and Elizabeth II in 1953.
On top of the Supertunica will be the Imperial Mantle and the Stole Royal. Also called the Robe Royal, the Imperial Mantle is a gold cloak that was originally made in 1821 for the coronation of George IV, according to the Royal Collection Trust. Its design is based on a priest's robe and features foliage, crowns, fleurs-de-lis and eagles, with colored roses, thistles and shamrocks found throughout. The golden clasp is in the shape of an eagle. It is the oldest robe in the coronation collection.
The Stole Royal is a narrow band of gold silk made for Queen Elizabeth's crowning in 1953. It was embroidered with national, religious and Commonwealth emblems in both gold and colored threads.
The Robe of State, which King Charles will wear when entering Westminster Abbey, and the Robe of Estate, which will be worn after he is crowned, also historical garments: The Robe of State is made of crimson velvet and was worn by King George VI, King Charles' grandfather, at his 1937 coronation. In preparation for the coronation, the Royal School of Needlework has conserved the velvet, with the lining and gold lace conserved by Ede and Ravenscroft.
The Robe of Estate, made of purple silk velvet embroidered in gold, was worn by King George VI in 1937.
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Uniting tradition with the unconventional decision to reuse historical garments is keeping in line with the monarch's earlier promise about the coronation, as Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry."
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