Yahoo Lifestyle Queen Consort Camilla's Coronation Crown, Explained
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If the coronation is basically a wedding, the queen consort’s crown officially covered her something old and something borrowed. In a nod to King Charles’s well-known zeal for sustainability and efficiency, Camilla’s crown was actually upcycled. She wore a repurposed crown that was originally designed for Queen Mary in 1911, marking the first time in recent history that a brand-new one wasn't commissioned for the occasion, according to Buckingham Palace.
What Will Camilla's Crown Look Like?
To personalize it for Camilla, Queen Mary’s crown was refreshed with a new design and stones—also borrowed, naturally—that pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. When it made its first appearance on Saturday, the upper portion had been redesigned, with four of its eight arches removed, per Buckingham Palace. As we suspected, the overall design looks similar to the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, which also has four arches. More on that historic piece and its current significance in a minute.
Camilla's crown gets its glitter from a 18.8 carat heart-shaped stone, one of the Cullinan V diamonds. Above it, at the peak of the crown, is the 94.4 carat pear-shaped 94.4 carat Cullinan III diamond, and below it is the 63.6 carat cushion-shaped Cullinan IV diamond. They are the centers of attention among the crown's 2,000-plus other smaller diamonds ("smaller," of course, being relative).
Cullinan III and IV had been part of the Queen Mary's crown's original design, along with 2,200 other smaller diamonds. They were fashioned into a brooch and given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 along with another brooch containing the Cullinan V diamonds. The late queen wore both brooches often, so adding them back has a sentimental meaning as well as a historical one. The Cullinan diamonds all are pieces of the largest diamond ever found, weighing over 3,000 carats.
Queen Mary in 1911 (left) and 1937 (right).
The Koh-i-noor Controversy
Also key is what Camilla’s crown doesn't feature: the controversial oval brilliant-cut 105-carat Koh-i-noor diamond, which was the star of Queen Mary’s crown as it was originally designed by Garrard & Co., the Crown Jeweler at the time. The legendary gem, whose name translates from Persian as “mountain of light,” emerged in India at least 800 years ago and passed through many, many hands until it came into Queen Victoria’s. It is said to be cursed such that only women—queen consorts in particular—can wear it safely. Today, many demand it to be returned to South Asia.
The stone was removed from Queen Mary’s crown and set in that of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and consort to King George VI, prior to his coronation in 1937, according to The British National Trust. Some expected Camilla to wear that crown since Elizabeth is her immediate predecessor in the role of queen consort. The decision to go with Queen Mary’s crown instead allowed the royal family to sidestep the controversy somewhat.
Queen Mary’s crown was removed from public display in the Tower of London back in February for the modifications to be done, per Buckingham Palace. The refreshed design was carried out by Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby, of Mappin & Webb, who was appointed by the late queen in 2017.
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