As the coronation approaches, we've been looking into what King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort will be expected to wear during the ceremony. While King Charles III will be wearing a set of coronation robes and a solid gold crown, the St Edward’s Crown, worn by monarchs upon their coronation since 1661 - the Queen Consort, who will become Queen Camilla after the coronation, may be wearing something a little more understated.
For the day of the coronation, which is to be held on 6 May, Camilla, Queen Consort will be wearing an adapted version of Queen Mary's Crown. The piece in question will be a more pared-back affair, having been significantly reduced in size with some of the arches removed which, according to the Palace, will give ‘a different impression’.
However, size and structure aside, the crown will have a deeper meaning. In honour of the late Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in September 2022, Camilla's crown will now include three diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection, all cut from the 3,106-carat gem that was gifted to the royal family by the South African government.
In a statement made back in February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II said: 'When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me. And it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.' The now-King Charles then issued his own statement stating his gratitude for his mother's support, adding: 'We are deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother’s wish.'
As more details of the coronation unfold, one thing is for certain, it is set to be a truly sparking event.
SEE: The Most Beautiful Royal Family Jewellery
1 of 24The Queen Mary Russian Fringe tiara
For her wedding day on 20 November 1947, Queen Elizabeth II wore her grandmother's Russian Fringe tiara.
2 of 24The Queen Mary Russian Fringe Tiara
She's worn it several times since and so too as Princess Anne, who, in what must have been a great moment of nostalgia for her mother, wore it on her wedding day to Mark Phillips in 1973.
3 of 24The Queen Mary Russian Fringe tiara
As well as borrowing one of her grandmother's dresses for her nuptials, Princess Beatrice wore the very same diamond tiara that Queen Elizabeth II wore on her wedding day in November 1947.
4 of 24Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
If rumours are to be believed, the royal family didn't approve of the engagement ring chosen by Princess Diana. According to Brides, she picked the ring, with its stunningly big sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, from the House of Garrard. The problem was that it also appeared in the jeweler's catalogue, which meant that anyone with enough money (£47,000 to be precise) could technically have bought it.
5 of 24Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
Prince William inherited his mother's engagement ring - and it reappeared on the announcement of his engagement to Kate Middleton on 16 November 2010.
6 of 24Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring
Meghan Markle made headlines in June 2019 after altering her engagement ring, swapping gold for a diamond band. While the ring itself is new, commissioned by Prince Harry from Cleave & Company, who hold a royal warrant for the design, manufacture and supply of insignia, the twin stones sitting either side of the central diamond belonged to Princess Diana.
7 of 24The Four-Strand Pearl Choker
Queen Alexandra, Queen Victoria's daughter-in-law, actually started the trend for ornate chokers in Edwardian England. She wore them to cover a small scar and it's become something of a royal family signature.
8 of 24The Four-Strand Pearl Choker
Kate Middleton wore the pearl choker to celebrate the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's 70th wedding anniversary in November 2017.
9 of 24The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
For her wedding day on 12 October 2018, Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara made by Boucheron, a piece, according to Vogue, that was actually gifted to the Queen Mother on the death of Dame Margaret Greville.
10 of 24The Nizam Of Hyderabad Necklace
This diamond necklace from Cartier was one of Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gifts, not from her betrothed but from the Nizam of Hyderabad.
11 of 24The Nizam Of Hyderabad Necklace
Princess Kate, wearing a Jenny Packham ball gown with a criss-cross neckline that needed something seriously bedazzled, borrowed the necklace for a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in 2014.
12 of 24Queen Mary’s Emerald And Diamond Choker
Princess Diana's fashion sense has become the stuff of legend, and it's not hard to see why when you look at how effortlessly she repurposed Queen Mary's emerald and diamond choker, looping it around her forehead for a visit to Melbourne, Australia, in 1985.
13 of 24The Spencer Tiara
She's also wearing the Queen Mary emerald and diamond choker here, but this time with the addition of the Spencer tiara, the heirloom that, according to The Court Jeweller, was worn by all three daughters (Jane, Sarah and Diana) on their wedding days. Princess Diana subsequently wore it on numerous occasions, and is pictured here at a banquet in Mayfair's Claridge's Hotel in 1988.
14 of 24The Maple Leaf Brooch
It's customary for the state visit wardrobe to reflect the country it's visiting (green in Ireland, tartan in Scotland etc), hence why several members of the royal family have pinned this maple leaf brooch on their lapels for visits to Canada. According to The Crown Chronicle, it belonged to the Queen Mother, who wore it on the 1930 tour to Canada and subsequently lent it to Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla, Queen Consort and the Duchess of Cambridge.
15 of 24The Maple Leaf Brooch
Kate Middleton wore the maple leaf brooch for a visit to the the Calgary Zoo in 2011.
16 of 24The Cartier Halo Tiara
The Cartier halo tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift on her 18th birthday and now holds a special place in the royal family's collection.
17 of 24The Cartier Halo Tiara
The tiara crowning Princess Kate's half-up-half-down 'do for her wedding day in April 2011.
18 of 24The Delhi Durbar Necklace
This necklace, set with nine emeralds owned by Queen Mary's grandmother and an 8.8 carat Cullinan VII diamond, was part of a collection made for Queen Mary's appearance at the Delhi Durbar. According to the Royal Collection Trust, this was a ceremony marking King George V's succession as King Emperor of India in 1911.
19 of 24The Delhi Durbar Necklace
Queen Elizabeth II has worn the necklace on several occasions, often pairing it with the emerald and diamond Vladimir tiara or, as pictured here, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.
20 of 24The Lover's Knot Tiara
This hanging pearl and diamond tiara was crafted by the House of Garrard, the crown jeweller, more than 100 years ago.
21 of 24The Lover's Knot Tiara
The lover's knot tiara has since been worn by the Princess of Wales, pictured here at a state banquet in June 2019.
22 of 24The Queen Mary Bandeau Tiara
Meghan Markle's only worn one tiara as the Duchess of Sussex, the understated bandeau-style that she chose on her wedding day. It complemented the clean lines of her Givenchy gown to perfection and belonged to the Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary.
23 of 24The Girls Of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
This tiara takes its name, according to The Court Jeweller, from the committee of women who gifted the diamond design, made by the House of Garrard in 1893, to Queen Mary when she married.
24 of 24The Girls Of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
The heirloom was subsequently passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who, according to the Royal Collection Trust, can be seen wearing it on our currency, specifically the £20 note.