Camilla Parker Bowles’ Coronation Crown Was Chosen With Sustainability in Mind
As the date of King Charles III’s coronation gets closer, Buckingham Palace is releasing details about what to expect from the ceremony. This includes which crown Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles will wear to the coronation.
Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles will wear Queen Mary’s crown
The king will wear the traditional St. Edward’s crown, which has been used to crown British monarchs since the 13th century. King Charles might not get a choice in what his crown looks like, but the queen consort is allowed to put her own spin on her headwear.
According to Buckingham Palace, Queen Camilla will wear a crown that was initially designed for Queen Mary in 1911. However, the queen consort has had the crown reset with jewels from the late Queen Elizabeth’s personal collection: the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds.
The Cullinan diamonds have a long royal history
The Cullinan diamonds have been seen by the public before. Queen Elizabeth often wore them in a brooch, valued at $50 million. All three gemstones were carved from the original Cullinan diamond, which is the largest rough diamond ever found.
The Cullinan was discovered in 1907 in a South African mine and was originally 3,106 carats. It has since been cut into nine large pieces and 96 smaller gems. Some of these have been used in other royal pieces, such as the Imperial Crown and King Edward VII’s scepter.
The pieces used for Queen Camilla’s crown, Cullinan III, IV, and V, weigh 94.4, 63.6, and 18.8 carats respectively. This isn’t the first time the Cullinan diamonds have been set in Queen Mary’s crown, either.
Cullinan III and IV were temporarily placed in the crown for the 1911 coronation. Cullinan V was set in Queen Mary’s crown for King George VI’s Coronation in 1937.
‘Sustainability’ played a major part in choosing Camilla Parker Bowles’ coronation crown
The palace stated that this is the first time “in recent history” a consort will use an existing crown for the coronation instead of commissioning a new one. This was a conscious choice on Queen Camilla and King Charles’ part.
Queen Elizabeth’s diamonds will also serve as a tribute to the late monarch and a nod to Queen Camilla’s “individual style.” However, there’s another reason the couple are not commissioning a new crown.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have made it clear that their reign will emphasize “sustainability and efficiency.” This means doing what they can to cut costs in the royals’ everyday life.
The king is also reportedly planning a slimmed down version of the monarchy, with one palace insider saying that this will mean “a narrower number of people living off the public purse,” according to the Financial Times].
King Charles is also dedicated to environmental causes and has stressed the importance of sustainability since the 1970s.
In 2020, he told Vanity Fair, “I am absolutely determined to be the defender of nature. Full stop. That’s what the rest of my life is going to be concerned with.”
