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For King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday (May 6), Buckingham Palace has framed his choice not to have some ceremonial clothing made for the occasion as a nod to his long-standing interest in environmental preservation.
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With a royal closet spanning centuries, Britain’s new monarch doesn’t need new clothes. Charles will be re-using some garments that have appeared at coronations since 1821, in styles dating back to the Middle Ages, “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” the Palace said on Monday.
Yet, much like with fashion, the impact of Charles’ thrifting on the coronation’s sustainability footprint—with all the plastic bunting, the miles-long procession, the 2000 VIP guests, many of whom will likely have bought new clothes for the event—will be marginal at best.
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The Imperial Mantle
Much of the coronation outfit is based on priestly robes, allegedly as a reminder of the divine nature of kingship, according to the Royal Collection Trust. The Imperial Mantle, the outermost garment, has been worn by four monarchs before Charles. It was sewn by a tailor named John Meyer in the 1820s, who embroidered it with foliage, crowns, fleur-de-lis, eagles, colored roses, thistles and shamrock.
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The coronation glove
Unlike his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who had a new glove sewn for her coronation, Charles is reusing his grandfather King George VI’s coronation glove from 1937.
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Only one glove is worn on the right hand, to remind the king to go easy on raising taxes (which pay for the coronation, estimated to cost between £50 million to £100 million).
But should the gilt embroidery snag, or the white kidskin leather become stained, the Worshipful Company of Glovers, a trade organization founded in 1349, keeps a spare.
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The Supertunica
Under the Imperial Mantle (right) is another unisex golden vestment, the Supertunica. While this particular robe was made for King George V coronation in 1911, it is designed after medieval versions, and has been worn by him, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, and again during Saturday’s ceremony.
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A borrowed belt and base layers
It will be difficult to see under all the robes, but beneath the supertunica, Charles will be reusing his great-grandfather’s colobium sindonis, a sleeveless, white linen dress, rather than having a new one made. He will also use the same sword belt as King George VI, third from the right in the photo above.
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Heirloom crown
Less of a reused item than an heirloom expected to be dusted off for these occasions, Charles will be crowned with the same headpiece as his mother. The St. Edward’s crown weighs about 5 pounds, is made of solid gold, semi-precious stones, a puff of purple velvet, and a strip of flecked fur of ermine, a type of weasel.
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The crown is 362 years old, and was made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661, using the same, melted-down gold as the crown worn by Charles I. The original Charles was beheaded in 1649, presumably casting an inauspicious shadow on his headpiece that subsequent monarchs did not want to evoke.
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