London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

King Charles Coronation: What will he wear for the ceremony?

King Charles Coronation: What will he wear for the ceremony?

We know the date, the time, most of the guest list - and now we know the outfit.

The heavy and priest-like golden robes King Charles III will wear for his Coronation have been revealed.

During the service, the King will put on layer upon layer of glittering vestments, some of which were created for his great-grandfather George V.

Prince William will help during the service by placing a ceremonial robe on his father.

The Imperial Mantle, seen here, is meant to symbolise the divine nature of kingship


For the crowning, King Charles will be given a long shimmering gold-sleeved coat to wear called the Supertunica.

The robe was created for George V in 1911 and has been worn at successive coronations including by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

It weighs about 2kg (4.4lb), is made of cloth of gold - silk thread wrapped in thin pieces of gold or silver gilt metal - and is embroidered with stylised arabesques and floral motifs.

Layered on top of the Supertunica, there will be a floor-length cloak called the Imperial Mantle, or Robe Royal, which was made for George IV in 1821 - it weighs 3-4kg (6.6-8.8lb).

The mantle, which fastens across the chest with a golden eagle clasp, is inspired by ancient coronation ensembles and its priest-like style is meant to symbolise the divine nature of kingship.

Made of cloth of gold, it is embellished with motifs including fleur-de-lis, as well as imperial eagles, and national floral emblems of red-pink roses, blue thistles and green shamrocks.

It has been worn by previous monarchs including Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation in 1953.

The Imperial Mantle fastens across the chest with this golden eagle clasp


The weight of the ceremonial robes comes on top of the crown which weighs about 2.23kg (nearly 5lbs).

The robes are reminiscent of the coronation ceremony, explained Caroline de Guitaut, deputy surveyor of the King's Works of Art at the Royal Collection Trust.

"They have clearly incredible historic significance, but they're also significant because of the sacred nature of their use during the investiture part of the coronation ceremony," she said.

The garments are usually kept in the Tower of London and form part of the coronation regalia.

It is tradition for recent monarchs to reuse garments, just as King Charles is, but they usually have a new coronation sword belt and glove to be used during the ceremony.

But in a move aimed at making the event more sustainable, the King has decided to reuse the belt and glove worn by his grandfather George VI - the last male monarch.

"It was the King's personal decision", said Ms de Guitaut, adding that the items remain in "remarkable condition".

"And it's in keeping with this idea of sustainability and efficiency to reuse these pieces," she added.

The sword belt from 1937, also known as the Coronation Girdle, is made of embroidered cloth of gold and has a gold buckle stamped with national emblems.

During the investiture, it will be placed around the King's waist, over the Supertunica, and has a gold clip used for briefly attaching the jewelled Sword of Offering, which symbolises being able to decide between good and evil.

Meanwhile, the single coronation glove, also known as the Coronation Gauntlet, will go on King Charles' right hand while he holds the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross during the crowning.

It is made of white leather and the large cuff is embroidered in the form of national emblems including the Tudor rose, thistle, shamrock, oak leaves and acorns. The back of the hand has an embroidered ducal coronet above the coat of arms of the family of the Dukes of Newcastle.

The garments are usually kept in the Tower of London and form part of the coronation regalia.

King Charles decided to recycle the Coronation Gauntlet worn by his grandfather George VI


King Charles will arrive at Westminster Abbey in George VI's crimson red Robe of State which he will remove for his anointing.

Then for the investiture he will put on a sleeveless white garment called the Colobium Sindonis - Latin for shroud tunic - and will also be given a long, narrow embroidered band of gold silk which goes around the shoulders, known as the Coronation Stole.

At the end of the service, the King will change into George VI's purple Robe of Estate to leave the Abbey.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×