London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Nov 23, 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
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
Zelenskyy Signals Progress Toward Ending the War: ‘One of the Hardest Moments in History’ (end of his business model?)
U.S. Issues Alert Declaring Venezuelan Airspace a Hazard Due to Escalating Security Conditions
The U.S. State Department Announces That Mass Migration Constitutes an Existential Threat to Western Civilization and Undermines the Stability of Key American Allies
Students Challenge AI-Driven Teaching at University of Staffordshire
Pikeville Medical Center Partners with UK’s Golisano Children’s Network to Expand Pediatric Care
Germany, France and UK Confirm Full Support for Ukraine in US-Backed Security Plan
UK Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods Face Rising Backlash as Pandemic Schemes Unravel
UK Records Coldest Night of Autumn as Sub-Zero Conditions Sweep the Country
UK at Risk of Losing International Doctors as Workforce Exodus Grows, Regulator Warns
ASU Launches ASU London, Extending Its Innovation Brand to the UK Education Market
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit China in January as Diplomatic Reset Accelerates
Google Launches Voluntary Buyouts for UK Staff Amid AI-Driven Company Realignment
UK braces for freezing snap as snow and ice warnings escalate
Majority of UK Novelists Fear AI Could Displace Their Work, Cambridge Study Finds
UK's Carrier Strike Group Achieves Full Operational Capability During NATO Drill in Mediterranean
Trump and Mamdani to Meet at the White House: “The Communist Asked”
Nvidia Again Beats Forecasts, Shares Jump in After-Hours Trading
Wintry Conditions Persist Along UK Coasts After Up to Seven Centimetres of Snow
UK Inflation Eases to 3.6 % in October, Opening Door for Rate Cut
UK Accelerates Munitions Factory Build-Out to Reinforce Warfighting Readiness
UK Consumer Optimism Plunges Ahead of November Budget
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
×