Charles III was formally crowned King on Saturday at a solemn religious ceremony held at Westminster Abbey in London. Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth II to the British throne after she passed away in September of last year. The Royal family claims that three crowns were used at the King’s coronation. King Charles wore the St. Edward’s Crown and the Imperial State Crown, and Queen Camilla was adorned by the Queen Mary’s crown.
St. Edward’s Crown
The Archbishop of Canterbury placed this crown on the King’s head at the moment of coronation. This was actually constructed for King Charles II in 1661 in the replacement for the mediaeval crown, which had been melted down in 1649. Charles III’s mother, Elizabeth II, was crowned with it for the final time in 1953.
St. Edward’s Crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band and weighs 2.2 kgs is composed of a solid gold frame adorned with tourmalines, garnets, topazes, amethysts, and rubies.
Imperial State Crown
On ceremonial events like the State Opening of Parliament, the Imperial State Crown is worn. It weighs 1.06 kg with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies are used in its design. This is the the second-largest stone extracted from the Cullinan diamond, which the Royal Collection Trust claims to be the largest diamond ever unearthed, is the Cullinan II diamond, which is apparent in the crown.
Queen Mary’s Crown
Camilla was adorned by Queen Mary’s crown making it the first occasion in recent history that a queen consort was crowned with an existing crown. Tower of London withdrew Queen Mary’s crown from its exhibit so that it might be altered for Camilla. The Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds, which were a part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection, were used in the crown’s modifications, along with the removal of four of its eight detachable arches for a distinctive appearance. The Kohinoor diamond, a famed gem will not be displayed in her crown. Since India has sought its return, the BBC reports that “there were concerns about a diplomatic row with India if it had been used.”