King Charles III Will Reuse Some Historic Garments for His Coronation – Robb Report

Charles the King gives his royal garb for coronation a new twist.

The monarch who is an avid environmentalist has worn clothing from his predecessors’ royal families for decades. For the ceremony of May 6, he will reuse this attire. The Royal Household says the decision was made in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency.”

The vestments worn by His Majesty at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II will be historic ones that have been used in previous coronations, including those of King George IV (1821), King George V (1911), and King George VI ( 1937). While it’s customary to reuse the Supertunica or the Imperial Mantle for events, other pieces, such as the Colobium Sindonis (Coronation Sword Belt), Coronation Glove, and Colobium Sindonis will not be new.

Supertunica, also known as the Imperial Mantle is worn over the Supertunica. It is worn on top of the Supertunica. It is made from gold cloth and has embroidered crowns and eagles in silk, gold, or silver thread. Made for the coronation of George IV in 1821, the Imperial Mantle will be the oldest garment in Saturday’s ceremony.

Charles will also wear the Colobium Sindonis following his anointing. Made by Ede & Ravenscroft, the white linen tunic was first worn by George VI at his crowning in 1937. That’s not the only piece Charles has borrowed from his grandfather, either. He will wear the same glove and belt that his father wore for his coronation.

Dents made the Coronation Glove or Gauntlet in 1937. The gauntlet has a white exterior leather and a satin red lining. It was also embroidered with gilt metal thread, wire, and spangles by the folks at Edward Stillwell & Company. The glove is adorned with an array of national emblems such as the Tudor Rose, thistle, shamrock, oak leaves, and acorns, as well as a ducal coronet and the Dukes of Newcastle’s coat of arms.

“We’ve got this wonderful, sustainable, eco-friendly king who’s reusing something rather than having a new glove,” Deborah Moore, the chief executive of glovemaker Dents, told Reuters. “It’s also a little bit of heritage, a bit of looking back to the past for our very modern king.”

This belt, which is also called the Girdle or Coronation Sword Belt in English, has been made again from gold cloth, and it’s embroidered with gold threads. There are arabesques on this belt, as well as scrolls. This belt features a gold clasp with embossed national symbols, and also a clip in gold for the ceremonial blade.

It’s not like Charles is slumming it with such extravagant hand-me-downs, but the choice to recycle pieces is certainly a nice sentiment.