King Charles III to reuse historic garments worn by previous monarchs for coronation

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King Charles III to reuse historic garments worn by previous monarchs for coronation

The Buckingham Palace has revealed that some of the historical items King Charles III will be wearing for his coronation ceremony will be including items previously worn by his mother and grandfather for their own crowning moments.

The British monarch will be draped in a sleeved coat of gold cloth, known as the “Supertunica,” and the “Imperial Mantle” — a gold priestly-style robe, woven with colored threads — both worn by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for her own coronation in 1953.

These “vestment” pieces are just some of the intricate items that will make up the coronation robes worn during the ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London.

Both items are normally on display in the Tower of London and were last worn by Charles’ mother at her coronation.

“There’s a very long tradition of re-wearing these two pieces and that is what gives them their incredible symbolism and, of course, their great significance and sense of place in history,” Caroline de Guitaut, deputy surveyor of the King’s works of art for the Royal Collection Trust, told CNN ahead of the celebrations.

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The Coronation Vestments, comprising of the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle, which will be worn by Britain’s King Charles III during his coronation.

The full-length embroidered coat will be fastened at the waist with a “Coronation Sword Belt.” This belt is made of gold cloth and embroidered in gold thread. Lined in dark red silk, it has a gold buckle and clip used for attaching the jeweled “Sword of Offering” presented to the monarch during the ceremony.

Worn over the Supertunica is the large gold cloak called the Imperial Mantle, which was made for the 1821 coronation of King George IV and has been reused by British monarchs since. It is draped over the sovereign’s shoulders and trails on the ground at the side and back. Its intricate details include emblems of crowns and fleur-de-lis, plus colored roses, thistles and shamrock.

When it comes to accessories, King Charles will also have a “Coronation Gauntlet” – effectively a fancy white leather glove, embroidered with national emblems including the Tudor rose, thistle, shamrock, oak leaves and acorns.