More than 500 years of tradition have been set aside for the historic ceremony on May 6
The Duke of Edinburgh pays tribute to his wife, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II, at her coronation ceremony in 1953(
More than 500 years of tradition have been cast aside for the historic coronation of King Charles in robes that will now be banned.
The new monarch has decided to jettison tradition by telling colleagues to leave their lavish coronation robes and crowns at home and come dressed in what amounts to a suit.
But the rule has drawn anger from some.
The robes and crowns worn at many coronations in recent centuries indicate ranks in the British peerage and date back to the 15th century, before being standardized in the 17th century.
But Charles, with advice from the government, wants the toned down dress code to match his desire for a more demure ceremony amid the cost of living crisis currently gripping the country.
The Royal Family photographed at Buckingham Palace after Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953(
“I am very sorry for the decision that has been made,” a hereditary colleague told the Telegraph. “Our robes go back to the 19th century and I would have been the fifth generation to wear them. It’s very sad.”
The floor-length flowing robes are made of crimson velvet trimmed and lined with white ermine, while the crowns are gilded silver circles, with an ermine band around the base, a crimson silk Genoa velvet lining and a gold tassel.
They were a colorful part of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, but will be all but absent on May 6 when the world watches as Charles officially becomes the new king.
Some crimson robes may be donned by sitting members of the House of Lords, but these are parliamentary robes traditionally worn at the opening of Parliament each year.
They are less lavish than coronation robes and do not include crowns, swords, pumps, breeches or an undercoat.
There are a few exceptions to the ruling, whereby senior colleagues involved in ceremonial roles in the service are allowed to wear their coronation robes, but very few colleagues have been invited to attend, with a guest list of around 2,000, which is more than 6,000. on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 70 years ago.
The robes vary according to the rank of the bearer in the British peerage system – in order, it reads: Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke. A duke’s circle has eight golden strawberry leaves, to a baron’s circle has six silver balls.
The fur collars also vary, with different black spot patterns on the ermine to denote rank.
Viscount Torrington, co-chair of the Hereditary Peerage Association, who has not been invited to the coronation, said: ‘It is a great shame. Ironically, the coronation robes are in a sense less flashy than the parliamentary robes, and I thought the idea was to make the ceremony less ostentatious, so coronation robes might have been better.
READ NEXT:
