It seems like only yesterday King Charles ascended to the throne following his mother’s heartbreaking death – and yet his May coronation is creeping ever closer… As the royal household starts to tick off items from their never-ending to-do list, the team at HELLO! is taking a closer look at some of the historica; coronation items that haven’t made the cut. Billed as a “solemn religious” event, Charles’ modernised coronation is expected to be a “reflection” of the monarch’s role in today’s society while being “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.
With that being said, the King has done away with a handful of outdated and – in some cases, controversial – items including coronation oil made using an ancient recipe, a sparkling diamond, an outdated outfit and a wedge of hefty gold. Keep scrolling to discover why these historic items have been axed…
King Charles’ coronation oil
In keeping with the times, King Charles’ holy anointing oil will be animal-cruelty free. Breaking from tradition, the father-of-two will be anointed with a new batch of oil made using olives harvested from groves on the Mount of Olives, the burial place of the King’s paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
The coronation oil features olive oil
The special liquid – which is based on the same recipe used for Queen Elizabeth II – does not include any of the controversial animal products typically used, such as civet oil and ambergris, also known as ‘whale vomit’ (a solid waxy substance found in the intestines of sperm whales).
Charles’ new ‘chrism oil’ will instead contain an ambrosial blend of rose, jasmine, cinnamon, orange blossom, sesame, benzoin and amber.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Archbishop of Canterbury will crown Charles
The holy oil was only recently made sacred in Jerusalems’ Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The oil was declared by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum.
In response to the newly crafted oil, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “Since beginning the planning for the Coronation, my desire has been for a new Coronation oil to be produced using olive oil from the Mount of Olives. This demonstrates the deep historic link between the Coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land.”
© Photo: Getty ImagesCharles and Camilla will have a joint coronation
The Koh-i-noor diamond
Back in February, Buckingham Palace announced that the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond will not feature in Charles and Camilla’s joint coronation. In lieu of the historic gem, Queen Camilla’s coronation crown will be embellished with diamonds from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection including the Cullinan III, IV and V.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe diamond will not feature in the coronation
Weighing a hefty 21.12g, the Koh-i-noor diamond is one of the largest-cut diamonds in the world and is reportedly worth between $140million to $400 million.
It was seized by the East India Company after its victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849, and was later given to Queen Victoria. The diamond has remained in the British Crown Jewels ever since.
The giant sparkler was first set in a cross at the front of Queen Mary’s crown when it was worn at her coronation in 1911. Nonetheless, it was later replaced by a replica in 1937 when the original was moved to the Queen Mother’s crown for her and George VI’s coronation.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen Mother’s crown
For the royal affair, Queen Camilla will don Queen Mary’s spectacular silver crown encrusted with 2,200 diamonds. This is the first time since the 18th Century that an existing crown will be used for the coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being created, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.
The traditional presentation of gold
King Charles’ coronation is set to be much shorter than his mother’s three-hour long service. Although the religious ceremony will feature the six core elements based on the sections contained in the Second Recension used in 973 for King Edgar: The recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture, the enthronement, and the homage, Charles has reportedly scrapped a handful of other outdated traditions.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Elizabeth II on her coronation day
Amongst these is the traditional presentation of gold. During the Queen’s 1953 ceremony, an ingot or wedge of gold was presented to her. In light of the cost-of-living crisis however, we anticipate that King Charles will ditch this extravagant ritual.
King Charles’ coronation outfit
In another break from tradition, His Majesty will reportedly wear his military outfit during his coronation in lieu of the traditional breeches and stockings worn by his predecessors.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKing Charles will break with tradition
If he does, this shakeup certainly adheres to the modernised coronation we’ve been promised and does well to reflect the monarch’s role in today’s society.
Despite steering clear of the breeches, King Charles is expected to wear several different sets of coronation robes. These include the Robe of State, the Shroud Tunic, the Supertunica, the Royal Robe and the Imperial Robe.
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