Coronation of King Charles: The royals wear historic robes, and guests don bold colours

LONDON (Reuters) – From traditional gowns to elegant headdresses, the royal family and guests donned an array of colorful outfits for the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III on Saturday, filling Westminster Abbey in London with a mishmash of color and design.

The monarch arrived in the crimson velvet state robe worn by his grandfather, King George VI, at his coronation in 1937, a crimson coronation tunic and cream silk shirt with royal navy trousers.

He devolved into the ceremonial regalia his predecessors wore to be crowned: the all-gold silk Supertunica coat, coronation girdle with sword, and even more so, the Imperial Mantle of Gold cloth, originally made for the coronation of George IV in 1821 and the oldest in service.

He put a white embroidered leather glove on his right hand.

Charles was crowned with the historic St. Edward’s Crown, which has been in use since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661.

Queen Camilla arrived in a state robe made for the late Queen Elizabeth in 1953 in an ivory dress with silver and gold floral embroidery by British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield.

Both left the abbey in a purple gown from the estate—Charles, once worn by George VI and Camilla, is designed by the Royal School of Needlework and features nature-themed embroidery.

“For the first time, insects including bees, butterflies, beetles and caterpillars appear on the coronation robe, drawing inspiration from themes of nature and the environment and reflecting Their Majesties’ affection for the natural world,” Buckingham Palace said.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, wore robes and tunics over their outfits, with the heir to the throne in the ceremonial uniforms of the Welsh Guards and his wife in a headdress made of silver and crystal leaves in place of a crown.

She and her daughter Charlotte wore an ivory silk gown adorned with motifs of roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks – a nod to the UK’s four nations – designed by Alexander McQueen, the same label that Kate chose for her wedding dress in 2011.

She paid tribute to the late Princess Diana, who wore pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to her, and Queen Elizabeth, who wore a necklace that George VI ordered for her in 1950.

Charles’ siblings wore traditional robes, while his nieces – Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara and Lady Louise – wore dresses or coats of fuchsia, blue and floral, respectively.

His son Prince Harry, who no longer works in the royal family, wore morning dress.

Celebrity guests include actress Emma Thompson in a red coat with pink frills and American singer Katy Perry, who will attend the coronation ceremony in Windsor on Sunday, wearing a short-sleeved skirt suit with gloves and matching opera hat.

Veteran actresses Maggie Smith and Judi Dench chose different shades of blue. Singers Nick Cave and Lionel Richie, who were also performing at Sunday’s gala, wore black three-piece suits, while actor Stephen Fry added some color with a yellow waistcoat.

There was traditional clothing from across the Commonwealth and their peers wore red robes.

The killer-colored outfits were also made famous by the first ladies of the United States and France, Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron, who wore powder blue and pale pink outfits respectively, while Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska opted for a dress and coat-wise.

Fuchsia, orange and red hats and shawls littered the convent.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumushian) Editing by Alexandra Hudson

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