Members of the British royal family and guests wore a variety of brightly colored outfits at the coronation of Charles III as King of Britain on Saturday. The attire ranged from traditional robes to elegant headpieces, filling Westminster Abbey in London with a mix of colors and designs.
The king arrived at the church in the official velvet attire worn by his grandfather, King George VI, at his coronation in 1937, consisting of a crimson jacket over a cream silk coat paired with dark blue royal trousers. He later changed into the formal garb worn by his ancestors at their coronations, which included a long silk robe, a coronation sword belt, and an above it a golden cloak originally made for the coronation of George IV in 1821, the oldest outfit in the ceremony. On his right hand, he wore a white embroidered leather glove at the wrist with golden threads. Charles was crowned with the historic St. Edward's Crown used since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661.
Queen Consort Camilla wore the official robe originally made for the late Queen Elizabeth for her coronation in 1953, over an ivory dress adorned with silver and gold floral embroidery by British designer Bruce Oldfield. Both left the church in a formal purple outfit. Charles donned the attire worn by George VI, while the Royal School of Needlework designed Camilla's dress, which featured nature-inspired embroidery. Buckingham Palace noted, "For the first time, insects including bees, butterflies, beetles, and ladybugs appear on the robe, derived from themes about nature and the environment reflecting Their Majesties' love for the natural world."
Prince William and Duchess Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, donned formal robes over their clothes; the heir to the throne wore the uniform of the Welsh Guards while his wife adorned her head with a silver and crystal leaf-shaped tiara. The Princess of Wales and her daughter Charlotte wore ivory silk dresses embellished with motifs of roses, thorns, daffodils, and clover, symbolizing the four countries of the United Kingdom, designed by Alexander McQueen, the same symbol Catherine chose for her wedding dress in 2011.
In a tribute to the late Princess Diana, Catherine wore diamond earrings that belonged to her, and in a further homage to Queen Elizabeth, she wore a necklace that was owned by the queen and commissioned by King George VI in 1950 for Elizabeth. Charles' siblings wore traditional robes while his brother's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara, and Lady Louise wore dresses or coats in fuchsia or blue, or fabrics embroidered with flowers.
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles, who no longer has royal duties, wore morning attire. The church was also filled with colorful wide-brimmed hats and headpieces in fuchsia, orange, and red.
