Camilla Parker Bowles, or the soon-to-be Queen Camilla, went deep into the royal family’s jewelry collection for her coronation crown. She’s wearing a crown previously worn by another queen consort in what a commentator has called a “smart move.”
Camilla Parker Bowles is wearing a repurposed version of the Queen Mary Crown to the coronation
“For the first time, rather than have a new crown designed, Camilla will repurpose an old one,” royal author Christopher Andersen told Marie Claire. “Don’t feel sorry for her. It’s one of the most spectacular pieces of jewelry in the world,” he said of the Queen Mary Crown.
The crown, “made for Charles’ great-grandmother Mary of Teck in 1911,” went off display at the Tower of London in February 2023 for “minor changes and additions.” The modifications reflect Camilla’s taste and some nods to Queen Elizabeth II in the form of diamonds.
Crown Jewellers reset the headpiece with the 94.4-carat Cullinan III diamond, the 63.6-carat Cullinan IV diamond, and the 18.8-carat heart-shaped Cullinan V diamond.
“These three breathtaking diamonds were favorites of Elizabeth II, who used to wear them as brooches,” the author of The King: The Life of Charles III said.
Four of the crown’s eight detachable “arches” have also been removed.
Repurposing the crown for Camilla dubbed a ‘smart’ and ‘more sustainable’ choice
Opting to wear the Queen Mary Crown rather than commissioning a new one is what Royally Obsessed podcast co-host Roberta Fiorito has called a “smart choice.”
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“They are maybe being more sustainable,” she said. The changes to the crown mean it will “still feel new to us. It feels like the smart choice.”
“Royals are so conscious that [the public] doesn’t feel another huge chunk of taxpayer money being spent,” she continued. Especially, she noted, because the coronation closely follows Platinum Jubilee and the queen’s funeral. “To do it right, there’s so much pomp and magnificence, and there won’t be another for another 15 to 20 years, hopefully.”
Meanwhile, Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, has said the “design of the Queen Mary crown fits Camilla’s taste to a T.”
Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles may ‘coordinate’ their coronation outfits
Regarding coronation outfits, some believe Camilla and Kate Middleton will coordinate outfits. Meaning wearing similar hues may be on the agenda.
Camilla and the Princess of Wales both wore shades of blue to the annual royal family Easter service on April 9. They — and other royals — also donned red for Christmas 2022 festivities.
Additionally, according to Rachel Bowie, Fiorito’s co-host, Camilla “tapped designer Bruce Oldfield, who is one of her go to’s, so I have hopeful expectations of a glitter bomb or something sparkly for the occasion.”
Another possibility is Kate and Camilla coordinating their coronation outfits through their hairstyles or accessories.
See Camilla wear a repurposed crown and how she coordinates with Kate when King Charles III’s coronation takes place on May 6 in London, England.
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