A First Glimpse At Their Majesties' Coronation Robes

Images: Copyright of the Royal School of Needlework. Image Above: Gives a glimpse of work in progress by the Royal School of Needlework on the Robe of Estate for Her Majesty The Queen Consort. Image Below: Provides a close-up of work on the Cypher on the Robe of Estate for Her Majesty The Queen Consort. 

Ahead of Their Majesties' Coronation on Saturday the 6th May, new details have been released to provide a glimpse of the Coronation Robes to be worn by the King and The Queen Consort. 

In accordance with tradition, Their Majesties will wear two different sets of robes during the Coronation Service—the Robes of State and the Robes of Estate. Robes of State are worn on arrival at Westminster Abbey, and Robes of Estate are worn on departure, following the Coronation Service, and are traditionally more personalised in design.

The new images show the Royal School of Needlework’s embroidery team conserving The King’s Robe of State, which will be worn by His Majesty on arrival at Westminster Abbey, and The Queen Consort’s Robe of Estate, which will be worn after Her Majesty is crowned, on departure from Westminster Abbey. As Duchess of Cornwall, The Queen Consort became Patron of the Royal School of Needlework in 2017. All four robes will be seen in full on the day of the Coronation.

For the first time, insects including bees and a beetle feature on the Coronation Robe, drawing on the themes of nature and the environment and reflecting Their Majesties’ affection for the natural world. In addition, there are a number of plants featured in the robe, all chosen for their personal associations. These include Lily of the Valley, which featured in Her Majesty’s wedding bouquet and was a favourite flower of Queen Elizabeth II; Myrtle, which represents hope; and Delphinium, one of The King’s favourite flowers and the birth flower of July, the birth month of The Queen Consort. Also featured is the ‘Alchemilla Mollis’, known as Lady’s Mantle, which symbolises love and comfort, Maidenhair Fern, which symbolises purity, and cornflowers, which represent love and tenderness. The Cornflower also helps to attract and encourage wildlife such as bees and butterflies.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) said:

“Throughout the years, the Royal School of Needlework has had the privilege of creating a variety of Coronation Regalia. The Coronation of His Majesty The King will be the fifth coronation we have had the honour to work on. Although the work for each Coronation can be very different, our team today and forbears hand embroider using the same traditional techniques and wooden frames. 

"When we have a large project and a set deadline, the RSN approach of “Never a seat shall go cold” comes into play and this has been used since we were founded. For the larger pieces, our embroiderers stitch side by side, working the piece together.

"All our stitchers are trained to stitch in the same way, so that means when one person gets up, another person can take over and the work will look the same as though done by one person.”