The King's sacred Coronation robes revealed

King Charles will undertake a number of symbolic outfit changes during his Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May.  

While the King has announced his intention to strip back the investiture and modernise elements, the Coronation robes are steeped in tradition and will form an integral part of the ceremony.

The order in which the robes are worn was established in the 14th century manuscript Liber Regalis, or Royal Book, which is preserved in the Westminster Abbey Library. 

The highly decorated manuscript, created before the coronation of King Richard II and Queen Anne of Bohemia, comprises 34 pages and acts as an instruction book for the running order of the ceremony.

Most robes are made anew for each coronation. The current exceptions are the Supertunica, which was made for George V’s 1911 coronation, and the Robe Royal, which was made for George IV’s coronation in 1821.  

The Supertunica and the Colobium Sindonis, or shroud tunic, date back to mediaeval times.

Dr George Gross, a visiting research fellow in theology at King’s College London and a co-founder of the British Coronations Project with Dr David J Crankshaw, said: “Just as with so much of the service, the robes take their place and importance from the Liber Regalis. 

“The vesting with the Colobium Sindonis and Supertunica have their origins in this text. These are the robes with the longest tradition and therefore of most importance to be retained within the ceremony.”

Most modern references to Coronation robes concern Queen Elizabeth II’s ceremony of 1953.

However, the King may look to his grandfather, King George VI, or great-grandfather, George V, for inspiration from the male line.

He is keen to ensure that while the ceremony retains much of its majestic tradition and pageantry, it is also reflective of the modern day, which means that many of the older traditions may be replaced.

Given the emphasis on shortening the ceremony, he may also want to reduce the number of robe changes.   

Military uniform

The King is thought likely to arrive at his coronation in military uniform, which would then form his main attire for the ceremony.

It would offer a more modern look than the silk stockings and breeches of his predecessors.

Queen Elizabeth II wore a coronation dress made of white satin that she requested conformed to the line of her wedding dress.  

Designer Norman Hartnell submitted eight designs and the late Queen asked him to merge specific details from two to create a ninth. 

She also asked him to supplement the four UK national emblems with the emblems of all dominions of which she was monarch. 

Robe of State

Like the Queen, the King will enter Westminster Abbey in the Robe of State.

The robe is also known as the Parliament Robe as it is worn for the State Opening of Parliament.

Dr Gross said: “This could well be made anew for the monarch – and if so, one would expect as per the Coronation emblem, for there to be a nod to sustainability and the environment. 

“As this is used for the State Opening of Parliament and has a further use, it would seem logical for Charles III to put his own mark on this special Robe.”  

Ede and Ravenscroft won the commission for the late Queen’s Robe of State, with its quotation for a “hand-made velvet robe, trimmed with best quality Canadian ermine and gold lace”. 

King Edward VII, King George V and King George VI all wore the velvet and ermine Cap of State to travel to their respective coronation ceremonies.

However, it is thought likely that the King might opt to avoid this particular garment in an attempt to be more modern. 

Colobium Sindonis

The King will change into the Colobium Sindonis for the anointing, the most sacred moment of the ceremony.

The white garment is designed to symbolise purity before God.  

The late Queen’s Colobium Sindonis was a voluminous white linen pleated dress, worn over the coronation dress, and was also designed by Hartnell.

For the King, the garment is likely to be redesigned.  

Supertunica

The full-length, sleeved coat of gold silk was made for the coronation of King George V in 1911 and was worn by King George VI in May 1937 and the late Queen in 1953.

It is placed over the Colobium sindonis for the investiture. 

Both garments are removed before the procession out of the Abbey.

The Supertunica is inspired by the vestments of the early Church and the Byzantine Empire and is adorned with the national symbols of the home nations. 

The Supertunica is worn under the Imperial Mantle. Both garments are in the Royal Collection and are on public display at the Tower of London.  

Stole Royal 

The late Queen wore a Coronation stole over the supertunica for her investiture.

The narrow band of gold silk was lined with red tabby silk and with fringed ends, embroidered with national, religious and Commonwealth emblems in gold and coloured threads.

Although this particular garment was made new for the Queen in 1953, its form has changed little since mediaeval coronations. 

This stole was presented by the Worshipful Company of Girdlers.

The King may reuse it or have his own one designed.  

The Robe Royal or Imperial Mantle

The sovereign is also invested with the Robe Royal, or Pallium Regale, and is then crowned whilst wearing it.

Made for the coronation of George IV in 1821, the robe royal’s design was based on a priestly robe.

The gold mantle, woven in coloured threads, features a pattern of foliage, crowns, fleurs-de-lis and eagles, with coloured roses, thistles and shamrock. The gold clasp is cast in the form of an eagle. 

As it dates back to George IV’s coronation and is the oldest robe in the collection, it is likely to be retained for the ceremony. 

Imperial Robe, or Robe of Estate

At the end of the ceremony, the newly crowned sovereign processes out of the Abbey enrobed in the Imperial Robe, also referred to as the Robe of Estate, wearing the Imperial State Crown and carrying the Sceptre and the Orb. 

The late Queen considered wearing her father’s robe, but in the event decided on a new one, according to The Queen’s Coronation by Caroline de Guitaut.

However, the Queen was anxious that it should not be plain like her father’s. 

The embroidery involved 18 types of gold thread and took 12 embroiders more than 3,500 hours between March and May 1953. 

Initial concerns that it would be impossible to obtain the material required to make both new robes proved unfounded.

The raw silk for the velvet was supplied by Lady Hart Dyke’s silk farm at Lullingstone in Kent and the fine silk velvet woven on a handloom.

The King may opt to wear his grandfather’s robe or have a new one made.