Queen Mary’s Crown removed from Tower of London ahead of Her Majesty Camilla's Coronation

Queen Mary’s Crown, which will be will be used for the Coronation of Camilla, The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey has been removed from the Tower of London for modification work.

The choice of Queen Mary’s Crown by Her Majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made,

Some minor changes and additions will be undertaken by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion, and reflects the Consort’s individual style. 

These changes will in particular pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as the Crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds. The diamonds were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn by Her late Majesty as brooches. 

In addition, four of the Crown’s eight detachable arches will be removed to create a different impression to when the Crown was worn by Queen Mary at the 1911 Coronation. 

St Edward’s Crown, which will be used for the Coronation of His Majesty The King, has now returned to public display at the Tower of London following the completion of modification work.

The Coronation of King Charles and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, takes place on Saturday, 6th May 2023.

The Prince of Wales, Charles, officially became King of England upon Queen Elizabeth's death on Sept 8. However, it is tradition to wait for a period to hold the coronation our of respect and due to the fact that there's a large amount of organizing that goes into the event. 

History of Queen Mary's Crown

Queen Mary’s Crown was made by Garrard’s for the 1911 coronation and was commissioned by Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. 

The design was inspired by Queen Alexandra’s Crown of 1902. Like Queen Alexandra’s Crown, it can be worn without the arches in the form of a regal circlet, which Queen Mary wore for the Coronation of her son, King George VI, in 1937.

This is the first time a Queen Consort’s Crown has been re-used since the 18th century, when Queen Caroline, consort of George II, wore Mary of Modena’s crown.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's Coronation weekend

The three-day celebrations will begin with the official coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

On Sunday, 7th May 2023, a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle, with several thousand pairs of tickets to be made available via a public ballot.

The centrepiece of the Coronation Concert, ‘Lighting up the Nation’, will see the country join together in celebration as iconic locations across the United Kingdom are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

Finally, on Monday, 8th May 2023, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.