King Charles III is carrying on a centuries-old royal tradition.
The 74-year-old monarch’s May 6 coronation ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey culminated as the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the historic St. Edward’s Crown on the Sovereign’s head. (See every special moment from the royal celebration here.)
Built from solid gold and weighing nearly five pounds, the crown has been used at U.K. coronations since being created for King Charles II‘s in 1661. As such it was worn by his late mother Queen Elizabeth II at her 1953 coronation.
It features purple velvet, four crosses, four fleurs-de-lis, two arches and is topped with an orb and a cross, symbolizing the Christian world. The crown’s gold frame is lined with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines.
And as Queen Camilla was crowned alongside Charles, she donned Queen Mary’s Crown making her the first Queen Consort in recent times to not wear a new crown. The reason behind her decision to recycle a crown? It was in an effort of sustainability.
