Queen Camilla is paid homage to her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II at her and King Charles III's coronation.
When she was officially crowned Queen during the May 6 event, Camilla sported an altered crown that was originally made for Charles' great-grandmother Queen Mary, who wore it to her and King George V's coronation in 1911. In addition to being the first Queen Consort in more than three centuries to re-use a crown, the piece now honors Elizabeth — who died in September — by including the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds from the late monarch's personal jewelry collection among the 2,200 diamonds that adorn the silver crown.
"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," Buckingham Palace said in a statement in February, "in the interests of sustainability and efficiency."
The last time a Queen Consort donned a previously used crown for a coronation was in the 18th century, when Queen Caroline, consort of King George II, wore Mary of Modena's crown, the Palace said.
Guests at King Charles III and Queen Camilla's Coronation
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
It was also noted that the Cullinan diamonds have been inserted into the crown before — Cullinan III and IV were set temporarily for the 1911 Coronation. As for the Cullinan V, that was included in the crown when Queen Mary wore the piece again, this time as a regal circlet, for the 1937 coronation of her son and Elizabeth's father, King George VI.
Also for Charles and Camilla's coronation, the statement noted that four of the crown's eight detachable arches have been removed "to create a different impression to when the crown was worn by Queen Mary at the 1911 coronation."
