I'm also reflecting on why this coronation didn't feel as joyful as I expected. And in the week since, I can't get over the difference between Elizabeth's and Charles's coronation portraits. There's something in their postures and the way their clothing sits that says so much. Elizabeth was leaning forward, ramrod straight posture (she's as straight as that rod she's holding!), every fold of her gown in perfect order. Charles looks a little slumped, his purple tunic looks rumpled on him, it's not clear why the crown looks tilted to one side since he's looking straight at the camera. (Side note: someone should have thought about how a tunic with trim in straight lines down the front would look when seated -- it's tough to pull that off and still look like you have excellent, kingly posture.)
Maybe for me it symbolizes how the whole thing feels tired? I've been into the royals since I was a small child (as a kid I was always asking my mom to make dresses for my Princess Diana paper dolls), and somehow I find myself less interested in the whole royal pageant since the coronation.
I think part of the reason is: Elizabeth had to rise to the occasion as a woman in a world that was built for men, and there was magic to the way she did it. Now that it's a king (with two more behind him), it feels more like how history's almost always been. Maybe I'd feel differently if Charles and his heirs were adapting more visibly and courageously to how the world has changed (as opposed to issuing statements that they're reusing thrones for sustainability, lol). I'll be curious to see how my own interest ebbs and flows as Charles's reign unfolds.
I couldn’t help but get stuck thinking about the fact that in 10+ years the only working royals would be the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Waleses? (Perhaps Anne will keep working well into her 90s..) It seems so short sighted when you think how much an impact the Sussexes would have on that portrait at the next coronation and in their contribution to the community.
As much as I loved your coverage, I find myself caring less and less about the Royal Family since the Sussexes left and the Queen died. And it occurred to me that on that day Harry met with his family to tell them he was leaving, they could have said “We’re sad to see you go, we want to do better, let’s work through it, but in the meanwhile WHEREVER YOU LIVE you’ll always have a front row seat in this family. You’ll always be included. That will never change.” Just imagine how different things could have been? Anyway, the next 10 years or so should be interesting.
I live in Spain, where "the monarchy" is the king, his wife, and their oldest daughter Leonor. There is also a younger daughter, la Infanta Sofía, but it remains to be seen whether she will be a "working royal." King Felipe's coronation was a 20 minute ceremony in front of Congress and 5 minute passing the belt service with his father, who abdicated. If the British monarchy wants to slim down in order to be modern, they have lots of modern examples to follow. What they've done is pushed away the modern and been forced to slim down because of very bad behavior. I think William and Kate could do something different, but they won't until Charles is gone. For image's sake (and because no one should lose their Pa too early), I hope that is many years away. It would not look good to repeat this huge event soon.
I hate the bunching up of the purple robe in the king's official photos. A few things could have made him look younger, including simply standing up. Felipe is almost never sitting, and he's quite tall!
Hi Elizabeth and SMT community! I've seen some coverage speculating about some tension between Kate and Charles and Camilla based on three observations -
(1) Presumably a no-tiara policy - while also signaling less opulence given the political moment - would ensure that all eyes are on Charles and Camilla, the only two in the room wearing crowns. Kate's headpiece, while abiding to a no-tiara policy, drew enormous attention. I for one gasped when I first saw the Hello! shot of her ensemble on your instagram - it is so gorgeous, probably one of the most memorable images I've ever seen of her, and the most show-stopping look of the coronation in my opinion. Kate did not look "scaled back;" one commenter on tiktok joked that the headpiece looked like "malicious compliance."
(2) Wearing Diana's (stunning!) earrings to this event in particular - a celebration of Charles and Camilla - surprised me a bit. Kate has a remarkable jewelry collection. Presumably she could have worn any number of pieces of jewelry that honor the Queen or nod to Charles. It's one thing for Harry to invoke Diana in his ensemble - he's suiting up to face a difficult family climate in a brand that supported his mother after her own divorce. Knowing that these choices always send a message, I'm wondering what Kate's message is intended to be there.
(3) The visuals of the balcony moment where Charles and Camilla are grouped on their own, with a buffer of page boys between them and the Waleses - with the goal again, presumably to give Charles and Camilla their own "moment" - it ended up looking very fragmented.
Thank you for the excellent coverage and the inclusion of a many points of view. I resonate with so much of your fashion commentary--with one exception. To my eye, Camilla’s dress looked ill tailored and did not flatter her like some dresses successfully do. Perhaps too much emphasis on the special details and not enough on making her look wonderful. A far more striking success to my eye was Penny Mordaunt. Her ensemble was impeccable.
I'm a longtime royalty watcher, but I thought the ceremony came across as irrelevant and outdated. No one knew what This or That MEANT, it all had to be explained! If it has to be explained, then nobody really knows or cares about it! The 70 year gap was just too long.
But I loved the (pictures of) the 1902 coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra, that's MY vision of how a coronation should look! I know, it would be OVER THE TOP, and it wouldn't fly in 2023, but if you can't wear just about all the jewels you own to a coronation, when CAN you wear them?? They wouldn't have to BUY any, they already own them!! They are just sitting in the Royal Vault or the Tower! We all want to see them worn! Queen Alexandra was corsetted into a tight gown, her neck was completely swathed in pearls and jewels (about 6-8" worth), her bosom was festooned with strings of pearls (many), she had jewels trailing down the front of her dress to her bellybutton (no, that was not on display), a taken-apart diamond TIARA sparkling around her waist, a gold cross, long gloves and glittering shoulders!! Now, THAT'S a QUEEN! WOWZA! If Camilla and Kate had worn HALF these jewels for the coronation, I would have been happy.
And Alexandra, though a consort, was also anointed, and she had four Duchesses holding the tent poles for the 4 corners, and each of the duchesses wore crown-tiaras, ermine and red velvet capes! Plus jewelry.
I am starting to believe that Charles called for no tiaras or fuss JUST SO that he and Camilla would shine.....
I did like Camilla's dress very much, I like all her dresses, but it was so nearly identical to the style of her usual dresses, that it didn't stand out much, I didn't think. And the straps to the ermine cape looked like the straps to a backpack!
I LOVED Penny Mordaunt's dress and hat---PRIMO!---but I thought she looked out of place in amongst all the ceremonial robes up there in front....she seemed to need at least a floor length skirt....
So, for the official pictures, was Kate wearing the same 3 strand diamond necklace that the Queen Mother wore at Eliz II's coronation?? Anybody know??
And is anybody looking at the headdresses of Elizabeth II's maids of honor----I would love to know if Kate got her inspiration for her headdress from them! Theirs were a little spikier, but same idea.
As to aging royals---considering the longevity of the Windsors, by the time William is crowned, I think his two oldest children (at least) will be adults, and possibly married, if they don't wait as long as the recent royal marriages. Which will give a bigger pool of young people. Of course, I'd love to see Harry and Meghan and their children involved, but I don't think it's going to happen. Unless one of them, Mia Thermopolis-style, goes back to England to reclaim their prince or princess position!
So many great thoughts! I loved Catherine’s head piece and how she matched with Charlotte. I’m interested to see what the it looks like for the family and the working Royal members as they get older and may not carry out as many engagements. I loved following all your coverage while you were in London. Can’t wait for the final podcast!
Elizabeth I truly enjoy all your writings. I have been a fan of the royal family for a long time. The coronation was not my cup of tea. Too much pomp and circumstance. It felt truly anachronistic.
125 million dollars seemed excessive. However I am not a British citizen. Long live the King.
We talked about the age factor extensively over coronation weekend and what that means for the Waleses when William ascends. Who will he surround himself with especially if the Sussexes remain out of the picture? Eugenie and Beatrice seem to be building lives outside of London but could return. Given Princess Anne’s commitment to the monarchy, will we maybe get to see more of Peter and Zara? 🤞🏻
Every time I look at the side by side coronation photos all I can see is how regal and elegant Elizabeth looks and then looking at Charles he just looks like some horrid combination of a cantankerous and tired old man and a petulant child. I know some of that is colored by my own biases as I've never much cared for Charles and am growing more and more disillusioned with the monarchy as a whole due to their seeming refusal to understand the world has changed and show their ability to embrace that. However, even in photos he does not look like he's even remotely happy but also doesn't look to me as though he's appreciating the solemnity of the occasion, rather to me he looks almost as though he'd rather not be there.
Did Camilla’s gown have her step-children and step-grandchildren (I.e. George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie, Lilibet) names embroidered on it or just her bio children/grandchildren?
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated your coverage of the ceremony and the insight you provide.
Maybe I’m in the minority in thinking that a tiara for Kate would have have been much more suitable, especially the rather smaller one worn on her wedding day. Their outfits were absolutely magnificent, and the tiara woukd have blended beautifully. Instead, the headpiece was really big and visible, and drew continuous attention, which is actually distracting - no one is discussing the King’s outfit, his clothing and shoes! Was a beautiful ceremony.
Wow, that quote from Anne, basically saying that if Harry and Meghan were there a slimmed down monarchy would work, but not now. So you'd think, then, that the RF would have done what it could re: the media, to keep H and M. But they didn't. And Charles doesn't want to pay for Beatrice or Eugenie to take on Royal duties, and is ensuring that Edward's children will not inherit the D of E title.
Others have said, this probably means George, Charlotte and Louis will be pressed into service much earlier than William and Harry were. Which is a long life to be lived in public. Already we see Louis's role being defined as 'cheeky' and Charlotte as his 'protector'. It makes me hold my breath for their teen years.
I'm also reflecting on why this coronation didn't feel as joyful as I expected. And in the week since, I can't get over the difference between Elizabeth's and Charles's coronation portraits. There's something in their postures and the way their clothing sits that says so much. Elizabeth was leaning forward, ramrod straight posture (she's as straight as that rod she's holding!), every fold of her gown in perfect order. Charles looks a little slumped, his purple tunic looks rumpled on him, it's not clear why the crown looks tilted to one side since he's looking straight at the camera. (Side note: someone should have thought about how a tunic with trim in straight lines down the front would look when seated -- it's tough to pull that off and still look like you have excellent, kingly posture.)
Maybe for me it symbolizes how the whole thing feels tired? I've been into the royals since I was a small child (as a kid I was always asking my mom to make dresses for my Princess Diana paper dolls), and somehow I find myself less interested in the whole royal pageant since the coronation.
I think part of the reason is: Elizabeth had to rise to the occasion as a woman in a world that was built for men, and there was magic to the way she did it. Now that it's a king (with two more behind him), it feels more like how history's almost always been. Maybe I'd feel differently if Charles and his heirs were adapting more visibly and courageously to how the world has changed (as opposed to issuing statements that they're reusing thrones for sustainability, lol). I'll be curious to see how my own interest ebbs and flows as Charles's reign unfolds.
I couldn’t help but get stuck thinking about the fact that in 10+ years the only working royals would be the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Waleses? (Perhaps Anne will keep working well into her 90s..) It seems so short sighted when you think how much an impact the Sussexes would have on that portrait at the next coronation and in their contribution to the community.
As much as I loved your coverage, I find myself caring less and less about the Royal Family since the Sussexes left and the Queen died. And it occurred to me that on that day Harry met with his family to tell them he was leaving, they could have said “We’re sad to see you go, we want to do better, let’s work through it, but in the meanwhile WHEREVER YOU LIVE you’ll always have a front row seat in this family. You’ll always be included. That will never change.” Just imagine how different things could have been? Anyway, the next 10 years or so should be interesting.
I live in Spain, where "the monarchy" is the king, his wife, and their oldest daughter Leonor. There is also a younger daughter, la Infanta Sofía, but it remains to be seen whether she will be a "working royal." King Felipe's coronation was a 20 minute ceremony in front of Congress and 5 minute passing the belt service with his father, who abdicated. If the British monarchy wants to slim down in order to be modern, they have lots of modern examples to follow. What they've done is pushed away the modern and been forced to slim down because of very bad behavior. I think William and Kate could do something different, but they won't until Charles is gone. For image's sake (and because no one should lose their Pa too early), I hope that is many years away. It would not look good to repeat this huge event soon.
I hate the bunching up of the purple robe in the king's official photos. A few things could have made him look younger, including simply standing up. Felipe is almost never sitting, and he's quite tall!
Hi Elizabeth and SMT community! I've seen some coverage speculating about some tension between Kate and Charles and Camilla based on three observations -
(1) Presumably a no-tiara policy - while also signaling less opulence given the political moment - would ensure that all eyes are on Charles and Camilla, the only two in the room wearing crowns. Kate's headpiece, while abiding to a no-tiara policy, drew enormous attention. I for one gasped when I first saw the Hello! shot of her ensemble on your instagram - it is so gorgeous, probably one of the most memorable images I've ever seen of her, and the most show-stopping look of the coronation in my opinion. Kate did not look "scaled back;" one commenter on tiktok joked that the headpiece looked like "malicious compliance."
(2) Wearing Diana's (stunning!) earrings to this event in particular - a celebration of Charles and Camilla - surprised me a bit. Kate has a remarkable jewelry collection. Presumably she could have worn any number of pieces of jewelry that honor the Queen or nod to Charles. It's one thing for Harry to invoke Diana in his ensemble - he's suiting up to face a difficult family climate in a brand that supported his mother after her own divorce. Knowing that these choices always send a message, I'm wondering what Kate's message is intended to be there.
(3) The visuals of the balcony moment where Charles and Camilla are grouped on their own, with a buffer of page boys between them and the Waleses - with the goal again, presumably to give Charles and Camilla their own "moment" - it ended up looking very fragmented.
Very eager for this community's thoughts!
Thank you for the excellent coverage and the inclusion of a many points of view. I resonate with so much of your fashion commentary--with one exception. To my eye, Camilla’s dress looked ill tailored and did not flatter her like some dresses successfully do. Perhaps too much emphasis on the special details and not enough on making her look wonderful. A far more striking success to my eye was Penny Mordaunt. Her ensemble was impeccable.
I'm a longtime royalty watcher, but I thought the ceremony came across as irrelevant and outdated. No one knew what This or That MEANT, it all had to be explained! If it has to be explained, then nobody really knows or cares about it! The 70 year gap was just too long.
But I loved the (pictures of) the 1902 coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra, that's MY vision of how a coronation should look! I know, it would be OVER THE TOP, and it wouldn't fly in 2023, but if you can't wear just about all the jewels you own to a coronation, when CAN you wear them?? They wouldn't have to BUY any, they already own them!! They are just sitting in the Royal Vault or the Tower! We all want to see them worn! Queen Alexandra was corsetted into a tight gown, her neck was completely swathed in pearls and jewels (about 6-8" worth), her bosom was festooned with strings of pearls (many), she had jewels trailing down the front of her dress to her bellybutton (no, that was not on display), a taken-apart diamond TIARA sparkling around her waist, a gold cross, long gloves and glittering shoulders!! Now, THAT'S a QUEEN! WOWZA! If Camilla and Kate had worn HALF these jewels for the coronation, I would have been happy.
And Alexandra, though a consort, was also anointed, and she had four Duchesses holding the tent poles for the 4 corners, and each of the duchesses wore crown-tiaras, ermine and red velvet capes! Plus jewelry.
I am starting to believe that Charles called for no tiaras or fuss JUST SO that he and Camilla would shine.....
I did like Camilla's dress very much, I like all her dresses, but it was so nearly identical to the style of her usual dresses, that it didn't stand out much, I didn't think. And the straps to the ermine cape looked like the straps to a backpack!
I LOVED Penny Mordaunt's dress and hat---PRIMO!---but I thought she looked out of place in amongst all the ceremonial robes up there in front....she seemed to need at least a floor length skirt....
So, for the official pictures, was Kate wearing the same 3 strand diamond necklace that the Queen Mother wore at Eliz II's coronation?? Anybody know??
And is anybody looking at the headdresses of Elizabeth II's maids of honor----I would love to know if Kate got her inspiration for her headdress from them! Theirs were a little spikier, but same idea.
As to aging royals---considering the longevity of the Windsors, by the time William is crowned, I think his two oldest children (at least) will be adults, and possibly married, if they don't wait as long as the recent royal marriages. Which will give a bigger pool of young people. Of course, I'd love to see Harry and Meghan and their children involved, but I don't think it's going to happen. Unless one of them, Mia Thermopolis-style, goes back to England to reclaim their prince or princess position!
So many great thoughts! I loved Catherine’s head piece and how she matched with Charlotte. I’m interested to see what the it looks like for the family and the working Royal members as they get older and may not carry out as many engagements. I loved following all your coverage while you were in London. Can’t wait for the final podcast!
Elizabeth I truly enjoy all your writings. I have been a fan of the royal family for a long time. The coronation was not my cup of tea. Too much pomp and circumstance. It felt truly anachronistic.
125 million dollars seemed excessive. However I am not a British citizen. Long live the King.
We talked about the age factor extensively over coronation weekend and what that means for the Waleses when William ascends. Who will he surround himself with especially if the Sussexes remain out of the picture? Eugenie and Beatrice seem to be building lives outside of London but could return. Given Princess Anne’s commitment to the monarchy, will we maybe get to see more of Peter and Zara? 🤞🏻
Every time I look at the side by side coronation photos all I can see is how regal and elegant Elizabeth looks and then looking at Charles he just looks like some horrid combination of a cantankerous and tired old man and a petulant child. I know some of that is colored by my own biases as I've never much cared for Charles and am growing more and more disillusioned with the monarchy as a whole due to their seeming refusal to understand the world has changed and show their ability to embrace that. However, even in photos he does not look like he's even remotely happy but also doesn't look to me as though he's appreciating the solemnity of the occasion, rather to me he looks almost as though he'd rather not be there.
Did Camilla’s gown have her step-children and step-grandchildren (I.e. George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie, Lilibet) names embroidered on it or just her bio children/grandchildren?
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated your coverage of the ceremony and the insight you provide.
Maybe I’m in the minority in thinking that a tiara for Kate would have have been much more suitable, especially the rather smaller one worn on her wedding day. Their outfits were absolutely magnificent, and the tiara woukd have blended beautifully. Instead, the headpiece was really big and visible, and drew continuous attention, which is actually distracting - no one is discussing the King’s outfit, his clothing and shoes! Was a beautiful ceremony.
Wow, that quote from Anne, basically saying that if Harry and Meghan were there a slimmed down monarchy would work, but not now. So you'd think, then, that the RF would have done what it could re: the media, to keep H and M. But they didn't. And Charles doesn't want to pay for Beatrice or Eugenie to take on Royal duties, and is ensuring that Edward's children will not inherit the D of E title.
Others have said, this probably means George, Charlotte and Louis will be pressed into service much earlier than William and Harry were. Which is a long life to be lived in public. Already we see Louis's role being defined as 'cheeky' and Charlotte as his 'protector'. It makes me hold my breath for their teen years.
Although I love how Princess Anne is standing right next to her brother
I think the color of the year is lite blue. First Lady Dr Biden, Zara and you wore. I have purchased me a dress in that color.