Camilla Parker Bowles Set to Shun $1 Billion Crown for King Charles’ Coronation
Camilla Parker Bowles will be officially crowned queen consort next spring at Westminster Abbey. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III’s accession to the throne, Camilla’s investiture will take place on the same day as her husband’s coronation — May 6, 2023.
But according to palace insiders, the events of that day will be much different than coronations past. The ceremony will be shorter, fewer guests will attend, and the new queen consort is reportedly set to shun a $1 billion crown that hasn’t been worn in nearly a century.
Will Camilla Parker Bowles wear the special crown made for the previous queen consort?
According to royal history, a crown that features the 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond was specially made back in 1937 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother when her husband, King George VI, became king.
The fine jewelry experts at UK retailer Steven Stone point out that the crown also features thousands of brilliant-cut diamonds and hundreds of rose-cut diamonds, and they believe it has an unbelievable price tag.
“It’s incredibly difficult to put a price on a historical piece like this – though with the Koh-i-Noor diamond said to be worth $591 million alone, the crown is likely to be worth a staggering $1 billion,” jeweler Maxwell Stone explained.
“Boasting 2203 brilliant cut and 662 rose cut diamonds, the crown is a particularly delicate piece. Known for their sparkle, brilliant diamond diamonds are fairly common, whereas rose cut diamonds are much rarer – sitting closer to the skin than their taller counterparts, rose cut diamonds allow light to move through the stone, resulting in a more transparent glow and subtle shine.”
Camilla Parker Bowles is set to shun the $1 billion crown
No one has worn the crown since the Queen Mother’s coronation in 1937, and it would be a magnificent piece for Camilla to wear next spring. The problem, though, is that the Koh-i-Noor diamond comes with some modern-day controversy.
It was seized by the East India Company in the 19th century and given to Queen Victoria, and some believe it could be “an unwelcome reminder of the British Empire.” Palace officials are reportedly reviewing the matter of whether or not Camilla should wear the jewel, which was previously worn by consorts Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.
“With a wealth of controversy surrounding the diamond, it’d be surprising to see it used in the coronation ceremony,” Stone said. “The Royal Collection is full of magnificent jewels, so it’s likely that the King and Queen consort will remove the diamond and replace it with a different gem.”
King Charles’ coronation will include $3.8 billion worth of jewels
For his coronation, King Charles will follow tradition and wear the extremely heavy St. Edward’s Crown — made of solid gold and featuring over 400 gemstones, including rubies, garnets, and sapphires.
Charles’ Coronation regalia includes the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross and the Sovereign’s Ring. And at the end of the ceremony, he will put on the Imperial State Crown to leave Westminster Abbey. According to Crisscut, the scepter holds the world’s largest diamond — the 530-carat Cullinan diamond.
“Each piece is extraordinary – from the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross, which contains the $430 million Cullinan I diamond, to the Sovereign’s Ring, which features an octagonal sapphire, overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut ruby that form a cross,” Stone explains.
The jeweler noted that because the Coronation Regalia is “laced with history,” it’s incredibly difficult to value the pieces. However, he estimates they are worth “a staggering $3.8 billion.”
