Charles III will wear vestments already worn by his predecessors at the coronation ceremony

Tomorrow, May 6th will be one of the most historic days in the UK, the coronation of King Charles III. And anyone who thinks that the monarch’s clothing will be exclusive is wrong.

Charles will be crowned wearing vestments worn by kings and queens of yore, including Queen Elizabeth II, his mother. A large proportion of these were used by King George VI, Charles’s grandfather, on his coronation day in 1937, and by King George V, Charles’s great-grandfather, in 1911.

There will be many pieces of clothing and almost all of them are religiously inspired. Linen, velvet, silk and gold are some of the materials used in making the ceremony clothes.

The pieces to be used, in order of appearance by Charles, will be:

The Mantle of the State

_{The Mantle of the State – (Reproduction/ Reuters)}

“Robes of State”, as it is known by royalty, are long velvet-embroidered capes worn upon arrival at Westminster Abbey. Charles will wear a crimson velvet robe, the same one worn by King George VI.

Ede and Ravenscroft, the oldest tailor in London, was the one who made the clothes for all coronations, since 1689. The tailor shop, which bears the same name as the tailor, is where the lining and lace of the mantle are preserved.

white linen shirt

Charles will wear a simple white linen shirt for Holy Confirmation, the anointing with holy oil.

The ‘Columbia Sindonis’

‘Columbium Sindonis’, from Latin, is the garment that monarchs wear after anointing. It is a white linen tunic, with a simple collar and closed with a button. This was used by King George VI.

the super tunic

_{Coronation Super Tunic – (Reproduction/ Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP)}

Inspired by religious clothing, the garment worn after the anointing ceremony, the supertunic, is a shiny golden silk robe with long sleeves. The piece weighs around two kilos and was made for King George V. It was also used by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

The Coronation Strap

It is worn around the crowned person’s waist, over the super tunic. The “Coronation Sword Belt”, made in 1937, is made of fabric and has gold embroidery and clasp. The buckle is stamped with national emblems and is where the ‘offering sword’ is fixed, to protect good and punish evil.

the royal stole

Worn over the monarch’s shoulders and similar to those worn by priests or bishops, the royal stole is long and narrow, made of silk and embroidered with gold.

the imperial coat

The oldest garment to be used in the ceremony, dating back to 1821, at the coronation of King George IV, the coat is one of the most impressive pieces.

The coat is made of gold fabric with colored threads and gold clasp, representing an eagle, weighs between three and four kilos and has red roses, blue thistles, green shamrocks, fleurs-de-lis and eagles in its pattern.

It will be up to the next king in the line, Prince William, to help Charles put on the mantle.

the coronation glove

_{Coronation glove and belt (Reproduction/ Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP)}

Worn only on the right hand, the white leather glove, embroidered in golden metallic threads, will serve to hold the scepter and cross during the ceremony. King George VI was the first to use it.

the ceremonial robe

The robe used by Charles will be in purple silk velvet with gold embroidery. The garment, made for King George VI, will be worn by the then king when leaving the abbey.

According to Buckingham Palace, the choice for later used parts is due to a question of “durability and efficiency”.

Featured Photo: Charles III. Playback/ Ben Stansall/Getty Images