The King will embrace family history at the coronation when he dons a heavy golden cloak created for his great-great-great-great-great-uncle more than 200 years ago.
The Robe Royal, also known as the Imperial Mantle, is one of a number of priceless garments the King will wear during a two-hour service in which he will change four times and be invested with a single glove.
Then robe was made in 1821 for the coronation of George IV, Queen Victoria’s uncle, and has been worn at all coronations since 1911.
It goes over the Supertunica, a coat of gold silk inspired by priestly vestments which was created for Charles’s great-grandfather George V in 1911. It has also been worn at every coronation since.
However, Buckingham Palace has