Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the queen consort will wear a recycled crown during the coronation, which will not include the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Camilla will wear a modified version of Queen Mary’s crown, which was designed by Garrard for the 1911 coronation and commissioned by Queen Mary, George V’s consort.
In honor of Queen Elizabeth II, the crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds, which were part of the late queen’s personal jewelry and were frequently worn as brooches by her.
The revelation confirms that the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was taken by the East India Company in 1849 and delivered to Queen Victoria in 1850, and which was included in the late Queen Mother’s crown in 1937, would not be used.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is controversial because of the circumstances surrounding its discovery and what it has come to represent. It “brings back bitter memories of the colonial past,” according to a spokesperson for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party according to the BBC.
The queen consort crown will be re-used for the first time since the 18th century, when Queen Caroline, consort of George II, wore Mary of Modena’s crown.
Buckingham Palace said: “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, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.”
It has now been withdrawn from public display in the Tower of London in readiness for the king’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6th.
The Cullinan diamonds had already been placed into Queen Mary’s crown. Cullinan III and IV were briefly put in the crown for King George VI’s coronation in 1937, and Cullinan V was added when the crown was worn as a regal circlet.
In addition, four of the crown’s eight detachable arches will be removed to provide a different impression than when Queen Mary wore the crown at her coronation in 1911.
The design was inspired by Queen Alexandra’s 1902 crown. It, like Alexandra’s crown, may be worn without the arches as a regal circlet, as Queen Mary did during King George VI’s coronation in 1937.
The St Edward’s crown, which will be used for the king’s coronation, has been returned to public display at the Tower of London following the completion of modification work, according to the palace.