Queen Camilla set to break with tradition as first royal anointed in full view

The Queen will be anointed in full view of a worldwide television audience.

She will be consecrated with holy oil without a screen or canopy to shield her during the service at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

It is thought to be the first time a consort has been anointed in public view.

By contrast, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was anointed under a canopy in 1937.

A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: “The only distinction this time is that there won’t be anything that will obscure the view.”

The King has chosen to be anointed out of sight of the congregation and the television audience, enclosed behind a three-sided screen.

The screen was considered more private than the traditional canopy. It also avoids any reliance on television cameras being dipped for the sacred moment.

Lambeth Palace suggested that the different approaches sought to demonstrate the different nature of anointing a consort compared to a reigning sovereign as it took place “at the permission” of the King.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace announced that a brand-new Robe of Estate has been made for the Queen to wear during her coronation.

The rich purple velvet robe is embroidered in goldwork threads and intricately decorated with bees, a beetle and a host of flowers, drawing on the themes of nature and the environment.

It pays tribute to the King by incorporating delphiniums – one of his favourite flowers – which are also the Queen’s birth-month flower. In memory of Elizabeth II, it includes the late Queen’s favourite bloom, lily of the valley, which Camilla also included in her wedding bouquet.

The Queen will wear the grand garment, which also includes her cypher, after her crowning for the departure from Westminster Abbey.

The new robe, made of purple velvet to match the King’s, was hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework, of which the Queen is patron.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “For the first time, insects including bees and a beetle feature on the Coronation Robe, drawing on the themes of nature and the environment and reflecting their Majesties’ affection for the natural world.”

The robe also features national emblems – the rose, thistle and shamrock – as well as myrtle, representing hope; alchemilla mollis known as lady’s mantle, which symbolises love and comfort; maidenhair fern, which symbolises purity; and cornflowers, which represent love and tenderness, and are known to attract and encourage wildlife such as bees and butterflies.

Only glimpses of the robe have been released, with the full ensemble to be unveiled on the day.

In keeping with tradition, Charles and Camilla will each wear two different robes – a crimson Robe of State on arrival and a purple Robe of Estate at the end of the service.

The King will wear his grandfather George VI’s Robes of State and Estate from the 1937 coronation, which are almost 90 years old and have been conserved and prepared for the occasion.

Embroiderers from the Royal School of Needlework have been working on the crimson velvet, with robemakers Ede & Ravenscroft working on the lining and gold lace.

The Queen will wear her late mother-in-law’s crimson Robe of State, which was made for her 1953 coronation. The robe has been conserved with adjustments and has a train of 5.5m. The original brief was for a “hand-made velvet robe, trimmed with best-quality Canadian ermine and gold lace”.

The robe is also known as the Parliament Robe as it is worn for the State Opening of Parliament.

The late Queen considered wearing her father’s Robe of Estate but, in the event, decided to commission a new one. However, she was anxious that it should not be plain like her father’s and, as such, the intricate embroidery involved 18 types of gold thread and took a total of 3500 hours to complete by a team of 12 seamstresses.

Both the King and Queen have also opted not to put on their coronation rings when they are presented during the ceremony.

Rings will simply be presented

Traditionally, the Sovereign’s ring and the Queen Consort’s ring have been placed on their fingers. But instead, they will simply be presented and then returned to the altar.

Royal sources suggested the decision was taken largely to avoid a time-consuming moment during the service that could prove cumbersome. It also means that the size of the rings did not have to be altered.

The rings bear the symbolism of a ring exchanged in marriage, signifying an unbroken bond, “marrying” them to both God and the people.

In another break from tradition, the Queen will only touch the ivory Queen Consort’s Rod with Dove, and the gold Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross, rather than holding them like the Queen Mother.

The ivory rod will be used, despite claims that it would be rejected due to environmental concerns.

The Prince of Wales has long campaigned to stop the illegal trafficking of animal parts, like rhino horn and elephant ivory, through his umbrella organisation United for Wildlife.

A royal source said it was just one of a number of ways that the service has been adapted and simplified “without losing any of its magic and majesty”.