King Charles will wear an outfit of "incredible historic significance" at the moment he is crowned during the coronation ceremony, it has been confirmed. The new monarch will wear layers of dazzling clothing including a long coat made from gold-wrapped thread as well as a floor-length royal cloak when the service takes place at Westminster Abbey.
The vestments are usually kept in the Tower of London and form part of the coronation regalia. The King has chosen to re-use items worn by his ancestors, a decision the PA news agency said was for "reasons of sustainability and efficiency".
For the investiture, during which the crowning takes place, Charles will be given a long shimmering gold-sleeved coat to wear called the Supertunica, created for his great-grandfather George V in 1911, and worn at successive coronations including by Elizabeth II. Made of cloth of gold, which is silk thread wrapped in thin pieces of gold or silver gilt metal, the Supertunica, also known as the Close Pall of Cloth of Gold, weighs around 2kg and is embroidered with stylised arabesques and floral motifs.
