The Princess of Wales will wear a floral headpiece instead of a tiara at the King’s coronation, according to reports.
In a significant break with tradition, Kate plans to opt for a floral arrangement at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, The Times reports.
All royal women have reportedly decided against wearing tiaras at the highly-anticipated ceremony.
Sally Bedell Smith, a royal family biographer, told the paper: “The sight of the Princess of Wales in a floral crown will set a particular tone, showing the King’s reverence for nature and his passion for flowers.
“It seems like an especially egalitarian touch as well. As the wife of the future king, she will be setting an example for the other women in the congregation, who might find it awkward to even think of wearing tiaras.
“One result may be that the crowns and regalia covered with precious jewels may stand out in sharper relief as symbols of the monarchy.
“They are, after all, held in trust by the monarch for the nation and represent the continuity of the monarchy over one thousand years.”
The two-hour ceremony on Saturday will feature several new additions that reflect the King’s belief in promoting unity between faiths and communities.
For the first time, it will include all languages spoken in the four home nations. A prayer will be delivered in Welsh and a hymn, Veni Creator, will be sung in English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, will urge the public to pledge allegiance to the King from their sofas in the UK and across the Commonwealth, in a multilingual, multi-faith Coronation.
The King has scrapped the act of hereditary peers kneeling to “pay homage” before touching the crown and kissing the monarch’s right cheek.
Instead, he has introduced a “Homage of the People” that will allow “a chorus of a million voices” to participate for the first time by joining the congregation at Westminster Abbey in declaring their allegiance to the King.
