Queen Camilla will use an ivory sceptre during her and King Charles III’s coronation ceremony in May, despite reports suggesting it might be avoided.
The ceremony traditionally features deeply symbolic objects that represent the royal duties and responsibilities of the new monarch and his wife.
It is understood that Camilla will hold a gold sceptre surmounted by a cross and a second staff made of ivory and topped by a dove during the coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
The ivory sceptre, which has been used by ever Queen Consort at previous coronations since 1685, is part of the crown jewels and regalia held in trust by the monarch for the nation.
They form part of the Royal Collection and have traditionally been held at the Tower of London, which is managed by Historic Royal Palaces.
But previous reports claimed that Camilla may choose to reject the traditional sceptre due to an anti-ivory campaign headed by the Prince of Wales.
Last August, Prince William hailed a “landmark” illegal wildlife trade sentencing that saw a man jailed for five years for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory.
Britain is at the forefront of global conservation efforts after the Ivory Act 2018 was brought in, from 6 June last year. The act is a near-total ban in the dealing with items containing elephant ivory.
But a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “As with any historical collection of its size, it is to be expected that the Royal Collection includes items that contain ivory as this reflected the taste at the time.”
It comes after the Palace’s announcement that the Queen will wear Queen Mary’s crown for the ceremony, but the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond nor its replica will feature in the crown.
Kathryn Jones, senior curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection, said of previous coronations: “The Queen is also presented with two sceptres... this is again this symbol of temporal power – so with the cross.
“The second sceptre, like the King’s sceptre, has the dove on the top, (and is) symbolic of equity and mercy. [With] this one the wings are folded, rather than spread, it has the same symbolism – so it’s the Holy Spirit.”
The ivory staff which Camilla will hold was made in 1685 for Queen Mary of Modena, wife of James II. She was the first Queen Consort to participate in a coronation ceremony following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
The original coronation regalia was destroyed by order of parliament after King Charles I was executed during the Civil War, which briefly led to a republic. It was melted down into gold coins, with the jewels sold.
Camilla’s coronation outfit will be designed by her friend Bruce Oldfield, who was a favourite designer of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Traditionally, monarchs and their consorts have worn lavish robes for their coronation events, but whether or not Charles and Camilla will don robes remains in question as the monarch is understood to be opting for a more modern ceremony.
Additional reporting by Press Association
