It’s official — King Charles and Queen Camilla have been crowned at their coronation!
Although King Charles, 74, became monarch immediately upon Queen Elizabeth’s death in September and named Queen Camilla, 75, as his Queen Consort the following day, the historic service — including the crowning — was carried out at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
“Charles became King Charles the moment his mother died, but the coronation is to do with the job and being the monarch in the eyes of all the people,” royal historian Robert Lacey previously PEOPLE.
The coronation did not take place immediately to respect a period of mourning as well as to allow time for preparations for the ceremony.
King Charles was enthroned with the commanding St. Edward’s Crown. The St. Edward’s Crown, which weighs nearly 5 lbs., was first created for King Charles II in 1661 as a replacement for the previous crown that had been melted down in 1649. The palace said the original was thought to date back to the 11th-century royal saint, Edward the Confessor, who was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
The St. Edward’s Crown is only used to crown a new king or queen during the coronation ceremony, last used in 1953 for King Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth.
King Charles actually wore two crowns on his coronation day — he swapped the St. Edward’s Crown for the Imperial State Crown at the end of the service. The headpiece is slightly less heavy at a little over 2 lbs. — but still stunning with its 2,868 diamonds in silver mounts and colored stones in gold mounts, including 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls.
The Imperial State Crown was last seen on Queen Elizabeth’s coffin during her funeral in September and is also used on ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament.
Queen Camilla was officially named Queen with Queen Mary’s Crown. The crown, set with 2,200 diamonds, was worn by Charles’ great-grandmother Queen Mary when she took part in the coronation alongside her husband, King George V, in 1911.
Camilla wore Queen Mary’s Crown with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds that were part of Queen Elizabeth’s personal jewelry collection. The late monarch often wore them as brooches.
Her choice marked the first time in recent history that an existing crown was used for the coronation of a Queen Consort instead of a new commission being made, the palace said, “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.” The last time a Queen Consort’s crown was reused was in the 18th century, when Queen Caroline, consort of George II, wore Mary of Modena’s crown.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation service followed nearly a thousand years of tradition, with the event conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey. The couple was presented with royal regalia and anointed with holy oil, and the monarch swore an oath to uphold the law and the Church of England.
Following the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey, King Charles and Queen Camilla rode in the Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace in a parade known as the Coronation Procession. They will later appear for the first time of the new reign on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside members of the royal family.
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