Historic Crown to Be Modified for Charles III Coronation

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
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Historic Crown to Be Modified for Charles III Coronation

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP

Britain's 17th-century St Edward's Crown, the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels, has been removed from display to be altered for the coronation of King Charles III, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday.

The solid gold crown, encrusted with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, will undergo "modification work" for Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6 next year, the palace said.

The crown is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels, a large collection of royal regalia housed in the Tower of London that attracts more than a million visitors per year, AFP said.

It has a purple velvet cap with an ermine band, is just over 30 cm (one foot) tall and very heavy.

It was last worn by Queen Elizabeth II, at her coronation in 1953.

Charles III, 74, will be crowned along with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.

The ceremony will be followed by a national holiday on May 8.

The crown was made for King Charles II in 1661 to replace a medieval crown though it date back to Edward the Confessor.

- 2,000 diamonds -
The original had been melted down by parliamentarians after the execution of Charles I.

For hundreds of years afterwards, the crown was only carried in coronation processions because it was too heavy to wear.

It was altered to make it lighter for the coronation of King George V in 1911 but still weighs 2.23 kilograms (nearly five pounds).

Charles III will only wear it at the moment he is crowned.

When he leaves Westminster Abbey, Charles will wear the more modern Imperial State Crown, also used for occasions such as the opening of parliament.

Set with over 2,000 diamonds, the Imperial State Crown was created in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI, the father of Elizabeth II.

The coronation traditionally takes place some months after a new sovereign has ascended to the throne, following a period of national and royal mourning, and intense preparation.

Charles immediately became king when his mother died on September 8. He also took over as head of state of 14 Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Concerned about public perceptions, he has reportedly requested a less lavish ceremony than the festivities held for Elizabeth II in 1953.

The queen, who was 96, died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland after a year of declining health. She reigned for a record 70 years.



Smoke From Canadian Fires Reaches Europe, Says EU Climate Monitor

 This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)
This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)
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Smoke From Canadian Fires Reaches Europe, Says EU Climate Monitor

 This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)
This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)

Heavy smoke from intense wildfires in Canada has reached northwestern Europe, the European Union's climate monitoring service said on Tuesday.

The huge plumes are at very high altitude and do not pose an immediate health risk, it said in a statement.

"Smoke originating from the wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been transported across the Atlantic," the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) said.

Satellites tracked the smoke in mid-May, with some plumes reaching as far east as Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.

"A second, much larger, smoke plume crossed the Atlantic during the last week of May, reaching northwestern parts of Europe on June 1," CAMS said.

Additional plumes are expected to shade the continent in the coming days.

Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health.

A high concentration of carbon monoxide is expected to pass over northwestern France, including the Paris Basin, on Tuesday.

The high-altitude smoke headed for Europe is not expected to have a significant impact on surface air quality, but is likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets.

Manitoba in central Canada is experiencing its worst start to the fire season in years due to drought, and Saskatchewan to the west declared a state of emergency at the end of May, evacuating thousands of residents.

"Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions," said Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS.

Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual this summer in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought.

Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.