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1 of 253523 objects
King George VI's Coronation Girdle, also worn by King Charles III 1911 - 2023
Cloth of gold, silk, gold thread, gilt brass, gold | 6.4 cm (Width); 15 cm (Length) (whole object) | RCIN 75063
Wilkinson & Son Ltd., London
King George VI's Coronation Girdle, also worn by King Charles III 1911 - 2023
Wilkinson & Son Ltd., London
King George VI's Coronation Girdle, also worn by King Charles III 1911 - 2023
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A coronation girdle or sword belt of cloth of gold embroidered in gold thread with arabesques and scrolls, lined in dark red silk, with a gold buckle stamped with national emblems (roses, thistles and shamrocks) and a gold clip for attaching the sword in place. The girdle, or sword belt, is used during the coronation service when the monarch is invested with the coronation robes and other symbols of royalty. These include the Sword of Offering which is 'girded' or fastened at the sovereign's waist. The Archbishop presents the Sword to the monarch saying that it should be used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil. The Sword is then placed on the altar by the monarch.
Catalogue entry from "Gold", London, 2014.Provenance
Presented to King George V by the Worshipful Company of Girdlers and worn by him in place of the new Supertunica belt otherwise supplied at his coronation at Westminster Abbey, 22 June 1911.
Worn by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II at their coronations at Westminster Abbey, 12 May 1937 and 2 June 1953.
Sent on loan to the Museum of London in 1954 and later returned.
Worn by King Charles III at his Coronation at Westminster Abbey, 6 May 2023. -
Creator(s)
(goldsmith)(manufacturer)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Cloth of gold, silk, gold thread, gilt brass, gold
Measurements
6.4 cm (Width); 15 cm (Length) (whole object)
Place of Production
London [Greater London]
