Queen Elizabeth Wore Coronation Crown During Kids' Bath Time

Queen Elizabeth waves from the Buckingham Palace following her Coronation while wearing the heavy Coronation Crown and wearing her Coronation regalia

(Image credit: The Print Collector/Getty Images)

published 9 December 2024

Queen Elizabeth II was a beloved monarch for many reasons, and her children certainly have fond memories of the late royal. In fact, King Charles recently reflected on an unusual memory of his mother concerning bath time and the late Queen's 1953 coronation.

When Queen Elizabeth acceded the British throne in 1953, she was already a mother of two. While King Charles was born on November 14, 1948, Princess Anne arrived on August 15, 1950. The Queen's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and the royal seemingly combined her preparation for the important ceremony with caring for her young kids.

During an event with a group of Canadian women who had attended the coronation, King Charles recalled his mother wearing St. Edward’s Crown at home, per the BBC. "I remember it all so well then, because I remember my sister and I had bath time in the evening," King Charles explained.

Queen Elizabeth stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony with members of the Royal Family following her Coronation, wearing the heavy Coronation Crown — "My mama used to come up at bath time wearing the crown to practice."

The King continued, "My mama used to come up at bath time wearing the crown to practice." As for why his mother was casually wearing St. Edward's Crown around the house, Charles explained, "You have to get used to how heavy [the crown] is." Weighing almost five pounds, the famous crown isn't the easiest thing to wear for extended periods of time.

Charles, of course, wore St. Edward's Crown at his own coronation, so he understands what an undertaking it is to practice wearing the item. "It is very important to wear it for a certain amount of time, because you get used to it then," he noted. Charles continued, "It is much heavier and taller, so there's always that feeling of feeling slightly anxious, in case it wobbles." When it comes to wearing the crown during the coronation, posture is key: "You have to carry it, you have to look straight ahead," Charles explained.

St. Edward's Crown, which Queen Elizabeth and King Charles wore at their coronations, sits on a red pillow — St. Edward's Crown.

Unsurprisingly, memories of his mother wearing her coronation crown during bath time have never left The King. "I've never forgotten, I can still remember it vividly," he said.

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Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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