![Regalia of King James II (detail Colobium sindonis)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Regalia_of_King_James_II_%28detail_Colobium_sindonis%29.png)
The (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for "shroud
tunic
A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...
") is a simple sleeveless white
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
shift worn by
British Monarchs
There have been 13 monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs since the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on Acts of Union 1707, 1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been in personal union since 24 March ...
during part of the
Coronation service. It symbolises divesting oneself of all worldly vanity and standing bare before God.
Following the
anointing
Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body.
By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...
in the coronation service, the is placed over the monarch's clothes, and then the , a long robe of gold
brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...
, is placed over that. Wearing these garments, the monarch is invested with the
regalia
Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign ...
, crowned and enthroned. Both garments are removed before the final procession out of the abbey. Both of these robes are of very ancient design; those used by the medieval kings of England were said to have been used by King
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
at his coronation in 1043, however these were destroyed by the Parliamentarians after the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. In modern times, a new has been made for each coronation.
References
See also
*
Colobium
The (Latin for "shroud tunic") is a simple sleeveless white linen shift worn by British Monarchs during part of the Coronation service. It symbolises divesting oneself of all worldly vanity and standing bare before God.
Following the anointin ...
British monarchy
Ceremonial clothing
English clothing
Regalia
Court uniforms and dress
{{Clothing-stub