It's been a week of melancholy pageantry here in the UK and we haven't been able to take our eyes off the gorgeous embroidery, beading, medals and jewels in the military and royal uniforms on display.
The royal monogram of the late Queen Elizabeth II features prominently on uniforms of the Yeoman Warders, the Yeoman of the Guard and the buglers, the police, and medals including the Distinguished Service Medal. It will soon change to that of the new king with the C and R of Carolus Rex, along with the numeral III to distinguish him from his predecessors King Charles I and II.
The best way to track royal monograms throughout relatively recent history is to look for them on postboxes. There are thousands of them all over the United Kingdom. When the monarchy changes, the postboxes aren't removed but the new royal monogram is added to all new postboxes. The oldest you can find is that of Queen Victoria, dating back to the early 1800s.
Royal monograms tend to be surmounted by a crown. The crown above EIIR is a representation of the St Edward’s Crown with which the monarch was crowned during her coronation. It has been suggested that King Charles III may use the Tudor Crown instead... we'll wait with anticipation to see!
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