Almost a year post their coronation at Westminster Abbey, the King and Queen have received the official recording of the event, the Coronation Roll. This historic document is unique as it’s the first ever made from paper rather than parchment, a decision influenced by King Charles’s concern for animal welfare.

Presented with the roll at Buckingham Palace by Antonia Romeo, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, Their Majesties learned that it comprises 57 pages stitched together, containing approximately 11,600 handwritten words. Upon unrolling it on a trestle table, the King humorously remarked on its length, while the Queen quipped about needing her glasses to read it.

Expressing admiration for the splendid illuminations, the King inquired about the accuracy of the spellings, to which Ms. Romeo assured him they had been meticulously checked. The roll documents the coronation proceedings from start to finish, much to the King’s amazement.

Dating back to 1308, the first Coronation Roll was created for Edward II and Queen Isabella. While most are held by the National Archives, several are missing, including ones for notable monarchs such as Edward III, Henry VII, and Elizabeth I.

During the presentation, the King expressed intrigue about the missing rolls, pondering their disappearance. He and the Queen also met with Timothy Noad, the heraldic artist, and Stephanie Gill, the calligrapher, expressing gratitude for their meticulous work.

The couple also viewed a unique digital version of the roll, part of a public project allowing access to the document along with multimedia content from the ceremony and interviews with key figures. Additionally, they viewed other historic rolls, including one created for Queen Elizabeth II, the King’s mother.