King Charles III Unveils 65-Foot Opera House Curtains as 3-Year Wait Ends
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 15
King Charles III Unveils 65-Foot Opera House Curtains as 3-Year Wait Ends
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Thursday’s Royal Opera House gala revealed new 65-foot-wide, 45-foot-tall crimson curtains bearing Charles’s “CIIIR” cipher and crown.
The replacement came only after the previous “EIIR” drapes from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign finally frayed; in 2023, Charles’s office told the company not to discard usable curtains “just because.”
More than 1 million stitches went into the new design, completed through weeks of machine and hand embroidery.
The unveiling highlighted how Britain’s royal transition still unfolds years after Charles’s 2023 coronation, even as his insignia has already appeared on stamps and currency.
As royal finances face cuts, do new £10 million drapes truly reflect a 'make do and mend' monarchy?
Beyond tradition, what does the global update of royal symbols signal about the monarchy's future relevance?