Photographs
Crowns, King's and Queen's. Victorian to Queen Elizabeth. Combination Image. Photograph
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Artwork details
About This Work
British military crowns transitioned from the Queen's Crown to the King's Crown following the accession of King Charles III.
Key Crown Types
Top right: Victorian (Queen's) Crown (Queen Victoria)
Top left: King's Crown (WW2, King George)
Bottom left: Queen's Crown (Queen Elizabeth)
Bottom right: King's Crown (WW2, King George)
Queen's Crown (St. Edward's Crown): Used from 1953 through the reign of Queen Elizabeth II on military cap badges, rank slides, buttons, and insignia.
King's Crown (Tudor Crown): Replaced the St. Edward's Crown to symbolize the reign of King Charles III. A similar version (the King's Crown) was also used historically from 1901 to 1954 during the reigns of Edward VII, George V, and George VI.
Implementation in the Armed Forces
Gradual Rollout: The transition from Queen's Crown to King's Crown insignia happens gradually as new kit, rank slides, and cap badges are manufactured and issued, rather than through an immediate mass replacement.
Affected Insignia: Cap badges, rank slides (such as for majors, lieutenant colonels, and staff sergeants), belt buckles, and ceremonial standards across the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force are being updated.
Historical Persistence: Older crown insignia often persisted for years or decades in specific regiments or units until amalgamations or uniform refreshes took place.