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A centuries-old royal tradition has been given a vegan update as the Coronation Roll has been printed on cotton paper instead of calf skin for the first time.
Read more: King Charles Awards Stella McCartney A CBE For Services To Fashion And Sustainability
King Charles and Queen Camilla were presented with the 21-meter scroll before the first anniversary of their coronation on May 6. It documents all the details of the coronation ceremony down to the flowers used as decoration on the day. It is all handwritten by calligrapher Stephanie Gill and contains colorful illustrations by artist Timothy Noad.
The tradition of making written records of coronations dates back to 1308, when Edward II was crowned. Calf skin, known as vellum, has previously been used, but no animal products were used this time because King Charles is “interested in animal welfare.”
An uneven history of defending animals
King Charles has previously advocated for animal welfare. But his efforts to do so have not always been consistent.
He gained kudos from PETA in 2022 for confirming that foie gras was not served in royal residences. He is thought to have long been opposed to the “delicacy” which involves force-feeding geese to fatten up their livers.
Read more: The ‘Climate King’: Is Charles III Really The Environmentalist We Think He Is?
During a royal tour of Kenya in 2023, Charles and Camilla “celebrated” Kenyans who promoted animal welfare and conservation. They visited an elephant sanctuary and the site where former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi burned 12 tonnes of ivory in 1989.
But King Charles also allows sheep farming on royal land, including at Sandringham Estate, where Animal Rising activists took three lambs from in 2023. He is a patron of the Speciality Cheesemakers Association, eats meat, and counts eggs among his favorite foods.
Despite his campaigning against ivory, which is generally taken from the tusks of poached wild elephants, Queen Camilla controversially held an ivory scepter at the coronation.
