Royal Family Debuts King Charles’ Coronation Logo, Designed By Jony Ive
Images via 148012199 © ChrisGhinda | Dreamstime.com / The Royal Family
From coins to banknotes, the crown, and stamps, much is changing to make way for the accession of King Charles III. Now, ahead of the crowning of the monarch this May, Buckingham Palace has presented the logo to mark his coronation.
The emblem was designed by Sir Jony Ive, attributed as a core figure behind the iPod, iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, the tech giant’s retail store interiors, and more over his three-decade tenure at Apple.
For the King’s coronation, Ive conceptualized a more traditional graphic made up of flowers. At the heart of it is a depiction of the St Edward’s crown, which will grace the royal’s head at this important moment in UK history.
The former Apple design chief explains that the emblem represents King Charles III’s love for and devotion to the natural world, while celebrating the “optimism of spring.”
Imagined in red, blue, and white as a nod to the Union flag, the mark also encapsulates natural motifs honoring the stretches of the United Kingdom—the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales, and the shamrock of Northern Ireland.
Alternative logos picture the design in shades of red (including pink), blue, and black and white.
“It is such an honor to be able to contribute to this remarkable national occasion, and our team is so very proud of this work,” comments Ive, who left Apple in 2019 to open his independent creative firm, LoveFrom.
Ive adds: “The design was inspired by King Charles’ love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world. The gentle modesty of these natural forms combine to define an emblem that acknowledges both the joyful and profound importance of this occasion.”
The motif, also available in a Welsh-language variation, will be the official symbol at the King’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. It will also be displayed throughout the bank holiday weekend, and on social media, street parties, and souvenirs.
Design collaboration between Ive and the new monarch goes a little while back. In 2021, the two paired up to launch Terra Carta Design Lab, an outfit at London’s Royal College of Art to encourage students to “create small designs that can make a big impact for the world’s transition to a sustainable future.” Ive’s studio also designed the the design lab’s seal, which bears similar nature-leaning illustrations with the new coronation logo.
Ive’s latest work includes a significant redesign of Comic Relief’s red nose, now billed as the “most perfect nose in history.”
[via BBC, Sky News, The Royal Family, images via various sources]
