- Buckingham Palace has unveiled King Charles III's official royal monogram.
- The monogram will be used in state documents and government buildings.
- It has several hidden details, including a possible tribute to Charles' grandfather.
Buckingham Palace has released King Charles III's royal monogram, which will replace Queen Elizabeth II's on state documents, government buildings, as well as some mailboxes in the UK.
The monogram has Charles' initials, "CRIII," in gold script alongside an image of a crown. The design was personally selected by the king from a series of designs prepared by The College of Arms, a Buckingham Palace press release states.
The process of replacing the Queen's monogram with Charles' will be gradual and "at the discretion of individual organisations," the palace stated in the press release.
Here are all the hidden details you might have missed.
Charles' initials reference his new role as king
The monogram has a "C" for Charles, alongside an "R" which stands for his new title, Rex — Latin for King — according to the press release.
This is similar to Queen Elizabeth's monogram, which is shown below in a Twitter post by The Royal Family Channel. The late Queen's monogram contained the initials "ER." The "R" stood for Regina, which is Latin for Queen, according to Wales Online.
—The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) September 27, 2022
The initials are written in gold lettering. The color gold often evokes associations with the metal of the same name, Peter Oakley from the Royal College of Arts told CNN. These could also conjure images of wealth and success, the publication added.
The color is said to traditionally symbolize extravagance, wealth, riches, and excess, according to the design company Bourn Creative.
Unlike with the lettering in the Queen's monogram, Charles' initials are joined together.
The king paid tribute to his grandfather, George VI, with the Tudor Crown
The monogram also features the Tudor Crown, The Telegraph and Mail Online report.
This could be interpreted as a tribute to Charles' grandfather, King George VI, who used the Tudor Crown in his monogram, the Mail Online reports. The publication added that the crown was also used in the monograms for Edward VII, Edward VIII, and George V.
The Tudor Crown — also known as "Henry's Crown" — was worn by Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace and was used at the coronation of his children, according to Hampton Court Palace's website. While the original crown was melted down in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell upon the abolition of the monarchy, a replica was later created, the website added.
The monarchy was later restored in 1660, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
This is one of the main differences between Charles and Queen Elizabeth's monograms, as the late Queen used the St. Edward Crown, which is used in royal coronations, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
The College of Arms and Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.