Many eagle-eyed viewers watching the coronation of King Charles III today picked up that the monarch was sporting a very strange accessory - just one white glove.
And while the simple clothing item is most commonly associated with the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, there's actually a very unique reason why the King only wore half a pair.
As we all know, the coronation of King Charles III was held earlier today at London's historic Westminster Abbey, and saw a host of prominent royal figures gather together to watch the 74-year-old officially take on the role of Head of State, just like his mother did 70 years before him.
Queen Elizabeth II reigned from February 6, 1952, until her death on September 8, 2022, and the baton was swiftly passed to King Charles III to continue to British royal legacy.
The long-awaited ceremony of the King was, as expected, steeped in centuries of tradition.
In fact, inside his throne was the 700-plus-year-old Stone of Scone, a heavy piece of red sandstone weighing 335 pounds that was originally used for the coronation of Scottish monarchs. In 1296, Edward I of England took it upon himself to seize the stone from Scone during the bloody English invasion of Scotland, and was eventually used for the coronation of English royals in the 18th century.
Part of the many traditions seen today was one lesser-known tradition of the single white glove, which was handed to the King by the representative of Sikh Community Lord Indarjit Singh.
This single coronation glove - known as the Coronation Gauntlet - is worn on the King's right hand while he holds the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross during the crowning.
And the glove certainly caused a stir on social media, with viewers jokingly comparing the King to Michael Jackson, Thanos, and Elsa from Frozen:
Made of white leather, the glove has an intricate cuff embroidered with national emblems - including the Tudor rose, thistle, shamrock, oak leaves, and acorns - while the back of the hand has an embroidered ducal coronet above the coat of arms of the family of the Dukes of Newcastle.
The BBC explained that the glove is usually stored in the Tower of London, as it forms part of the Coronation regalia. This includes the sword belt King Charles is wearing today, which was also worn by his grandfather George VI in 1937.
Caroline de Guitaut, deputy surveyor of the King's Works of Art at the Royal Collection Trust said it was the King's "personal decision" to reuse garments, saying: "And it's in keeping with this idea of sustainability and efficiency to reuse these pieces."
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