‘It’s a nod to colonial rule in Africa’: PETA warns Queen Camilla not to use ivory rod

A charity has hit out at Camilla about a key aspect of her upcoming coronation - and have called on the Queen Consort to make urgent changes.

Exclusive: Animal rights activists PETA have urged Queen Camilla to reject a sceptre made of ivory at the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey next month saying its use is a “nod to colonial rule in Africa”.

The vegan charity has hit out at Camilla and accused her of “glamorising the death of a sensitive elephant” as it emerged she will carry the ivory rod with a dove on May 6.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed the rod, made for Mary of Modena when she was crowned alongside her husband, James II, in 1685, will be used as part of the crowning ceremony, contrary to speculation it would not feature because of sensitivities about the use of ivory.

Animal rights activists want Queen Camilla to reject an ivory spectre. Picture: Getty

“Just as King Charles and Queen Camilla are modernising by rejecting other aspects of the coronation, PETA hopes they will exclude anything that might be seen to glamorise an object like this sceptre, which represents the painful death of a sensitive elephant, and appear to be a nod to colonial rule in Africa,” PETA’s Vice President of Programs, Elisa Allen, told News Corp.

“Prince William has stated that he wants to see all ivory items owned by Buckingham Palace destroyed, or they should be relegated to a museum cabinet – as they are relics of an unenlightened past and a reminder that magnificent animals still need protection from trophy hunters and others who want to kill them and collect their body parts.”

A spokeswoman added, “We don’t approve, it’s not something we want to see on the day.”

The Prince of Wales has been a vociferous critic of the ivory trade and other illegal wildlife products.

Queen Consort's Rod with Sceptre Dove 1685.

Prince William reportedly once said that he would like all the ivory owned by Buckingham Palace to be destroyed.

However, a palace insider said that it was unavoidable that a collection as old and large as the Crown Jewels would contain some ivory, reflecting the differing values of a long gone era.

The decision to use the sceptre, - one of two used by the Queen at her 1953 ceremony - was made by the royal goldsmith Sir Robert Vyner and illustrates Palace beliefs there are times when tradition must take precedence over modern views.

The 3ft long sceptre is made of three sections joined by gold collars. Symbolising equity and mercy, it is topped by a dove with rested wings, which represents the Holy Spirit.

Its use was confirmed on Sunday as part of The Palace revealing the regalia involved at the service, from the Sovereign’s Ring to St Edward’s Crown. They also include the orb, two sceptres, three swords, the armills, the spurs, the coronation spoon and the ampulla.

The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla will be held on May 6.

The Queen has already swerved controversy by shunning a crown embellished with the Koh-i-noor diamond at the coronation. Instead she will be crowned with Queen Mary‘s Crown, which has been taken out of the Tower of London to be resized making it the first time in “recent history” that an existing crown will be “recycled” for a coronation.

Experts concede some of the royal treasures are so old it is no longer known how they came to form part of the royal regalia.

They include the golden St Edward’s Staff, designed by Vyner in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II after most of the previous collection was melted down under Oliver Cromwell, and comes from an earlier staff which has links to Edward the Confessor.

Buckingham Palace last week released an image of the invitation for the May 6, 2023 Coronation of Britain's King Charles III, which will be issued to more than 2,000 guests. Photo: Buckingham Palace

“Some of the materials from the remote past and decades ago are lost to memory, especially anything to do with Charles II who lost the bulk of it and much of it had to be rebuilt from scratch,” said historian Aidan Dodson, whose late father was a Queen’s body guard of the Yeoman of the Guard.

“Records were not kept back then. The decision by Camilla to shun the Koh-i-noor diamond, I get, it was stolen by rulers over generations but the sceptre with a little bit of ivory on it, I believe can be used for the coronation.

“The royal family has already shown it has made a concession to modern times by shunning the Queen Mary’s crown for the coronation to avoid controversy at all costs.”

Originally published as ‘It’s a nod to colonial rule in Africa’: PETA warns Queen Camilla not to use ivory rod