Kind hearts and coronets

Although many won’t be taking part in this year’s coronation, dukes and duchesses have hitherto played important roles, now reflected in a series of exhibitions, finds Eleanor Doughty

As fresh as a daisy

As he sets out to look for wandering sheep on a bright April morning, the sight of abundant sticky cleavers, golden dandelions and a galaxy of daisies transports John Lewis-Stempel back to the country games of his childhood

All creatures great and small

The story of St Francis of Assisi has captured the imagination of artists, musicians and poets for 800 years. Mary Miers discovers that the saint who befriended animals was also a radical reformer, whose teachings have a timely relevance

Fit for a king

With pioneering housing projects, both at his own home and on the Duchy estate, The King has led the way in creating a sustainable, Nature friendly built environment

Shrimply the best

Scampi evokes easy pasta dishes or deep-fried pub grub, but call them langoustines and you have a dish fit for a king–or, indeed, The King, says Tom Parker Bowles

Time for a clear out

I HAVE a whole drawer full of odd socks in the bedroom. But why? It’s not as if their partners are suddenly going to dance out from behind the washing machine for a joyous reunion.

If the ceremonial hat fits

Known as ‘Jane the Hat’, milliner Jane Smith has been dressing some of our most famous actors’ heads since the late 1960s and her creations are about to take centre stage at the coronation, finds Simon Fenwick

The King and I

George VI’s coronation was lavish, with sparkling diamond coronets, clergy wrapped in spectacular copes, foreign notables in pearl-encrusted caps and the young King and Queen in their gleaming crowns, as Dorothy Maltby’s record reveals

It shouldn't happen at a coronation

Things don’t always go to plan at a coronation, from stumbling peers to muddled clergy, dripping candles and even earthquakes, reveals Carla Passino

'She's the best listener in the world'

Whether she’s highlighting domestic abuse, championing literacy, dining with pensioners or quietly supporting her husband, our new Queen is excelling in her royal role, says Jane Wheatley

The Renaissance King

Few realise the breadth and depth of Charles III’s interests and influence, but, here, 10 friends of COUNTRY LIFE, who know and have worked with The King–including former Prime Minister Sir John Major–predict he will be a magnificent and much-loved monarch

A theatre of coronation

The setting of Charles III’s crowning in Westminster Abbey in London lends grandeur and history to this great ceremony. John Goodall considers the evolution of this remarkable building and its role in celebrating the authority and antiquity of the monarchy

Heavy lies the crown

It is to the Crown that we owe allegiance. Matthew Dennison considers the history of this most familiar attribute of royalty, which he finds as laden with the hopes of a nation as it is with glittering gold and precious jewels

Time for change

Known for his striking bronzes, sculptor Martin Jennings is the man behind the image on The King’s new coins. He tells Timothy Mowl how he captures the essence of his subjects and why this Royal Mint commission is so special

Let the power of the music carry you

Music has, for centuries, been key to the tone of a coronation. Charles III’s will be no exception, says Andrew Green, and will reflect the changes in British culture over the past seven decades

The King's gardens

Alan Titchmarsh considers the new monarch’s extraordinary contribution to British gardening, which is always underpinned by organic methods and a strong belief in husbandry and stewardship

Send him victorious, happy and glorious

From France’s rousing, fiercely Republican La Marseillaise to Switzerland’s bucolic ‘Psalm’ and the proud, stately God Save the King, national anthems are a rallying cry for us all, says Charles Harris

The face of Majesty

Ever since Alfred the Great’s likeness was stamped on coins, royal portraits have marked the might of our monarchs, although–as Michael Prodger discovers–some are excessively flattering

The bumblebee's knees

It may look a little sozzled and slow, but one bumblebee is all it takes to make a prairie and its buzz is the soundtrack of a thriving world, finds Harry Pearson

Once in a generation

Today's Property Market previews the launch onto the market, for the first time since 1985, of one of Kent's most important country houses

Colour counsel

The latest paints and wallpapers, selected

Return of the Mac

It might now be spelt differently, made of alternative fabrics and have even embraced colour, but-at heart-the Mackintosh remains the same classic waterproof coat conceived 200 years ago,

Totally foxed

The new Scottish legislation on hunting looks unworkable and will be to the detriment of wildlife

A future in the Arts

One of the most important historic houses in Surrey is enjoying a new lease of life as a centre for the Arts. John Goodall looks at the history of this remarkable building

Is the 'tourist tax' realistic?

Charging visitors to national parks such as the busy Lake District sounds an attractive idea, but it could easily backfire, says one local

Crowning glories

A Bristol exhibition contains riveting treasures from past coronations

Dressed to impress

Towering headdresses, 3ft-high feathers and a diamond-spangled skirt so heavy that a pulley was needed to raise the hem are only some of the extraordinary outfits that made Georgian Britain sartorially magnificent,

Fronds in high places

An obsession with palms has taken Martin Gibbons to some of the most inaccessible places around the world, says Tiffany Daneff, and to the founding of his remarkable nursery

That sounds just like you

Forget flashy plumage or intricate dances, being a great sound mimic is what really wins over womenat least for some birds,

'Painting horses is, to me, the breath of life'

Lucy Kemp-Welch was overlooked for RA election and refused to get involved with the feminist politics of her day, letting her powerful and empathetic animal paintings do the talking,