Apple's Jony Ive Crowns King Charles III With Coronation Logo
The famed former chief design officer at Apple, who worked on the iPod, iPhone and iPad, turns his attention to the official coronation emblem.
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Put down that iPhone and join us for a cuppa.
We'll call it the iCrown. Jony Ive, former Apple chief design officer and Steve Jobs compadre, is now the man behind the official emblem for the coronation of King Charles III.
On Friday, the royal family's website unveiled the emblem, which was created by Ive and his LoveFrom design collective. It features a blue crown surrounded by red plant forms that symbolize the nations of the United Kingdom.
"The design was inspired by King Charles' love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world," Ive is quoted as saying on the site. "The emblem speaks to the happy optimism of spring and ... the gentle modesty of these natural forms combine to define an emblem that acknowledges both the joyful and profound importance of this occasion."
The plants shown are the daffodil, for Wales; the rose, for England; the shamrock, for Northern Ireland; and the thistle, for Scotland.
For about a quarter of a century, Ive headed up design efforts for Apple, where he worked on iconic products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and the Apple Watch. He also played a role in the distinctive design of Apple's retail stores and its donut-shaped Apple Park headquarters near Silicon Valley.
The emblem will be featured during events in May, the site said. Coronation events include a celebratory concert at Windsor Castle and a UK-wide Coronation Big Lunch, both scheduled for May 7, a community-volunteering effort called The Big Help Out, on May 8, and the actual coronation service, set for May 6 at Westminster Abbey. Charles immediately succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to the throne upon her death this past September, but he'll be ceremonially crowned at the abbey.
The iCrown will also appear online, of course, in social media and so on. And if the emblem usage guidelines (PDF) are any indication, we may see the design on T-shirts, water bottles, pens, pennants, teapots, brollies and more. Who knows? Perhaps we'll even see it on an iPhone case or two.
Ive and LoveFrom previously designed a seal for Charles' Terra Carta campaign, which urges corporations to work toward creating Earth-friendly, sustainable markets. That one also features flora, as well as some fauna.
Correction, 5:04 p.m. PT: The coronation ceremony is set for May 6.