THAT’S where one put it! Queen with crown she last wore in 1953
... the Queen and crown she wore for her 1953 Coronation
SIXTY-FIVE years ago, it was placed on the head of a 27-yearold Princess elizabeth, signalling the moment she became Queen.
Now, for the first time since her Coronation in 1953, Her Majesty has been reunited with the glittering – but little seen – St edward’s Crown.
Although many associate the British monarch with the Imperial State Crown – normally sported at the State Opening of Parliament – the St edward’s Crown is used by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the actual moment of coronation.
Made for Charles II in 1661 by the Crown Jeweller, Robert viner, it was a replacement for the original, medieval crown which had been melted down in 1649 by the Parliamentarians and was thought to date back to the 11th century royal saint, edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon king of england.
Composed of a solid-gold frame, set with tourmalines, white and yellow topazes, rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, peridot, zircons, spinel, and aquamarines, mounted in enamelled gold collets, it also has a velvet cap with an ermine band.
The Queen’s Coronation, which took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953 after 16 months of planning, was watched by millions throughout the world for the first time on television.
At the moment the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the St edward’s Crown on the young sovereign’s head, a fanfare was played by the State Trumpeters, triggering a gun salute from the Tower of London and a peal of the Abbey bells.
Despite being the nation’s longestreigning monarch, the Queen, who will celebrate her 92nd birthday in April, has never worn the St edward’s Crown again. Indeed, aside from a brief glimpse behind glass when she opened the Jewel House at the Tower of London in 1994, the Queen hasn’t even seen it in the flesh.
But the Queen and crown have now been reunited for a stunning new collaboration between BBC One and the Royal Collection Trust – the charity responsible for one of the largest and most important art collections in the world.
entitled The Coronation, the hour-long film will reveal the story behind the Crown Jewels – which consists of 140 items and 23,000 precious stones – and the ceremony in which they are used. for the first time, the Queen will also personally share memories of the ceremony, as well as that of her father King George vI in 1937.
viewing both private and official film footage, she recalls the day when the weight of both St edward’s Crown – and the hopes and expectations of a country recovering from war – were placed on her shoulders, saying: ‘I’ve seen one coronation, and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.’
By tradition, St edward’s Crown is for use only at the coronation of a new monarch and the Imperial State Crown is used for leaving the event. The latest film, which is part of a series of programmes across BBC Tv and radio revealing the treasures of the Royal Collection, also features accounts of those who participated in the 1953 Coronation, including a maid of honour who nearly fainted in the Abbey, and a choirboy who was left to sing solo when his overwhelmed colleagues lost their voices.
Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content said: ‘In her own words, the Queen will bring to life the enduring symbolic importance of the Coronation ceremonies for modern audiences to enjoy.’
The Coronation is on BBC One on January 14 at 8pm.
Hope and expectations of a country