HEAVY HANGS THE HEAD
PART of the Royal Collection, the Crown Jewels housed in the Tower of London are ceremonial treasures acquired by English kings and queens. Symbolising the passing of authority from one monarch to the next during the coronation ceremony, they contain more than 23,000 precious stones and are known as the Coronation Regalia.
The concept of a crown representing the sovereign as head of state dates back at least 2,000 years.
Other sacred items in the ceremony, symbolising different aspects of the monarch’s powers, include the orb, an expression of religious and moral authority, and sceptre, embodying power.
The ampulla (a golden eagle flask) and gold spoon represent the most holy part of the ceremony when the monarch is anointed with the coronation oil. The Sovereign’s Ring – known as the Wedding Ring of England – symbolises the monarch’s lifetime commitment.
“These are not just objects of tremendous beauty and craftsmanship,” historian and writer Anna Keay has said. “They are an expression of the way in which authority has worked in this country; the relationship between the sovereign and the subject.”
At her Coronation on June 2, 1953, the Queen wore two crowns. Most significant was St Edward’s Crown – which weighs five pounds and was made in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II. The lighter Imperial State Crown was worn at the end of the Coronation.
Only the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the crown jeweller can touch St Edward’s Crown.
In a BBC interview in 2018, marking the 65th anniversary of the Coronation, the Queen said St Edward’s Crown weighed “a tonne”. She reflected: “Once you put (the crown) on it stays. You can’t look down to read the speech; you have to take the speech up because if you did, your neck would break, it would fall off.”