Jewels IN THE CROWN
They’ve achieved near mythical status and little wonder – the crown jewels are an institution in the royal family
THEY ’ RE steeped in tradition and history, much like the monarchy itself. Crowns, tiaras, diamonds, solid gold items, even a spoon – all make up the royal jewels, a staggering collection worth an estimated £3 billion (R58bn).
The term royal jewels refers to everything from the monarch’s crown to each item linked to the coronation, from metal to vestments.
There are three categories of royal jewels: the royal collection, which is mostly art pieces along with several pieces of jewellery; the crown jewels, which is regalia used in state ceremonies such as the opening of parliament and coronations; and the queen’s personal collection, which belongs to Her Majesty herself.
The royal jewels and the crown jewels are owned by the monarch in a trust and passed directly from monarch to monarch.
“The majority of her jewellery is part of her personal collection,” says historian Lauren Kiehna, who writes The Court Jeweller blog under the nom de plume Ella Kay.
“That includes everything from the pearl earrings she wears on a daily basis to her brooch collection and her tiaras, as well as the jewellery she inherited from Queen Mary and the Queen Mother.”
It is up to Her Majesty to decide to whom she will bequeath the jewellery in her personal collection.
THE CROWNS
Queen Elizabeth has worn two crowns: the St Edward’s crown and the imperial state crown.
She wears the imperial state crown for every state opening of parliament but she hasn’t worn the St Edward’s Crown since her coronation in 1953.
The St Edward’s crown – which is made of solid gold and created for the 1661 coronation of Charles II – is used only for the moment of crowning. In 1911 it was permanently set with semi-precious stones for the coronation of George V, Elizabeth’s grandfather.
These two crowns may not be viewed or filmed from above as history dictates “because that is the vantage point reserved for God”.
WEIGHTY BUSINESS
Queen Elizabeth and her father, King George VI, wore the same imperial state crown at the end of their respective coronations.
It is set with 444 stones, including a gemstone known as the black prince’s ruby, believed to have been worn by Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Its estimated value is $39 million (R585m).
As the crown was too big for Elizabeth’s head – and at 2,2kg rather heavy too – it had to be adjusted to fit and she had to practise wearing it before her coronation.
“You see, it’s much smaller, isn’t it?” the queen says in a documentary about the crown jewels.
“Fortunately, my father and I have about the same sort of shaped head. But once you put it on it stays. I mean, it just remains on.
“You can’t look down to read the speech; you have to take the speech [looking] up,” she says. “Because if you did, your neck would break, it would fall off. So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they’re quite important things.”