CROWNING GLORY
We take a closer look at the history of Britain’s crowns and the role they will play in the coronation of our new King
On 2 June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned during a three-hour-long ceremony of pomp, pageantry and almost 1000-year-old tradition at Westminster Abbey. She was officially inaugurated into office when she received the glittering St Edward’s Crown upon her head: the chief symbol of regal authority. Although King Charles III’s coronation ceremony is expected to look markedly different from the Queen’s (Buckingham Palace has confirmed that it will be two hours shorter), reflecting the new sovereign’s vision for a more modern monarchy, the main aspects of the ceremony will still be rooted in longstanding tradition. These traditions, which remain almost unchanged since they were first performed for the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, will see King Charles III take the Coronation Oath, be anointed with consecrated oil, receive the Orb and Sceptre, and have the St Edward’s Crown placed on his head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But this will not be the only crown we will see during the coronation ceremony on 6 May. We can expect to see three heavily bejewelled crowns used during the service, each with their own symbolism and unique history. In fact, there are seven crowns in total in the British Royal Regalia, one of which has not been used in a coronation since 1651 and which has its own special position elsewhere.
Here, we take a closer look at the key pieces in this royal treasure trove, their fascinating history, and how they are used during coronation ceremonies.
The Black Prince’s Ruby was worn by Henry V in his helmet during his famous victory against the French at Agincourt
The St Edward’s Crown
Only used once in the lifetime of each monarch – at their coronation – the St Edward’s Crown is the most important and sacred of the four crowns.
This specific crown was made for the coronation of King Charles II to replace the medieval version that had been melted down by Parliamentarians in 1649, after the execution of King Charles I. This lost crown was said to have belonged to King Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.
Although the newer version is not an exact replica, it follows the original design with four crosses-pattée and fleurs-de-lis, and two arches. The crown has a solid gold frame weighing 2.23kg and is set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines.
We will see the St Edward’s Crown at the coronation of King Charles III, when it is placed on his head at the pinnacle of the ceremony, symbolising his regal authority and signalling a trumpet fanfare and a gun salute outside the Abbey.
The Imperial State Crown
The other crown we will see King Charles wearing during his coronation ceremony, and perhaps the most familiar of all the Crown Jewels, is the Imperial State Crown. This is the crown that the monarch exchanges for the St Edward’s Crown at the end of the ceremony.
This is because, before the Civil War, the ancient coronation crown was always kept at Westminster Abbey and the monarch needed another crown to wear when leaving the Abbey.
The Imperial State Crown is also used on other State occasions, including the annual State Opening of Parliament, and recently was placed on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her lying-in-state and funeral.
The name of the crown dates from the 15th century, when a design closed by arches was chosen to demonstrate that England was not subject to any other earthly power.
Made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and four rubies, the Imperial State Crown also contains some of the most famous jewels in the entire Royal Collection. This includes the Black Prince’s Ruby, which, at 170 carats, is thought to have been the ruby given to Edward, Prince of Wales (1330-76), known as the Black Prince. This was one of the stones worn by Henry V in his helmet during his famous victory against the French at Agincourt.
Also on the crown is the Cullinan II diamond, which is the largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever discovered.
The St Edward’s Sapphire, which is set in the
Although King Charles’s coronation ceremony is expected to look markedly different from the Queen’s, the main aspects will be rooted in longstanding tradition
Left to right: Golden armills are placed on the sovereign's wrists during the coronation ceremony; this pair was made for Charles II's coronation in 1661; the coronation robes made for George IV in 1821, formally known as the Imperial Mantle
The Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned alongside the King, and the Crown of Queen Mary will be placed on her head
centre of the topmost cross, is said to have been worn in a ring by St Edward the Confessor and was found in his tomb in 1163.
The crown that was worn by Elizabeth II, and will be worn by her son on 6 May, was made in 1937 for the coronation of the late Queen’s father, George VI, and was designed to be lighter and fit better than the crown it replaced, which dated back to Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, it still weighs in at a hefty 1.06kg.
The Crown of Queen Mary
The third crown that will appear in the coronation ceremony is the Crown of Queen Mary. The Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned alongside the King on 6 May, and this is the crown that will be placed on her head.
The crown was designed for the coronation of George V in June 1911, for his consort, Queen Mary. Camilla will be the first consort to be crowned since the Queen Mother in 1937; as a man, Prince Philip was not entitled to be crowned in the same way.
The Crown of Queen Mary is composed of a silver frame, lined with gold and set with no less than 2,200 diamonds. The crown originally contained three large diamonds: the Koh-i-Nûr and Cullinan III and IV. After the coronation, the three diamonds were removed from the crown and replaced with quartz crystal replicas so that the jewels could be used in other settings.
The Koh-i-Nûr was moved to the Crown of Queen Elizabeth for the coronation of George VI in 1937, and although many expected to see Camilla wearing this crown in May, it is the controversial history of this diamond in particular that means she has opted instead for the Crown of Queen Mary.
The Crown of Queen Elizabeth
Although we will not see this crown at the coronation of King Charles, the Crown of Queen Elizabeth is on public display at the Tower of London.
The crown was made in 1937 for the consort of King George VI (and mother of Queen Elizabeth II), and is set with 2,800 diamonds, most of which were removed from Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet. Legend has it that the Koh-i-Nûr diamond, which sits on the crown’s front cross, would bring misfortune if worn by a man.
Koh-i-Nûr, meaning ‘Mountain of Light’ in Persian, is one of the most famous diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats. It probably originated from the Golconda mines in central southern India, and has a turbulent history, with many previous owners, including Mughal emperors, Shahs of Iran, emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh Maharajas. In 1849, to mark the end of the Anglo-Sikh Wars in the Punjab, the jewel was surrendered to Queen Victoria.
After the coronation of her husband, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore this crown at State Openings of Parliament and again at the coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.
Made from Scottish gold and weighing 1.64kg, the Crown of Scotland is encrusted with gems, precious stones and freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers
The Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland has not been used for a coronation since that of Charles II at Scone in 1651 (the last coronation in Scotland). The crown is part of the Honours of Scotland (which also includes the sword and sceptre) – the oldest royal regalia in the British Isles.
Made from Scottish gold and weighing 1.64kg, the Crown of Scotland is encrusted with gems, precious stones and freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers.
The crown was made in its present form for James V in 1540. It was first used as part of a coronation for the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543, and then for her son James VI (and I of England) at Stirling in 1567, and grandson Charles I in 1633.
After Oliver Cromwell failed to stop the coronation of Charles II in 1651, he pursued the Honours to Dunnottar Castle, determined to destroy them just as he had the English regalia. He failed, however, and they were smuggled out for safe burial until Charles II’s restoration in 1660.
Following the Act of Union in 1707 when the new United Kingdom Parliament met in London, the Honours were locked away in a chest in Edinburgh Castle. They were rediscovered in 1818 and put on public display in the castle’s Crown Room.