What Are the Crown Jewels?

The Crown Jewels of the British monarchy are a collection of royal

objects, such as crowns and robes. They are used during important royal
occasions, including coronations. These are ceremonies where a new
monarch is officially crowned as king
or queen.

The Crown Jewels are a significant part of the coronation process as

they symbolise the passing of authority from one monarch
to another.

For centuries, monarchs of England have stored their

Coronation Regalia in the Tower of London.

Together, the collection contains 23,578 gemstones!

Crown to Coins
Some of the original Crown Jewels date back to the 11th century.

When Charles I was executed in 1649, the Parliamentarians ordered the

Crown Jewels to be destroyed to rid the land of any symbols of
monarchy.

The Coronation Regalia was brought to the Tower of London to

be destroyed - the precious stones were removed and sold while
the gold was sent to the Mint to be melted down and turned
into coins.
The Coronation Spoon
Although the Parliamentarians (including Oliver Cromwell) ordered that
the Crown Jewels be destroyed, a few
pieces survived.

The most notable item was an 11th century Coronation Spoon.

It was bought by a man named Mr Kynnersley for 16 shillings.

The King’s Return
In 1660, Charles II returned to England, following 14 years of exile after the death
of his father.

He made it clear that he wished to have a medieval style coronation to reinstate the
glory of the monarchy and a range of items were created for the ceremony.

The eleven main pieces of Coronation Regalia were estimated to have

cost around £13,000 - the equivalent, at the time,
of three fully-equipped warships.

The Coronation Spoon that survived the destruction

of the initial Crown Jewels was returned to
Charles II. The spoon is used by the Archbishop
of Canterbury to anoint the monarch with holy oil.
Where Are They Kept?

Today, the Crown Jewels are stored

in the Jewel House in the Tower of
London, where they are protected by
a high-tech security system and
armed guards.

They have been kept here since 1661

and have been visited by over 30
million people.

They are thought to be the most

visited objects in Britain and perhaps
even the world!
What is Included in the Crown Jewels?
Do you recognise any of the objects below? Click each
picture below to find out more about them.
St Edward’s Crown
This is the most important crown in
the collection and is only worn for
the crowning of the new monarch.

It was made for the coronation of

Charles II after the previous crown
was melted down in 1649.

This crown was permanently set

with semi-precious stones in 1911
for the coronation of George V.
Before this, stones would be hired
for the occasion and then returned
immediately afterwards.

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The Sovereign’s Orb
The Sovereign’s Orb was made for
Charles II’s coronation in 1661. It is a
hollow gold sphere which is set with a
range of different gemstones, including
emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and pearls.

The Sovereign’s Orb is designed as a

cross mounted on a globe which
represents Christianity in the world.

It is traditionally placed in the monarch’s

right hand before
being placed on the altar during
the investiture section of the coronation
ceremony.

Back
The Sovereign’s Sceptre and Rod
In each hand, the sovereign receives a
sceptre.

The Sceptre with Cross is said to

represent the sovereign’s temporal power
(power relating to worldly rather than
spiritual affairs). It also contains the
largest, colourless cut diamond in the
world, gifted to Edward VII in 1907.

The Sceptre with Dove - also

known as the Rod of Equity and
Mercy - symbolises the sovereign’s
spiritual role.

Back
The Imperial State Crown
The Imperial State Crown is worn by the
new monarch as they leave Westminster
Abbey at the end of their coronation
ceremony.

It is also worn during formal occasions,

such as during the
State Opening of Parliament.

It contains:

• 2868 diamonds
• 17 sapphires
• 11 emeralds
• 269 pearls
• 4 rubies

Back
The Imperial State Crown of India
When George V was crowned King of
Great Britain in 1910, he also wished to be
inaugurated as Emperor of India.

Rules stated that the Imperial State Crown

(worn at the end of the coronation) could
not be taken out
of Britain so George V commissioned
a new crown to be made for
the occasion.

The King became very tired after spending

three hours in the sweltering heat wearing
his robes and his
new crown.

It has never been worn since.

Back
Queen Mary’s Crown
Inspired by the design of Queen Alexandra’s
1902 coronation crown, Queen Mary’s Crown
was designed for her coronation in June 1911.
Queen Mary's Crown will be used for the
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Back Did You Know…?

Crown Jewel Calamities
Since the Crown Jewels were remade following Charles II’s return, great efforts
have been made to keep them safe.

In 1671, however, the Sovereign’s Orb, the Imperial State Crown and the
Sovereign’s Sceptre were almost stolen by the mysterious ‘Colonel Blood’.

The Jewels were also at risk on 31st October 1841 when the Grand Storehouse,
positioned next to the Jewel House, caught fire. The Jewels were saved just in
time.
The Coronation Chair
The Coronation Chair was made under the instructions of King Edward I to enclose
the Stone of Scone that he had brought back from Scotland in 1296, and has played
a role in every coronation ceremony since 1308.
During its history, it has been removed from Westminster Abbey
when Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector, evacuated
to Gloucester Cathedral for protection during the Second World
War and even damaged in a bomb attack thought to be organised
by the Suffragettes in 1914.

Conservation work in 2010 identified traces of the

Chair’s original colour and discovered that the seat was
not part of the original structure of the Chair. It was
suggested that in earlier times, a cushion was probably
placed over the Stone instead.

In 1996, the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland to

be displayed at Edinburgh Castle and returned for use
during coronations.