Coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey 28 June 1838 by Sir George Hayter
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

It seems like the royal family of Great Britain is continuously in the news for babies, birthdays, and philanthropy. With the Queen’s 95th birthday last week and the birth of Prince Harry’s son, I’ve decided to focus this entry on the remarkable Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The most well-known of the royal jewelry troves, these 140 outstanding jewelry pieces hold centuries of stories and secrets and are culturally significant in British history. From the Black Prince’s Ruby to the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond, even the gemstones themselves tell a tale.

I’ll never forget climbing up the dangerous, spiral stone staircase of the Tower of London and catching my first glimpse of The Jewel House. My trip was around the year 2000, and at that time, they were kept in a large glass display next to the torture exhibit. The lighting perfectly enhanced the gemstones, and the sparkle was almost blinding! I believe it was at this instant that my love of antique jewelry came to be.

A BRIEF HISTORY

The Crown Jewels are also referred to as the Coronation Regalia and are used during the coronation of any sovereign. The actual ceremony dates back to the 8th century and has been performed at Westminster Abbey for the last 900 years.

Charles II with Crown Jewels c. 1661
Photo Credit: The British Library

The majority of the collection stems from around 1660 when Charles II ascended the throne and restored the monarchy. Prior Crown Jewels were destroyed by Cromwell’s Parliamentary Commissioners, who believed they represented everything detestable about kings’ rule. Luckily, drawings of the earlier pieces survived these tumultuous times, and the jewels we see today are modeled off these sketches.

Throughout the years, additional pieces were added to the original collection by jeweler Sir Robert Viner. Until the 20th century, the significant gemstones were rented for coronations at 4% of their value and then returned to the jewel houses. Simultaneously, glass or paste imitation jewels were set into the jewelry and placed back on display for the public.

The collection carries many processional objects such as maces, swords, trumpets, coronation robes, etc. For this blog, I will focus on the jewelry and gilded objets de Arte.

THE JEWELS

Photo Credit: Royal      Trust Collection

St. Edward’s Staff was crafted in 1661 and is an oddity in the collection because no one knows what it symbolizes or the original purpose in the ceremony. It is laid on the altar in Westminster Abbey after the procession and then has no further role. The staff is shrouded in mystery, and even a Tower of London guidebook from 1831 claims there is a piece of the “true cross” enclosed in the top monde.

The Ampulla and Spoon
Photo Credit: Royal Trust Collection

The Ampulla and Coronation Spoon is also a part of Charles II’s coronation of 1661 and contains the holy oil, which anoints the sovereign’s head after moving to St. Edward’s Chair – coronation chair –  from the Chair of State. The eagle-shaped ampulla was created in 1661, and the head screws off to fill the vessel, and there is a small hole in the beak to pour the oil. However, the spoon is the oldest piece of the collection and the only survivor of the original 12th-century collection.

The Sovereign’s Orb (1661) and Queen Mary II’s Orb (1689) are placed into the sovereign’s right hand to symbolize their role as the head of the Anglican church and Christian sovereignty over the planet. In 1671 the Sovereign’s orb was damaged during an attempted heist by Colonel Thomas Blood. Queen Mary’s orb was only used once during William and Mary’s coronation, as Mary was a queen in her own right. Mary’s orb was set with borrowed jewels and currently displays glass paste stones, while the Sovereign’s orb is set with over 600 gemstones, including 12 large diamonds, 30 rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

The coronation rings are absolutely stunning and typically placed upon the sovereign’s right hand’s fourth finger. The Sovereign’s ring on the top is also referred to as the ‘ensign of kingly dignity’ and was made alongside the Queen’s Consort Coronation ring (bottom) in 1831 for Queen Adelaide King William IV. Before this, each coronation had a special ring crafted for the occasion, which stayed in the sovereign’s possession for the duration of their reign. The Sovereign’s Ring has been used in every coronation from Edward VII to Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Elizabeth the Queen Mother wear the smaller Queen’s Consort ring.

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross was also created for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. The scepter is placed in the right hand and symbolizes control over the kingdom against uprisings. The Sceptre with Dove is placed in the left hand and represents the gathering and confinement of men who stray. In 1907, the largest diamond ever mined, the Cullinan, was presented to King Edward VII by the Government of the Transvaal to mend tensions following the Boer War between Great Britain and South Africa. The stone was cut into 106 diamonds, including nine large stones of great significance, each labeled 1-9. The Cullin 1, aka The Star of Africa, transformed the Sovereign’s Sceptre in 1910 for George V’s coronation and is the most significant-top quality cut white diamond in the world, weighing in at a whopping 530.2 carats!

St. Edward’s Crown
Photo Credit: Royal Historic Palaces

Probably the most well-known and sacred of all the crowns in the collection, St. Edward’s Crown is solid gold and very heavy, weighing in at 71 ounces! The crown is permanently set with 444 semi-precious and precious gemstones. It is the moment when the Sovereign is enthroned, with the Archbishop of Canterbury gently placing the crown upon the sovereign’s head while onlookers erupt into “God save the King/Queen!” The crown was made for Charles II in 1661 and possibly contained melted gold from the medieval crown, which was destroyed in 1649.

The Imperial State Crown, 1937
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Imperial State Crown is relatively new and now replaces St. Edward’s Crown on the Sovereign’s head when they take holy communion, change into purple robes, and prepare for the closing procession. This crown is used more commonly than the others and is worn while the Sovereign exits Westminster Abbey and is adorned for the annual State Opening of Parliament.

This crown contains the Cullinan II, or the Second Star of Africa, and is a cushion-cut brilliant weighing 317.4 carats. Directly above this is the Black Prince’s Ruby, one of the oldest pieces of the crown jewels — dating back to the mid-14th century, this irregularly cut cabochon weighed 170 carats. The stone was initially owned by the Arab Muslim Prince of Grenada, Abū Sa’īd. After his slaughter by Don Pedro the Cruel in Seville, the stone was gifted to the Black Prince by the Don as a thank you for squashing a rebellion led by his brother. The “ruby” was then given to the monarchs of England by Edward of Woodstock in 1367 and has remained the British Crown Jewels since. In 1937, Queen Victoria’s Imperial Crown was remade to relieve weight into the current form, and the Black Prince’s Ruby was discovered to be a spinel.

Koh-i-Noor

Next to the Hope Diamond, the Koh-i-Noor is probably the most infamous diamond of all time. Along with the Hope, this diamond is considered cursed and has a long history of death, deceit, and still contested ownership. The origins are shrouded in mystery and tall tales, but we know it came from India’s legendary Golconda mining district. Koh-i-Noor is Persian for “Mountain of Light” and is one of the world’s largest cut diamonds at 105.6 carats.

The exact history is vague, but this fantastic diamond has been passed down from ruler to ruler in India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan through war, misadventure, and treason. Most likely mined in the 16th century, the Koh-i-Noor finally came to Queen Victoria’s possession in 1849 and was re-cut and set in 1852. It moved from crown to crown over the years and now adorns the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s crown set in 1937. There is too much history to cover for this post, but one last interesting fact, King George V hid the stone in the bottom of a pond near Windsor Castle for the duration of WWII!

There are dozens and dozens more crowns, scepters, and stones to cover, but these pieces are central to the crowning of a new Sovereign and contain fascinating stories. Throughout revivals, coups, and attempted heists, these Crown Jewels have remained a symbol of England’s wealth and power over the centuries and continue to amaze and inspire awe to this day. I highly recommend taking a trip to London and the Jewel House in the Tower of London and see for yourself!