Crown Jewels

CROWN JEWELS
The Orb
Sceptre
Swords
The ampulla
The Imperial State Crown

CROWN JEWELS
The collective term Crown
Jewels denotes the regalia
and vestments worn by the
sovereign of the United
Kingdom during the
coronation ceremony and
at other state functions.
The term refers to the
following objects: the
crowns, sceptres (with
either the cross or the
dove), orbs, swords, rings,
dalmatic and the
royal robe or pall, as well
as several other objects
connected with the
ceremony itself.

THE CROWNS
The Imperial Crown of India
The Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
The Cullinan I diamond
The Koh-i-Noor
diamond
The Imperial State Crown

THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN
Profile of the Imperial State Crown from the right, the crown's left
The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
Design
The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap with an ermine border. The Imperial State Crown includes many precious gems, including: 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies.
The crown includes several famous jewels: the cross at the top is set with a stone known as St. Edward's Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor; the Black Prince's Ruby (actually a spinel) is set on the front cross pattée; the famous Cullinan II, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front; and the back band contains the 104-carat (21 g) Stuart Sapphire. The crown also contains Queen Elizabeth’s Pearls.
The Crown is 31.5 cm high and weighs 0.91 kg.

THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN
Use
The Imperial State Crown is generally worn at
the end of a coronation when the new monarch
departs from Westminster Abbey and is not
normally the crown used to crown the monarch.
However, its predecessor (of the same name) was
used to crown Queen Victoria and King Edward
VII during their coronation ceremonies as both
complained about the weight of the normally
used, St Edward's Crown.
It is also worn annually by the Queen at the
State Opening of Parliament. Traditionally, the
Crown and other jewels leave in their own
carriage and arrive at the Palace of Westminster
prior to the Queen's departure from Buckingham
Palace. They are then transported to the Robing
Room, where the Queen dons her robes and wears
the Crown.
Illustration of the Imperial State Crown before the height was lowered by about 1 inch (25 mm)

The current Imperial State Crown was manufactured for the coronation
of King George VI in 1937 by the Crown Jewellers Garrard & Co. It is an
exact replica of the earlier Imperial State Crown manufactured for
Queen Victoria, but is of a more lightweight design and more
comfortable to wear. The same Crown was remodelled for Queen
Elizabeth II's coronation to give it slightly more feminine
appearance and its total height lowered by about 1 inch (25 mm).
Storage and repair
The Imperial State Crown, except when in use at State Openings,
together with the other Crown Jewels, may be found on display at
Jewel House in the Tower of London.
As the most frequently worn royal crown, the Imperial State Crown has
constantly been replaced, due to age, weight, the personal taste of the
monarch, or the unavoidable damage that comes with use. Due to its
constant usage, it is also the crown that requires most outside repairs and
recasting.

ST EDWARD'S CROWN
St Edward's Crown was one of
the English Crown Jewels and
remains one of the senior British
Crown Jewels, being the official
coronation crown used in the
coronation of first English, then
British, and finally Commonwealth
realms monarchs. As such,
two-dimensional representations of
the crown are used in coats of arms,
badges, and various other insignia
throughout the Commonwealth
realms to indicate the authority of
the reigning sovereign.

ST EDWARD'S CROWN
Design
The present St Edward's Crown contains much of
the crown made in 1661 for the coronation of
King Charles II.
Made of gold, its design consists of four
crosses pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, with
two arches on top. Surmounting the
arches is a jeweled cross pattée. The
Crown includes 444 precious stones. It is used
through most of the coronation ceremony and is
said to be made of the melted gold from King
Alfred's Crown.

ST EDWARD'S CROWN
Use
Although always regarded as
the "official" coronation
crown, in fact only a minority
of monarchs have actually
been crowned with
St. Edward's Crown. These
were Charles II (1661), James
II (1685), William III (1689),
George V (1911), George VI
(1937) and Elizabeth II (1952).

ST EDWARD'S CROWN
A number of changes were made for the
respective coronations of James II and
William III (the base being changed
from its original circular form to a more
natural oval one). The crown was also
made slightly smaller to fit the head of
George V, the first monarch to be
crowned with St. Edward's Crown in
over 200 years. The crown was,
however, carried in procession at other
coronations at which it was not actually
worn.
Queen Victoria and King Edward VII
chose not to be crowned with St
Edward's Crown because of its weight
of 4 lb 12 oz (2.2 kg) and instead used the
lighter Imperial State Crown.

THE IMPERIAL CROWN OF INDIA
The crown was created for George V as Emperor of India to wear at the Delhi
Durbar of 1911. The need for the new crown lay in the fact that it is forbidden by
Old Royal Law for the British Crown Jewels themselves to leave the United
Kingdom.
King George and Queen Mary travelled to Delhi
for the Durbar ceremonies, proclaiming them as
Emperor and Empress of India to the princes of
India. The King was not crowned at the service because
the Archbishop of Canterbury did not think it suitable
for a Christian religious service to take place in a
predominantly non-Christian (Hindu and Muslim)
country. Therefore the King wore the crown as he
entered the arena where the Durbar took place.
The Crown Jewellers, Garrard & Co, created the crown
at the cost of £60,000 (£4,530,137 as of 2011),
or $300,000 ($7,047,857 as of 2011). It weighs 34.05
ounces (0.97 kg) and is set with emeralds, rubies, sapphires,
6,100 diamonds, and one large fine ruby. The considerable
weight of the crown led King George to complain after the Durbar that his head
hurt. The crown has not been worn by any Sovereign since.

THE IMPERIAL CROWN OF INDIA
Design
Similar to other British crowns, the Imperial Crown of
India consists of a circlet topped by four crosses pattée
and four fleurs-de-lis. However, the arches on top point
upwards in an Asiatic manner instead of curving back
downward as other British crowns do.
It is also the only crown of a British Sovereign with eight
half-arches, in the manner of Continental European crown
jewels, departing from the British tradition of the Crown
having four half-arches. This difference is emblematic of the
difference between the crown of an Emperor and that of a
King. It can be viewed in the Jewel House at the Tower of
London, alongside with the other crown jewels.

THE CROWN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER
One of the most impressive of the crowns on display at the Tower of London is the crown made for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This contains the legendary Koh-i-noor, or Mountain of Light diamond. Indian in origin, its history can be traced to the thirteenth century. It was presented to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1850. A legend clings to it that it brings good luck to any woman that wears it, but disaster to any man and many of the men that have owned it have met a violent end.

PRECIOUS STONES
Emerald
Natural ruby crystals
Sapphire
Diamond
Brilliant
Koh-i-Noor

Storage :Jewel House
The Crown Jewels have been kept at
the Tower of London since 1303 after
they were stolen from Westminster
Abbey. It is thought that most, if not
all, were recovered shortly afterwards.
After the coronation of Charles II, they
were locked away and shown for a
viewing fee paid to a custodian. However, this
arrangement ended when Colonel Thomas Blood
attempted to steal the Crown Jewels after having bound
and gagged the custodian. Thereafter, the Crown Jewels
were kept in a part of the Tower known as Jewel House,
where armed guards defend them.

Portrait gallery
Queen Mary wearing her
crown, minus its arches,
as a circlet.
Queen Victoria wore the Small Diamond Crown in preference to the Imperial State Crown whenever she could. Studded with about 1,300 diamonds, it was made in 1870.
Queen Elizabeth II holds the Orb and Sceptre used at her Coronation, 2 June 1953.
The Queen

THE ORB
Among many of the other Crown Jewels is the Orb. The Orb is a golden globe that is used during the coronation ceremony to symbolize the world ruled by Christianity. It dates to 1661 for the coronation of Charles II. This gold Orb is lined with many pearls and contains a jeweled cross that is topped off with pearls as well. It is held in the monarch's left hand during the coronation ceremony. The jeweled cross which surmounts the orb reflects the monarch's title of Defender of the Faith.
The Ampulla is used in the coronation ceremony to annoint the monarch's head palms and breast with holy oil.
THE AMPULLA
The only item in the present collection to survive the Commonwealth is the golden Ampulla and spoon.

THE OTHER JEWELS
The jewels additionally contain five Swords of
State, three of which are the Great Sword of State,
the Sword of Justice and the Sword of Mercy,
all of which are used in the coronation
ceremony. They are traditionally carried
before the monarch as he/she enters
Westminster Abbey.
The Armills are gold bracelets which are meant to
symbolize sincerity and wisdom
There are also maces, a Queens orb, sixteen silver
state trumpets and a variety of banqueting plates
used in the coronation ceremony, which also form
part of this priceless and unique collection.

CROWN JEWELS