St. Edward’s Crown, the central part of the Crown Jewels, has been removed from the Tower of London to be made ready for the Coronation of King Charles III.
The historic Crown, created in 1661 for King Charles II, will be used at the moment of coronation at the ceremony on May 6th 2023. It will be placed on His Majesty’s head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Queen Elizabeth II wore St. Edward’s Crown at her Coronation in 1953.
Ahead of next May’s historic ceremony, the Crown has been removed from the Tower, where it is usually kept with the other Crown Jewels, so that it can be made ready for the Coronation.
Modification work will now take place. As well as St. Edward’s Crown, the King will wear the Imperial State Crown at the Coronation.
St. Edward’s Crown was made by the then Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner, to replace the medieval crown which had been melted down when the Monarchy fell in 1649. His design was based on that crown which is believed to have traced its own history back to St. Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.
The 17th century St. Edward’s Crown features four crosses-pattee and four fleur-de-lis as well as two arches. It is made of solid gold and decorated with rubies, sapphires, topazes, tourmalines, garnets and amethysts. It also has a velvet cap and ermine band.
No details of the crown to be used at the coronation of Queen Camilla have yet been announced.
