View source for Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom

{{Short description|British royal regalia}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox crown jewels
 |name = Crown Jewels<!--This parameter is for the name of the subject, not the title of the article, which is different.-->
 |image = [[File:Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom 1952-12-13.jpg|255px|alt=Current primary Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom (photographed in late 1952 ahead of the coronation of Elizabeth II)]]
 |caption = Principal coronation regalia
 |country = United Kingdom
 |location = [[Tower of London]]{{efn|Three maces from the Jewel House are on permanent loan to the [[Palace of Westminster]].<ref name="ds12">Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 12.</ref> Objects can be temporarily moved to other exhibitions.}}
 |number_of_objects = ≈&nbsp;140 objects<ref name="BBCOne">{{cite web|url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/royal-collection-season-on-the-bbc/bbc-one-the-coronation|title=Royal Collection Season on the BBC: BBC One The Coronation|website=Royal Collection Trust|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128045403/https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/royal-collection-season-on-the-bbc/bbc-one-the-coronation|archivedate=28 January 2021}}</ref>
 |oldest_object = Coronation Spoon (12th&nbsp;century)
 |newest_object = [[Charles III]]'s [[Stole (vestment)|stole]] (2023)
 |stones = ≈&nbsp;23,578<!--cited within article--> including [[Cullinan&nbsp;I]], [[Cullinan&nbsp;II]], [[Koh-i-Noor]], [[Black Prince's Ruby]], [[Stuart Sapphire]], [[St&nbsp;Edward's Sapphire]]
 |owner = Charles III in right of [[Corporation sole#The Crown|the Crown]]<ref>{{Cite Hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=House of Commons |title=Crown Jewels |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1992/jul/16/crown-jewels#column_944w |date=16 July 1992 |volume=211 |column=944W }}</ref>
 |managers = {{ubl|[[Crown Jeweller]]|[[Royal Collection Trust]]|[[Historic Royal Palaces]]}}
 |website = {{ubl|{{URL|https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/explore/the-crown-jewels/|hrp.org.uk}}|{{URL|https://www.rct.uk|rct.uk}}}}
}}
The '''Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom''', originally the '''Crown Jewels of England''', are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the [[Jewel House]] at the [[Tower of London]], which include the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] regalia and vestments worn by [[British monarchs]].{{efn|Technically, the Crown Jewels are the regalia and vestments used or worn by monarchs at a coronation.<ref name="major">{{Cite Hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=House of Commons |title=Crown Jewels |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1995/nov/27/crown-jewels#column_447w |date=27 November 1995 |column=447W |volume=267 }}</ref> However, the term has been commonly used to refer to the contents of the [[Jewel House]] since at least the 17th&nbsp;century.<ref>Keay (2002), p. 3.</ref> The inventory in Keay (2011) extends to items displayed in the Martin Tower.}}

The coronation [[regalia]] are the only working set in Europe and the collection is the most historically complete of any royal regalia in the world.<ref>Keay (2011), dust jacket.</ref> Objects used at the coronation ceremony variously denote the monarch's roles as head of state of the [[United Kingdom]], [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]], and head of the British armed forces. The regalia feature heraldic devices and national emblems of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and other [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries.

Use of regalia by monarchs in England can be traced back to when the country was converted to Christianity in the [[Early Middle Ages]]. A permanent set of coronation regalia, once belonging to [[Edward the Confessor]], was established after he was made a saint in the 12th century. The sacred holy relics were kept at [[Westminster Abbey]], venue of coronations since 1066, while monarchs wore another set of regalia at religious feasts and [[State Openings of Parliament]]. Collectively, these objects came to be known as the Jewels of [[the Crown]]. Most of the collection dates from around 1660 when [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] ascended the throne. The medieval and [[Tudor period|Tudor]] regalia had either been sold or melted down after the monarchy was abolished in 1649 during the [[English Civil War]]. Only four original items predate the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]]: a late 12th-century anointing spoon (the oldest object) and three early 17th-century swords. The regalia continued to be used by British monarchs after the kingdoms of England and Scotland united in 1707.

The regalia contain around 23,578 gemstones, among them [[Cullinan&nbsp;I]] ({{convert|530|carat|g|0}}), the largest clear cut diamond in the world, set in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. It was cut from the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, the eponymous Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to [[Edward&nbsp;VII]]. In the [[Imperial State Crown]] are [[Cullinan&nbsp;II]] ({{convert|317|carat|g|0}}), the [[Stuart Sapphire]], [[St&nbsp;Edward's Sapphire]], and the [[Black Prince's Ruby]]&nbsp;– a large red spinel. The [[Koh-i-Noor]] diamond ({{convert|105|carat|g|0}}) was acquired by [[Queen Victoria]] from the [[Sikh Empire]] and has featured on three consort crowns. A small number of disused objects at the Tower are either empty or set with glass and crystal replicas.

At a coronation, the monarch is anointed using [[Chrism|holy oil]] poured from an [[ampulla]] into the spoon, invested with robes and ornaments, and crowned with [[St&nbsp;Edward's Crown]]. Afterwards, it is exchanged for the lighter Imperial State Crown, which is also usually worn at State Openings of Parliament. Wives of kings, known as queens consort, are invested with a plainer set of regalia.{{efn|Husbands of [[queens regnant]] are not crowned in the United Kingdom.<ref>Allison and Riddell, p. 451.</ref>}} Also regarded as [[crown jewels]] are state swords, trumpets, ceremonial maces, church plate, historical regalia, banqueting plate, and royal christening fonts. They are part of the [[Royal Collection]] and belong to the institution of monarchy, passing from one sovereign to the next. In the Jewel House they are seen by 2.5&nbsp;million visitors every year.
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==History==
===Prehistory and Romans===
The earliest known use of a crown in Britain was discovered by archaeologists in 1988 in [[Deal, Kent|Deal]], Kent, and dates to between 200 and 150 BC. A sword, brooch, ceremonial shield, and decorated bronze crown with a single arch,{{efn|British Museum number [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1990-0102-24 1990,0102.24]}} which sat directly on the head of its wearer, were found inside the tomb of the [[Deal Warrior]].<ref>Keay (2011), p. 9.</ref> At this point, crowns were symbols of authority worn by religious and military leaders. Priests continued to use crowns following the [[Roman conquest of Britain]] in 43 AD.<ref>Parfitt, p. 86.</ref> A dig in a field at [[Hockwold&nbsp;cum&nbsp;Wilton]], Norfolk, in the 1950s revealed a bronze crown with two arches and depictions of male faces,{{efn|British Museum number [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1957-0207-15 1957,0207.15]}} as well as two bronze [[diadem]]s with an adjustable headband and ''[[repoussé]]'' silver embellishments, dating from the Roman period. One diadem features a plaque in the centre depicting a man holding a sphere and an object similar to a shepherd's crook,{{efn|British Museum number [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1956-1011-2 1956,1011.2]}} analogues of the orb and sceptre that evolved later as royal ornaments.<ref name="Twining102">Twining, pp. 100–102.</ref>

===Anglo-Saxons===
[[File:Athelstan (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Crude painting of King Athelstan wearing his crown and handing over the book to a haloed Saint Cuthbert. Both men wear medieval robes.|[[King Æthelstan]], wearing a crown, presents an illuminated manuscript to [[Cuthbert|St Cuthbert]], {{circa}}{{nbsp}}930]]
By the early 5th&nbsp;century, the Romans had withdrawn from Britain, and the [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] and the [[Saxons]] settled. A [[heptarchy]] of new kingdoms began to emerge. One method used by regional kings to solidify their authority was the use of ceremony and insignia.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 12.</ref> The tomb of an unknown king&nbsp;– evidence suggests [[Rædwald of East Anglia]] ({{reign|circa 599|624}})&nbsp;– at [[Sutton Hoo]] illustrates the regalia of a pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon monarch.<ref name="barker2529">Barker, pp. 25–29.</ref> Inside the early 7th-century tomb, discovered in 1939, was found the ornate [[Sutton Hoo helmet]], consisting of an iron cap, a neck guard, and a face mask decorated with copper alloy images of animals and warriors set with [[garnet]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=86159&partId=1|title=The Sutton Hoo Helmet|publisher=British Museum|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> He was also buried with a decorated sword; a ceremonial shield; and a heavy [[sharpening stone|whetstone]] sceptre,{{efn|British Museum number [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1939-1010-160 1939,1010.160]}} on top of which is an iron ring surmounted by the figure of a stag.<ref name="barker2529"/>

In 597 CE, a [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] monk was sent by [[Pope Gregory&nbsp;I]] to start converting [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|Pagan England]] to Christianity. The monk, [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]], became the first [[archbishop of Canterbury]]. Within two centuries, the ritual of anointing monarchs with holy oil and crowning them (initially with helmets) in a Christian ceremony had been established, and regalia took on a religious identity. There was still no permanent set of coronation regalia; each monarch generally had a new set made, with which they were buried upon death.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 13–18.</ref> In 9th-century Europe, gold crowns in the [[Byzantine]] tradition were replacing bronze, and gold soon became the standard material for English royal crowns.<ref name="royalgold">{{cite podcast|url=https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/resources/lecture-podcast-royal-gold-reflections-of-power|title=Royal Gold: Reflections of Power|publisher=Royal Collection Trust|author=Kathryn Jones|date=17 December 2014|access-date=14 February 2018}}</ref>

[[King Æthelstan]] ({{reign|924|939}}) united the various Anglo-Saxon realms to form the [[Kingdom of England]]. In the earliest known depiction of an English king wearing a crown he is shown [[presentation miniature|presenting a copy]] of [[Bede]]'s ''Life of [[St Cuthbert]]'' to the saint himself.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 17.</ref> Until his reign, kings were portrayed on coins wearing helmets and circlets,<ref name="steane31">Steane, p. 31.</ref> or wreath-like diadems in the style of Roman emperor [[Constantine the Great]]. Whether they actually wore such an item is not known.<ref name="Twining102"/> [[Edgar the Peaceful]] ({{reign|959|975}}) was the first English king to be crowned with an actual crown, and a sceptre was also introduced for his coronation.<ref name="twining103">Twining, p. 103.</ref> After crowns, sceptres were the most potent symbols of royal authority in medieval England.<ref>Steane, p. 14.</ref>

===Edward the Confessor===
[[Edward the Confessor]] ({{reign|1042|1066}}) is depicted on a throne and wearing a crown while holding a sceptre in the first scene of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]].<ref>Hinton, p. 142.</ref> Edward died without an heir, and [[William the Conqueror]] emerged as the first [[House of Normandy|Norman]] king of England following his victory over the English at the [[Battle of Hastings]]. Wearing a crown became an important part of William&nbsp;I's efforts to assert authority over his new territory and subjects.<ref name="keay1820">Keay (2011), pp. 18–20.</ref> At his death in 1087, the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' reported: "[William] kept great state … He wore his crown three times a year as often as he was in England … He was so stern and relentless … we must not forget the good order he kept in the land".<ref>Nicholas, p. 220.</ref> Those crown-wearings were held on the religious festivals of Easter, [[Whitsun]], and Christmas.<ref>Steane, p. 71.</ref>
[[File:EdwardConfesor.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|alt=A coin-like device embossed with Edward the Confessor sitting on his throne in the centre and an inscription around the border.|The first [[great seal]] of Edward the Confessor]]
In 1161, Edward the Confessor was made a saint, and objects connected with his reign became holy relics. The monks at his burial place, [[Westminster Abbey]], claimed that Edward had asked them to look after his regalia in perpetuity and that they were to be used at the coronations of all future kings.<ref name="keay1820"/> A note to this effect is contained in an inventory of precious relics drawn up by a monk at the abbey in 1450, recording a [[tunicle]], [[dalmatic]], [[pallium]], and other vestments; a gold sceptre, two rods, a gold crown, comb, and spoon; a crown and two rods for the queen's coronation; and a [[chalice]] of [[onyx]] stone and a [[paten]] made of gold for the [[Holy Communion]].<ref>Strong, pp. 118–119.</ref> Although the Abbey's claim is likely to have been an exercise in self-promotion, and some of the regalia had probably been taken from Edward's grave when he was reinterred there, it became accepted as fact,<ref name="keay1820"/> thereby establishing the first known set of hereditary coronation regalia in Europe.<ref>Rose, p. 13.</ref> Westminster Abbey is owned by a monarch,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11795159|title=Profile: Westminster Abbey|website=BBC News|date=23 November 2010|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> and the regalia had always been royal property – the abbots were mere custodians. In the following centuries, some of these objects would fall out of use and the regalia would expand to include many others used or worn by monarchs and queens consort at coronations.<ref>Rose, p. 16.</ref>

In 1216, [[John, King of England|King John]] of England supposedly [[Lost jewels of John, King of England|lost some of his jewels and plate]] after his baggage train was swamped by an incoming tide during the [[First Barons War]].<ref name= BBC>{{Cite news | first = Theodora | last = Sutcliffe | title = The Lost Jewels of Bad King John | url = https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170926-the-lost-jewels-of-bad-king-john | publisher = BBC Britain | date = 27 September 2017 | access-date = 11 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | author = Roger of Wendover | year = 1890 | orig-year = 1235 | title = Rover of Wendover's Flowers of History | publisher = John Haddon & Co. | location = London, England | pages = 378}}</ref> Whether any coronation regalia were among his lost treasures is undetermined. An object referred to as "[[St&nbsp;Edward's Crown]]" is first recorded as having been used for the coronation of John's eldest son [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]] ({{reign|1216|1272}}) and appears to be the same crown worn by Edward. Being crowned and invested with regalia owned by a previous monarch who was also a saint reinforced the king's legitimacy.<ref name="rose14">Rose, p. 14.</ref> The crown would be used in many subsequent coronations until its destruction in the 1600s. Few descriptions survive, although one 17th-century historian noted it was "ancient Work with Flowers, adorn'd with Stones of somewhat a plain setting",<ref>Holmes, p. 217.</ref> and an inventory described it as "gold wire-work set with slight stones and two little bells", weighing {{convert|79.5|oz|kg|order=flip}}.<ref>Twining, p. 132.</ref> Edward is thought to be the first English king who wore a crown with arches.<ref>Rose, p. 24–25.</ref> Known as a 'closed' or [[imperial crown]], the arches and cross symbolised the king as an emperor of his own domain, subservient to no one but God, unlike some continental rulers who owed fealty to more powerful kings or the [[Holy Roman emperor]].<ref>Dale Hoak in Hoak, "The iconography of the crown imperial", pp. 55, 63.</ref> Also in the Royal Collection was an item called a [[state crown]], which together with other crowns, rings, and swords, constituted the monarch's state regalia that were kept mainly at royal palaces, separate from the coronation regalia.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 22.</ref>

===Late medieval period===
[[File:Coronation Chair and Stone of Scone.jpg|thumb|alt=High-backed gothic chair with the Stone of Scone placed into a cavity under the seat and a sword and shield resting on each arm at Westminster Abbey.|The [[Stone of Scone]] in the [[Coronation Chair]] at Westminster Abbey, 1859]]
The handing over of crowns symbolised the transfer of power between rulers. Following the [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I|defeat in 1282]] of the Welsh prince [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]] by [[Edward I of England|Edward&nbsp;I]] ({{reign|1272|1307}}), the Welsh regalia, including the crown of the legendary [[King Arthur]], were surrendered to England. According to the ''Chronicle of [[Aberconwy Abbey]]'', "and so the glory of Wales and the Welsh was handed over to the kings of England".<ref>Williams, p. xxxii.</ref> After the [[First War of Scottish Independence|invasion of Scotland]] in 1296, the [[Stone of Scone]] was sent to the [[Tower of London]] "in recognition of a kingdom surrendered and conquered".<ref>Breeze, et al., p. 201.</ref> It was fitted into a wooden chair, which came to be used for the investiture of English kings and known as the [[Coronation Chair]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/the-coronation-chair|title=The Coronation Chair|publisher=Westminster Abbey|access-date=17 July 2016}}</ref> The Scottish regalia were also taken to London and offered at the shrine of Edward the Confessor;<ref>Breeze, et al., p. 216.</ref> Scotland eventually regained its independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/the_wars_of_independence/|website=Scotland's History|publisher=BBC Scotland|title=The Wars of Independence|access-date=26 July 2016}}</ref> In the treasury of [[Edward&nbsp;II]] ({{reign|1307|1327}}) there were no fewer than 10 crowns.<ref>Twining, p. 117.</ref> When [[Richard&nbsp;II]] ({{reign|1377|1399}}) was forced to abdicate, he symbolically handed St&nbsp;Edward's Crown over to his successor with the words "I present and give to you this crown … and all the rights dependent on it".<ref>Steane, p. 34.</ref>

Monarchs often pledged items of state regalia as collateral for loans. [[Edward&nbsp;III]] ({{reign|1327|1377}}) pawned his ''magna corona'' to [[Baldwin of Luxembourg]] in 1339 for more than £16,650,<ref>Stratford, p. 11.</ref> {{Inflation|UK|16650|1339|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}.{{Inflation/fn|UK}} Three crowns and other jewels were held by the [[Bishop of London]] and the [[Earl of Arundel]] in the 1370s as security for £10,000.<ref name="steane35">Steane, p. 35.</ref> One crown was exchanged with the [[Corporation of London]] in 1386 for a £4,000 loan. Mayors, knights, peers, bankers, and other wealthy subjects sometimes released objects on a temporary basis for the royal family to use at state occasions. Monarchs also distributed plate and jewels to troops in lieu of money.<ref name=collins75>Collins, p. 75.</ref> At some point in the 14th&nbsp;century, all of the state regalia were moved to the [[White Tower (Tower of London)|White Tower]] at the Tower of London owing to a series of successful and attempted thefts in Westminster Abbey.{{efn|[[Thomas Frederick Tout]] gives an illuminating second-hand account of one such theft in ''[https://archive.org/details/mediaevalburglar00toutuoft A&nbsp;Mediæval Burglary]'' (1916).}} The holy relics of the coronation regalia stayed behind intact at the Abbey.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 33–34.</ref> Having fallen out of use in England in the 13th century,<ref name="rose25">Rose, p. 25.</ref> two arches topped with a [[monde]] and cross reappeared on the state crown during the reign of [[Henry V of England|Henry&nbsp;V]] ({{reign|1413|1422}}),<ref name="steane35"/> though arches did not feature on the Great Seal again until 1471.<ref name="collins11">Collins, p. 11.</ref>

===Tudors and early Stuarts===
The traditions established in the medieval period continued later. By the mid 15th&nbsp;century, a crown was formally worn on six religious feasts every year: Christmas, [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]], Easter, Whitsun, [[All Saints' Day]], and one or both feasts of St&nbsp;Edward.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 27–28.</ref> A crown was displayed and worn at the annual [[State Opening of Parliament]].<ref>David Dean in Hoak, "Image and ritual in the Tudor parliaments", p. 243.</ref> Also around this time, three swords&nbsp;– symbols of kingship since ancient times&nbsp;– were being used in the coronation ceremony to represent the king's powers in the administration of justice: the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice, and the blunt [[Sword of Mercy]].<ref name="keay30">Keay (2011), p. 30.</ref>
[[File:Elizabeth I in coronation robesFXD.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Coronation portrait of Elizabeth I in a gold robe trimmed with ermine. She wears a crown and holds a gold sceptre in her right hand and a blue orb in her left.|[[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]], the last Tudor monarch, in her coronation robes 1559]]
An emerging item of regalia was the orb, described in [[House of Tudor|Tudor]] inventories as a gold ball with a cross,<ref name="keay32">Keay (2011), p. 32.</ref> which underlined the monarch's sovereignty. Orbs had been pictorial emblems of royal authority in England since the early Middle Ages, but a real orb was probably not used at any English coronation until [[Henry VIII of England|Henry&nbsp;VIII]] ({{reign|1509|1547}}).<ref>Rose, pp. 44–45.</ref> State regalia increasingly passed from one monarch to the next. The best example of this was the [[Tudor Crown]], probably created at the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.<ref name="keay32"/> It first appears in a royal inventory during Henry&nbsp;VIII's reign and was one of three used at the coronation of each of his next three successors, the other two being St&nbsp;Edward's Crown and a "rich crown" made specially for the new monarch.<ref>Strong, pp. 191–193.</ref> After the [[English Reformation]], when England broke away from the authority of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the [[Church of England]] denounced the veneration of medieval relics and downplayed the history of St&nbsp;Edward's regalia.<ref name="macgregor257">[[Ronald Lightbown]] in MacGregor, "The King's Regalia, Insignia and Jewellery", p. 257.</ref>

The concept of hereditary state regalia was enshrined in English law in 1606 when [[James VI and I|James&nbsp;I]] ({{reign|1603|1625}}), the first [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] king to rule England, decreed a list of "Roiall and Princely ornaments and Jewells to be indyvidually and inseparably for ever hereafter annexed to the Kingdome of this Realme".<ref name="keay32"/>{{efn|For the schedule of royal jewels see Nichols, John (1828), [https://archive.org/details/progressesproces02nichuoft/page/44/mode/2up ''The Progresses, etc. of King James the First''], vol. 2, p. 45.}} After James died, his son, Charles&nbsp;I ({{reign|1625|1649}}) ascended the throne. Desperate for money, one of his first acts was to load 41 masterpieces from the Jewel House onto a ship bound for [[Amsterdam]] – the hub of Europe's jewel trade. This hoard of unique treasures, including the [[Mirror of Great Britain]] brooch, a 14th-century pendant called the [[Three Brothers (jewel)|Three Brothers]], a {{convert|4.7|kg|lb|adj=on}} gold salt cellar known as the Morris Dance, and much fine Elizabethan plate, was expected to swell the king's coffers by £300,000, but only £70,000 was realised.<ref>Philippa Glanville in Abramova and Dmitrieva, "The Goldsmiths and the Court: Silver in London 1600–65", p. 52; Collins, p. 168.</ref> The Dutch proved reluctant to lend money on the jewels, considering that the [[English Parliament]] might declare the transactions invalid, as James had annexed the jewels to the crown and they were not Charles's personal property.<ref>[[Nadine Akkerman]], ''Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts'' (Oxford, 2021), p. 239.</ref><ref>[[Roger Lockyer]], ''Buckingham'' (London: Longman, 1981), pp. 285, 298.</ref>

Charles's many conflicts with Parliament, stemming from his belief in the [[divine right of kings]] and the many religious conflicts that pervaded his reign, triggered the [[English Civil War]] in 1642.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 37–38.</ref> Parliament deemed the regalia "Jewels of [[the Crown]]": their ownership was vested in the monarch by virtue of his public role as king and not owned by him personally.<ref>Barker, p. 46.</ref> To avoid any legal risk to his subjects, Charles asked his wife, [[Henrietta Maria]], to smuggle the inalienable property of the Crown abroad and sell it on the Dutch jewellery market. Upon learning of the scheme, the [[House of Lords]] and [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]] both declared anyone involved in trafficking the Crown Jewels to be enemies of the state.<ref>Barker, pp. 48–49.</ref>{{efn|"An Order of the House concerning the Pawning of the Crown Jewels at Amsterdam" can be found in Rushworth, John (1721), [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rushworth-papers/vol4/pp722-751#p38 ''Historical Collections''], vol. 4, p. 736.}} Henrietta succeeded in disposing of a small quantity of jewels, albeit at a heavy discount, and shipped munitions back to England for the royalist cause.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Humphrey|first=David|date=2014|title=To Sell England's Jewels: Queen Henrietta Maria's visits to the Continent, 1642 and 1644|url=http://journals.openedition.org/erea/3715|journal=E-rea. Revue électronique d'études sur le monde anglophone|volume=11|language=en|issue=2|issn=1638-1718}}</ref> Two years later, Parliament seized {{convert|187|kg|lb}} of rare silver-gilt pieces from the Jewel House and used the proceeds to bankroll its own side of the war.<ref>Philippa Glanville in Abramova and Dmitrieva, "The Goldsmiths and the Court: Silver in London 1600–65", p. 54.</ref>

===Interregnum===
[[File:Crown Henry VII.JPG|thumb|alt=Coronation portrait of Charles I standing next to some of his regalia in front of a red drape.|[[Charles I of England|Charles I]] standing beside Henry&nbsp;VIII's Crown, 1631]]
After nine years of war, Charles was defeated and executed, and less than a week later, the [[Rump Parliament]] voted to abolish the monarchy. The newly created [[English Commonwealth]] found itself short of money. To raise funds, the Act for the Sale of the Goods and Personal Estate of the Late King, Queen and Prince was brought into law, and trustees were appointed to value the Jewels&nbsp;– then regarded by [[Oliver Cromwell]] as "symbolic of the detestable rule of kings"<ref name="mears6">Mears, et al., p. 6.</ref> and "monuments of superstition and idolatry"<ref>Rose, p. 17.</ref> &nbsp;– and sell them to the highest bidder.{{efn|For the inventory see Millar, Oliver, ed. (1972). "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/41829346 The Inventories and Valuations of the King's Goods 1649–1651]" in ''The Volume of the Walpole Society'', vol. 43. pp. 20–51.}} The most valuable object was Henry&nbsp;VIII's Crown, valued at £1,100.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 40–41.</ref> Their gemstones and pearls removed, most of the coronation and state regalia were melted down and struck into coins by [[Royal Mint|the Mint]].<ref>Keay (2011), p. 43.</ref>

Two [[nuptial crown]]s survived: the [[Margaret of York#Crown of Margaret of York|Crown of Margaret of York]] and the [[Crown of Princess Blanche]] had been taken out of England centuries before the Civil War when Margaret and Blanche married kings in continental Europe. Both crowns and the 9th-century [[Alfred Jewel]] give a sense of the character of royal jewellery in England in the Middle Ages.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 20–21.</ref> Another rare survivor is the 600-year-old [[Crystal Sceptre]], a gift from Henry&nbsp;V to the Lord Mayor of London, who still bears it at coronations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/henry-vs-crystal-sceptre-displayed-at-guildhall-art-gallery/|title=Henry V's 'Crystal Sceptre' displayed at Guildhall Art Gallery|publisher=City of London|access-date=21 January 2018}}</ref>{{efn|The Lord Mayor of London carried the Crystal Sceptre at the coronation of Charles III.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://liverycommittee.org/his-majesty-the-kings-and-the-lord-mayors-speeches-at-mansion-house/|title=His Majesty the King's and the Lord Mayor's speeches at Mansion House|date=19 October 2023|website=Livery Committee}}</ref>}} Many pieces of English plate that monarchs had presented to visiting dignitaries before the interregnum can be seen in museums throughout Europe.<ref>Collins, p. 196.</ref> Cromwell declined Parliament's invitations to be made king and became [[Lord Protector]]. It was marked by a ceremony in [[Westminster Hall]] in 1657 where he donned purple robes, sat on the Coronation Chair, and was invested with many traditional symbols of sovereignty, except a crown.<ref>Barker, pp. 57–58.</ref> A crown—probably made of gilded base metal—was placed beside Cromwell at his lying in state in 1660.<ref>Barclay, pp. 157–159.</ref>

===Restoration to present===
The [[Restoration (England)|monarchy was restored]] after Cromwell's death. For the English coronation of Charles&nbsp;II ({{reign|1660|1685}}), who returned from exile abroad,<ref>Rose, p 18.</ref> new Jewels were made based on records of the lost items.<ref name="mears6"/> They were supplied by the banker and royal goldsmith,{{efn|Vyner outsourced work to fellow members of the [[Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths|Goldsmiths' Company]].<ref>Jacobsen, p. 16.</ref>}} [[Sir Robert Vyner, 1st Baronet|Sir Robert Vyner]], at a cost of [[£sd|£12,184 7s 2d]]<ref name="mears6"/>&nbsp;– as much as three warships.<ref name="cjfactsheet2">{{cite web|url=https://hrpprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/hrp-prod-container/11154/crown_jewels_factsheet_2_2.pdf|title=Crown Jewels factsheet 2|publisher=Historic Royal Palaces|access-date=29 January 2016|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002173004/https://hrpprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/hrp-prod-container/11154/crown_jewels_factsheet_2_2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was decided to fashion the replicas like the medieval regalia and to use the original names. These 22-carat gold objects,<ref name="royalgold"/> made in 1660 and 1661, form the nucleus of the Crown Jewels: St&nbsp;Edward's Crown, two sceptres, an orb, an ampulla, a pair of spurs, a pair of [[armill]]s or bracelets, and a staff. A medieval silver-gilt anointing spoon and three early Stuart swords had survived and were returned to the Crown,<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 7.</ref> and the Dutch ambassador arranged the return of extant jewels pawned in Holland.<ref>Collins, p. 12.</ref> The king also spent £11,800 acquiring {{convert|2270|kg|lb}} of altar and banqueting plate, and he was presented with conciliatory gifts.<ref>Philippa Glanville in Abramova and Dmitrieva, "The Goldsmiths and the Court: Silver in London 1600–65", p. 56. and Holmes, p. 54.</ref>
[[File:Thomas Blood's theft of the Crown Jewels.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white sketch of Thomas Blood and two of his accomplices stealing objects from the Jewel House. The regalia cupboard is partially open, and a man lies wounded on the floor.|[[Thomas Blood]] and his accomplices attempting to steal the regalia, drawn 1793]]
In 1669, the Jewels went on public display for the first time in the [[Jewel House]] at the Tower of London. The Deputy [[Keeper of the Jewel House]] took the regalia out of a cupboard and showed it to visitors for a small fee.<ref>Mears, et al., pp. 46–47.</ref> This informal arrangement was ended two years later when [[Thomas Blood]], an Irish-born army officer loyal to Parliament, attacked the 77-year-old and stole a crown, a sceptre, and an orb. Blood and his three accomplices were apprehended at the castle perimeter, but the crown had been flattened with a mallet in an attempt to conceal it, and there was a dent in the orb.<ref>Hammond, p. 20.</ref> He was pardoned by the king, who also gave him land and a pension; it has been suggested that Blood was treated leniently because he was a government spy.<ref>Rose, p. 20.</ref> Ever since, the Jewels have been protected by armed guards.<ref>Barker, p. 66.</ref>

Since the Restoration, there have been many additions and alterations to the regalia.{{efn|There is a list of additions and alterations up to Queen Victoria's 1838 coronation in Jones, pp. 63–72. For a timeline of changes between 1855 and 1967 see Holmes and Sitwell, pp. 76–78. A thorough history is contained in Blair, vol. 2.}} A new set was commissioned in 1685 for [[Mary of Modena]], the first queen consort to be crowned since the Restoration (Charles&nbsp;II was unmarried when he took the throne). Another, more elaborate set had to be made for [[Mary&nbsp;II]] ({{reign|1689|1694}}), who was crowned as [[joint sovereign]] with her husband [[William III of England|William&nbsp;III]] ({{reign|1689|1702}}).<ref name="mears6"/> After England and Scotland were united as one kingdom by the [[Acts of Union 1707]], the [[Scottish regalia]] were locked away in a chest,<ref>Douglas S. Mack in McCracken-Flesher, "Can the Scottish Subaltern Speak? Nonelite Scotland and the Scottish Parliament", p. 145.</ref> and the English regalia continued to be used by [[British monarchs]]. Gemstones were hired for coronations – the fee typically being 4% of their value – and replaced with glass and crystals for display in the Jewel House, a practice that continued until the early 20th&nbsp;century.<ref name="mears6"/>

As enemy planes targeted London during the Second World War, the Crown Jewels were secretly moved to [[Windsor Castle]].<ref>Aronson, p. 81.</ref> The most valuable gemstones were taken out of their settings by [[James Mann (curator)|James Mann]], [[Royal Armouries|Master of the Armouries]], and Sir [[Owen Morshead]], the Royal Librarian. They were wrapped in cotton wool, placed in a tall glass preserving-jar, which was then sealed in a biscuit tin, and hidden in the castle's basement. Also placed in the jar was a note from the King, stating that he had personally directed that the gemstones be removed from their settings. As the Crown Jewels were bulky and thus difficult to transport without a vehicle, the idea was that if the Nazis invaded, the historic precious stones could easily be carried on someone's person without drawing suspicion and, if necessary, buried or sunk.<ref name=Shenton>Shenton, pp. 203–204.</ref>

After the war, the Jewels were kept in a vault at the [[Bank of England]] for two years while bomb damage to the Jewel House was repaired.<ref>Hennessy, p. 237.</ref> In May 2023,<ref name="charlesandcamilla">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-65474712|title=Charles and Camilla crowned King and Queen at Westminster Abbey|date=6 May 2023|work=BBC News|author1=Emma Owen|author2=James FitzGerald}}</ref> St&nbsp;Edward's Crown was placed on the head of [[Charles&nbsp;III]] ({{reign|2022|present}}) in the only ceremony of its kind in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/TheCrownJewels.aspx|title=Symbols of the Monarchy: The Crown Jewels|author=Royal Household|publisher=British Monarchy website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309022500/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/TheCrownJewels.aspx|archive-date=9 March 2015}}</ref>{{efn|In 1937 and 1953 the coronation was rehearsed using a set of replicas made by Messrs Robert White and Sons. After 1953 the set was purchased jointly by the Abbey and the [[Ministry of Works (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Works]], and it has been displayed in the Abbey's triforium since 2018.<ref>Jenkins & Trowles, p. 41.</ref>}} Other European monarchies have abandoned coronations in favour of secular ceremonies.<ref>Morris, p. 27.</ref> The Crown Jewels consist of approximately 140 objects,<ref name="BBCOne"/> which are permanently set with around 23,578 precious and semi-precious stones and are seen by around 2.5&nbsp;million visitors every year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/28/crown-jewels-new-exhibition|title=Crown Jewels go on show for major new exhibition|author1=Maev Kennedy|author2=Katy Roberts|date=28 March 2012|access-date=26 July 2016|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

==Crowns==
Crowns are the main symbols of royal authority.<ref>Rose, p. 22.</ref> All crowns in the Tower are decorated with alternating [[Cross pattée|crosses pattée]] and [[fleurs-de-lis]], a pattern which first appears on the great seal of [[Richard&nbsp;III]],<ref name="collins11"/> and their arches are surmounted with a [[monde]] and cross pattée. Most of the crowns also have a red or purple velvet cap and an [[Stoat|ermine]] border.<ref name="inventory">Keay (2011), pp. 189–195.</ref>

===St Edward's Crown===
{{main|St Edward's Crown}}
[[File:Saint Edward's Crown.jpg|thumb|alt=Large gold crown decorated with diamonds and red, green, blue, and purple gemstones|[[St Edward's Crown]] is the centrepiece of the British coronation regalia.]]
The centrepiece of the coronation regalia is named after [[Edward the Confessor]] and is placed on the monarch's head at the moment of crowning.<ref name="mtm23">Mears, et al., p. 23.</ref> Made of gold and completed in 1661, [[St Edward's Crown]] is embellished with 444 stones, including [[amethyst]]s, [[garnet]]s, [[peridot]]s, [[rubies]], [[sapphires]], [[topaz]]es, [[tourmaline]]s and [[zircon]]s.<ref name="stedwardscrown">{{Royal Collection|31700|St Edward's Crown}}</ref> This [[coronation crown]] closely resembles the medieval one, with a heavy gold base and clusters of semi-precious stones, but the disproportionately large arches are a [[Baroque]] affectation.<ref>Holmes, p. 220.</ref> It was long assumed to be the original as their weight is almost identical and an invoice produced in 1661 was for the addition of gold to an existing crown. In 2008, new research found that it had actually been made in 1660 and was enhanced the following year when Parliament increased the budget for Charles II's twice-delayed coronation.<ref>Barclay, pp. 150, 151, 167.</ref> The crown is {{convert|30|cm|ftin|1}} tall and at a weight of {{convert|2.23|kg|lb|abbr=on|1}} has been noted to be extremely heavy.<ref name="stedwardscrown"/> After 1689, monarchs chose to be crowned with a lighter, bespoke coronation crown (e.g., [[Coronation Crown of George IV|that of George&nbsp;IV]]<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 61.</ref>) or their state crown, while St Edward's Crown rested on the high altar.<ref name="mtm23"/> At [[Queen Victoria]]'s coronation in 1838 it was entirely absent from the ceremony. The tradition of using St Edward's Crown was revived in 1911 by [[George&nbsp;V]] and has continued ever since.<ref>Keay (2002), p. 23.</ref> In 1953 Elizabeth&nbsp;II opted for a stylised image of this crown to be used on coats of arms, badges, logos and various other insignia in the [[Commonwealth realm]]s to symbolise her royal authority, replacing the image of [[Tudor Crown (heraldry)|a Tudor-style crown]] adopted in 1901 by [[Edward&nbsp;VII]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/index.php/news-publications/victorian-symbols-emblems/victorian-coat-of-arms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227001707/http://dpc.vic.gov.au/index.php/news-publications/victorian-symbols-emblems/victorian-coat-of-arms|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 February 2015|title=Victorian Coat of Arms|publisher=Victoria State Government|access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref>{{efn|The Tudor Crown was reinstated in 2022 by Elizabeth's successor, Charles&nbsp;III.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news-grants/news/item/205-royal-cypher|title=Royal Cypher|website=College of Arms|date=27 September 2022}}</ref>}}

===Imperial State Crown===
{{main|Imperial State Crown}}
[[File:Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day (close crop).jpg|thumb|alt=Queen wearing a crown festooned with pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones|[[Elizabeth&nbsp;II]] wearing the [[Imperial State Crown]] on her Coronation Day, 1953]]
A much lighter crown is worn by the monarch when leaving Westminster Abbey, and at the annual State Opening of Parliament.<ref name="mtm29">Mears, et al., p. 29.</ref> The current [[Imperial State Crown]] was made in 1937 for [[George&nbsp;VI]] and is a copy of the one made in 1838 for Queen Victoria, which had fallen into a poor state of repair,<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 174–175.</ref> and had been made using gems from its own predecessor, the [[State Crown of George&nbsp;I]].<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 30.</ref> In 1953, the crown was resized to fit Elizabeth&nbsp;II, and the arches were lowered by {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 183.</ref> The gold, silver and platinum crown is decorated with 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31701|The Imperial State Crown}}</ref> Among the largest stones are the {{convert|317|carat|g|adj=on|0}} [[Cullinan&nbsp;II]] diamond, also known as the Second Star of Africa, added to the crown in 1909 (the larger [[Cullinan&nbsp;I]] is set in the Sovereign's Sceptre). The {{convert|170|carat|g|adj=on|0}} [[Black Prince's Ruby]], set in the front cross, is not actually a ruby but a large cabochon red [[spinel]]. According to legend it was given to [[Edward the Black Prince]] by the Spanish king [[Peter of Castile]] in 1367 and [[Henry V of England|Henry&nbsp;V]] wore it at the [[Battle of Agincourt]].<ref name="mtm30">Mears, et al., p. 30.</ref> How the stone found its way back into the Royal Collection after the Interregnum is unclear, but a substantial "ruby" was acquired for the Crown Jewels in 1661 at a cost of £400, and this may well have been the spinel.<ref>Olivia Fryman in Bird and Clayton, "Ceremony and Coronation", p. 102.</ref> On the back of the crown is the {{convert|104|carat|g|adj=on|1}} cabochon [[Stuart Sapphire]], and in the top cross is [[St&nbsp;Edward's Sapphire]], reputedly taken from the ring of the Confessor when his body was re-interred at the Abbey in 1163.<ref name="mtm30"/> Below the monde hang four pearls, three of which are often said to have belonged to [[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]], but the association is almost certainly erroneous.<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 38.</ref>

===Consort crowns===
After the Restoration, wives of kings&nbsp;– queens consort&nbsp;– traditionally wore the [[State Crown of Mary of Modena]], who first wore it at her coronation in 1685. Originally set with 561 hired diamonds and 129 pearls, it was re-set with crystals and cultured pearls for display in the Jewel House along with a matching diadem that consorts wore in procession to the Abbey. The diadem once held 177 diamonds, 1 ruby, 1 sapphire, and 1 emerald.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 25.</ref> By the 19th&nbsp;century, that crown was judged to be too theatrical and in a poor state of repair, so in 1831 the [[Crown of Queen Adelaide]] was made for [[Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen]] using gemstones from her private jewellery.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 137.</ref>
[[File:Queen Mary's Crown.png|thumb|left|alt=Art Deco crown covered in diamonds of all shapes and sizes|Hand-coloured photograph of [[Crown of Queen Camilla|the crown made for Queen Mary]], with eight half-arches and the [[Koh-i-Noor]] set in the front cross, published 1919]]
Thus began a tradition of each queen consort having a custom-made crown.<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 50.</ref> In 1902 the [[Crown of Queen Alexandra]], a European-style crown&nbsp;– flatter and with eight [[Half-arch (crown)|half-arches]] instead of the typical four&nbsp;– was made for [[Alexandra of Denmark]] to wear at [[coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra|her coronation]]. Set with over 3,000 diamonds, it was the first consort crown to include the [[Koh-i-Noor]] diamond presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 following the British conquest of the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]]. Originally {{convert|191|carat|g|0}} and set in an armlet, it was cut down to an oval brilliant weighing {{convert|105|carat|g|0}}, which Victoria mounted in a brooch and circlet.<ref>Keay (2011), pp. 164–166.</ref> The [[Crown of Queen Camilla|Crown of Queen Mary]] was the second to contain the Koh-i-Noor; also unusual for a British crown owing to its eight half-arches, it was made in 1911 for [[Mary of Teck]]. Mary purchased the [[Art Deco]]-inspired crown with her own money hoping it would become an heirloom used by future queens consort.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 175.</ref> Altogether, it was adorned with 2,200 diamonds, and contained the {{convert|94.4|carat|g|adj=on|0}} [[Cullinan Diamond#Cullinan III|Cullinan&nbsp;III]] and {{convert|63.4|carat|g|adj=on|0}} [[Cullinan Diamond#Cullinan IV|Cullinan IV]] diamonds. Its arches were made detachable in 1914 allowing it to be worn as an open crown or circlet.<ref name="mtm27">Mears, et al., p. 27.</ref>

After George&nbsp;V's death, Mary continued wearing the crown (without its arches) as a [[queen mother]], so the [[Crown of Queen Elizabeth]] was created for [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]], later known as the Queen Mother, to wear at [[coronation of George VI and Elizabeth|her coronation]] in 1937.<ref>Twining, p. 167.</ref> It is the only British crown made entirely out of platinum,<ref name="mtm27"/> and was modelled on Queen Mary's Crown, but has four half-arches instead of eight.<ref name="keay178">Keay (2011), p. 178.</ref> The crown is decorated with about 2,800 diamonds, with the Koh-i-Noor in the middle of the front cross. It also contains a replica of the {{convert|22.5|carat|g|adj=on|0}} Lahore Diamond given to Queen Victoria by the [[East India Company]] in 1851,<ref>Allison and Riddell, p. 134.</ref> and a {{convert|17.3|carat|g|adj=on|0}} diamond given to her by [[Abdülmecid&nbsp;I]], Sultan of the [[Ottoman Empire]], in 1856.<ref name="keay178"/> The crown was laid on top of the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002 during her lying in state and funeral.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1907313.stm|title=Priceless gem in Queen Mother's crown|date=4 April 2002|work=BBC News|access-date=5 January 2016}}</ref> The crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary feature crystal replicas of the Koh-i-Noor, which has been the subject of repeated controversy, with governments of both India and Pakistan claiming to be the diamond's rightful owners and demanding its return ever since gaining independence from the UK.

[[Queen Camilla]] was crowned using Queen Mary's crown at [[Coronation of Charles III and Camilla|her coronation with Charles III]] on 6 May 2023.<ref name="charlesandcamilla"/> Alterations included re-setting the crown with the original Cullinan diamonds and reducing the number of half-arches from eight to four. The [[Cullinan&nbsp;V]] brooch replaced the Koh-i-Noor and a new purple velvet cap was also fitted into the crown.<ref name="rc">{{Royal Collection|31704|Queen Camilla's Crown}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/14/camilla-wear-queen-mary-crown-coronation|title=Camilla to wear recycled crown without Koh-i-Noor diamond at coronation|date=14 February 2023|website=The Guardian|author=Caroline Davies}}</ref> It was officially renamed Queen Camilla's Crown in January 2025.<ref>{{cite web|website=Royal Collection Trust|title=The Crown Jewels: Coronation Regalia|url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/stories/the-crown-jewels-coronation-regalia|accessdate=9 January 2025|quote=Queen Camilla’s Crown, formerly known as Queen Mary’s Crown, was renamed in 2025.}}</ref>

===Prince of Wales<!-- No apostrophe --> coronets<!-- Coronet means "small crown". -->===
[[File:Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales.png|thumb|upright=1.1|alt=Austere golden coronet with one arch dipped in the centre|Coronet of [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]]]]
A relatively modest gold [[coronet]] was made in 1728 for [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], the eldest son of [[George II of Great Britain|George&nbsp;II]]. It takes the form laid down in a royal warrant issued by Charles&nbsp;II in 1677,<ref>{{Royal Collection|31709|The Prince of Wales's Coronet (1728)}}</ref> which states "the Son & Heir apparent of the Crown for the time being shall use & bear his coronett composed of crosses & flowers de Lizs with one Arch & in the midst a Ball & Cross".<ref>Keay (2002), p. 26.</ref> The single arch denotes inferiority to the monarch while showing that the prince outranks other royal children, whose coronets have no arches.<ref>Boutell, p. 205.</ref> Frederick never wore his coronet; instead, it was placed on a cushion in front of him when he first took his seat in the [[House of Lords]]. It was subsequently used by [[George&nbsp;III]], [[George&nbsp;IV]], and Edward&nbsp;VII when they were Princes of Wales.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 31.</ref> Due to its age, a new silver-gilt coronet was made for the future [[George&nbsp;V]] to wear at Edward VII's coronation in 1902. In contrast to the earlier coronet, which has a [[depressed arch]], the arch on this one is raised. At George's coronation in 1911 the coronet was worn by his eldest son, [[Edward VIII|Edward]],<ref>{{Royal Collection|31710|The Prince of Wales's Coronet (1902)}}</ref> who was invested as Prince of Wales at [[Caernarfon Castle]] a month later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/honours-principality-wales|title=Honours of the Principality of Wales|website=The Royal Family|date=15 January 2016 |accessdate=20 September 2022}}</ref> The revival of this public ceremony, not performed since the early 17th century, was intended to boost the Royal family's profile in Wales. Princely regalia known as the [[Honours of Wales]] were designed for the occasion by [[Goscombe John]], comprising a Welsh gold circlet with pearls, amethysts and engraved daffodils; a rod; a ring; a sword; and a robe with doublet and sash.<ref>Allison and Riddell, p. 265.</ref> After he became king in 1936, Edward&nbsp;VIII abdicated the same year and emigrated to France,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3623760/abdication-edward-viii/|title=King Edward and Wallis Simpson: The English Royal Abdication|author=Jennifer Latson|magazine=Time|date=11 December 2014|access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> where the 1902 coronet remained in his possession until his death in 1972. In its absence, [[Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales|a new coronet]] had to be created in 1969 for the investiture of the future [[Charles&nbsp;III]],<ref>Mears, et al., p. 24.</ref> which is made from gold and platinum and is set with diamonds and emeralds. Both it and the rod were added to the Jewel House in 2020,<ref name="HRP2020">{{cite web|title=His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales's Investiture Coronet to go on display at the Tower of London for the first time|url=https://www.hrp.org.uk/media-and-press/press-releases-2020/his-royal-highness-the-prince-of-wales-s-investiture-coronet-to-go-on-display-at-the-tower-of-london-for-the-first-time|access-date=29 March 2020|website=Historic Royal Palaces}}</ref> joining the 1728 and 1902 coronets.

===Non-coronation crowns===
In the Jewel House there are two crowns that were never intended to be worn at a coronation. [[Small Diamond Crown of Queen Victoria|Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown]] is just {{convert|10|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} tall and was made in 1870 using 1,187 diamonds for Victoria to wear on top of her widow's cap. She often wore it at State Openings of Parliament in place of the much heavier Imperial State Crown. After the queen's death in 1901, the crown passed to her daughter-in-law Queen Alexandra and later Queen Mary.<ref name="rc31705">{{Royal Collection|31705|Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown}}</ref> When George&nbsp;V attended the [[Delhi Durbar]] with Queen Mary in 1911 to be proclaimed (but not crowned) as [[Emperor of India]], he wore the [[Imperial Crown of India]]. As the [[British constitution]] forbids coronation regalia to leave the United Kingdom, it was not possible for him to wear St&nbsp;Edward's Crown or the Imperial State Crown, so one had to be made specially for the event. It contains 6,170 diamonds, 9 emeralds, 4 rubies and 4 sapphires.<ref>Twining, p. 169.</ref> The crown has not been used since and is considered a part of the Crown Jewels.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 33.</ref>

==Processional objects==
A coronation begins with the procession into Westminster Abbey.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 7.</ref>

===Swords===
[[File:British Coronation Swords.png|thumb|alt=Three swords: one of gold and silver appearance covered in stones, the others red with gilded handles and decorations|Left to right: The Sword of Offering, the [[Sword of State]], and the [[Curtana|Sword of Mercy]]]]
The swords of state reflect a monarch's role as [[Head of the British Armed Forces]] and [[Defender of the Faith]].<ref>Rose, pp. 46–47.</ref> Three are carried before the monarch into the Abbey: the blunt Sword of Mercy (also known as [[Curtana]]), the Sword of Spiritual Justice, and the Sword of Temporal Justice.<ref name="keay30"/> All are believed to have been supplied at the time of [[James I of England|James&nbsp;I]] between 1610 and 1620, probably by a member of the [[Worshipful Company of Cutlers]],<ref name="strong268">Strong, p. 268.</ref> using blades created in the 1580s by Italian bladesmiths Giandonato and [[Andrew Ferrara|Andrea Ferrara]]. They were deposited with St&nbsp;Edward's regalia at the Abbey by Charles&nbsp;II. Before that point, new swords had been made for each coronation since the 15th&nbsp;century.<ref name="keay30"/> Sold in the civil war, they were returned at the Restoration, and their use was first recorded at the coronation of [[James II of England|James&nbsp;II]] in 1685.<ref name="strong268"/>

The two-handed Sword of State, made in 1678, symbolises the monarch's authority and is also carried before the monarch at State Openings of Parliament.<ref name="keay9697">Keay (2011), pp. 96–97.</ref> Its wooden sheath, made in 1689, is bound in crimson velvet decorated with silver-gilt emblems of England, Scotland and Ireland, fleurs-de-lis, and portcullises.<ref>Twining, p. 172.</ref> The [[The Lion and the Unicorn|lion of England and unicorn of Scotland]] form the cross-piece to the sword's handle. The sword weighs {{cvt|8|lb|kg|order=flip}} and is {{cvt|4|ft|m|order=flip}} long. During a coronation it must be held for much of the service pointing upwards without touching the body by the [[Lord President of the Council|Lord President of the Privy Council]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Tamara|last=Abraham| title=Penny Mordaunt emerges as the Pippa Middleton of the Coronation | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=6 May 2023 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/05/06/penny-mourdant-outfit-king-coronation/}}</ref>

Before the investiture, the unwieldy Sword of State is exchanged for the lighter Sword of Offering, which is described as "the one true coronation sword". Commissioned by George&nbsp;IV for his extravagant [[Coronation of George IV|1821 coronation]], its gilded leather sheath is encrusted with 1,251 diamonds, 16 rubies, 2 sapphires and 2 turquoises.<ref name="rose4951">Rose, pp. 49–51.</ref> The sword has a partly [[Bluing (steel)|blued]] and gilt steel blade,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/31726/the-jewelled-sword-of-offering |title=The Jewelled Sword of Offering 1820 |author=Royal Collection Trust |website=Royal Collection Trust|accessdate=16 May 2023}}</ref> and its handle is set with 2,141 diamonds, 12 emeralds and 4 rubies.<ref name="rose4951"/> The stones are arranged to form roses, thistles, shamrocks, oak leaves and acorns. Two diamond lion heads, one at each end of the cross-piece, have ruby eyes.<ref name="keay127">Keay (2011), p. 127.</ref> George paid more than £5,000 for the sword out of his own pocket in a radical change from the austere £2 swords used by his 18th-century predecessors. It remained in the Royal family's personal ownership until 1903 when it was deposited with the Crown Jewels and has been used at every coronation since 1911.<ref name="rose4951"/> A monarch is girded and blessed using the sword, which is returned to the [[Keeper of the Jewel House]] by the Abbey for a token sum of £5,<ref name="cjfactsheet2"/>{{efn|Prior to decimalisation in 1971 the sword was redeemed for 100 [[£sd|shillings]].<ref name="rose4951"/>}} and is borne unsheathed for the rest of the ceremony.<ref name="rose4951"/>

The 17th-century Irish Sword of State was held by the [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]] (a [[viceroy]]) prior to [[Anglo-Irish Treaty|Ireland's independence]] from the UK in 1922 and has been displayed in the Jewel House since 1959. The handle takes the form of a lion and a unicorn and is decorated with a [[Celtic harp]]. Each new viceroy was invested with the sword at [[Dublin Castle]] where it usually sat across the arms of a throne, representing the king or queen in their absence. It was borne in procession in front of monarchs during their official visits to Dublin. In June 1921 the sword was present at the official opening of the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]] by George&nbsp;V. The sword was displayed at Dublin Castle in 2018 as part of the 'Making Majesty' exhibition – the first time it had been to Ireland in 95 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dublincastle.ie/the-irish-sword-of-state/|title=The Irish Sword of State|publisher=Dublin Castle|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref>

===St Edward's Staff===
St&nbsp;Edward's Staff is a {{convert|1.4|m|ft|adj=mid|-long|1}} ceremonial gold walking stick made for Charles&nbsp;II in 1661. It has a plain monde and cross at the top and a steel pike at the bottom.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31717|St Edward's Staff}}</ref> This object is almost certainly a copy of the long rod mentioned in the list of royal plate and jewels destroyed in 1649,<ref>Twining, p. 143.</ref> although the pre-Interregnum version was gold and silver and topped by a dove.<ref>Ronald Lightbown in MacGregor, "The King's Regalia, Insignia and Jewellery", p. 265.</ref> The staff's intended role in the coronation has been forgotten since medieval times, and so it is carried into the Abbey by a [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peer]] as a holy relic and laid on the altar, where it remains throughout the ceremony.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 63.</ref>

===Trumpets===
[[File:Trumpeters and mace bearer 1685.png|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Black-and-white sketch of four men blowing trumpets and one carrying a mace over his shoulder|Trumpeters and a mace bearer at the English coronation of [[James II of England|James&nbsp;II]]]]
The Crown Jewels include 16 silver trumpets dating from between 1780 and 1848.<ref name="inventory"/> Nine are draped with red silk [[damask]] banners embroidered with coats of arms in gold, originally made for Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838. They have not been used since the Corps of State Trumpeters was disbanded as a cost-cutting measure in the 19th&nbsp;century.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 10.</ref> The trumpeters' main job was to sound a fanfare at key points in the coronation, and they also played at the banquet afterwards in Westminster Hall.<ref>Jones, p. 54.</ref> Today, the Band of the [[Household Cavalry]] and the [[Central Band of the Royal Air Force]] play their own trumpets at state occasions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/music/23599.aspx|title=The Band of the Household Cavalry|publisher=British Army|access-date=17 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmusic/aboutus/centralband.cfm|title=The Central Band of the RAF|publisher=Royal Air Force|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703034841/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmusic/aboutus/centralband.cfm|archive-date=3 July 2017}}</ref>

===Maces===
{{Main|Ceremonial maces in the United Kingdom}}
Beginning as lethal weapons of medieval knights, [[Ceremonial mace|maces]] evolved into ceremonial objects carried by [[Serjeant-at-arms|sergeants-at-arms]] that represent a monarch's authority.<ref name="ds12"/> The [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] can only operate lawfully when the royal mace&nbsp;– dating from Charles&nbsp;II's reign&nbsp;– is present at the table. Two other maces dating from the reigns of Charles&nbsp;II and William&nbsp;III are used by the House of Lords, one of which is placed on the [[Woolsack]] before the house meets and is absent when a monarch is there in person delivering the King's or Queen's Speech.<ref name="maces">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/mace/|title=Mace (The)|publisher=Parliament.uk|access-date=7 December 2015}}</ref> In the late 17th century there were 16 maces, but only 13 survive, 10 of which are on display at the Tower of London. Two of these are carried in the royal procession at State Openings of Parliament and coronations. Each mace is about {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on|1}} long and weighs an average of {{convert|10|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 8.</ref> They are silver-gilt and were made between 1660 and 1695.<ref name="inventory"/>

==Anointing objects==
When a monarch is anointed, the [[Dean of Westminster]] first pours holy anointing oil from an [[ampulla]] into a spoon.<ref>King George's Jubilee Trust, p. 25.</ref>

===Ampulla===
[[File:Replica of the Ampulla.jpg|thumb|alt=Gold ornament of an eagle with outspread wings|A replica of the 1661 Ampulla housed in the triforium at Westminster Abbey]]
The Ampulla, {{convert|20.5|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on|1}} tall and weighing {{convert|660|g|lboz|frac=4|abbr=on|1}}, is a hollow gold vessel made in 1661 and shaped like an eagle with outspread wings. Its head unscrews, enabling the vessel to be filled with oil, which exits via a hole in the beak.<ref name="ampulla">{{Royal Collection|31732|The Ampulla}}</ref> The original ampulla was a small stone [[phial]], sometimes worn around the neck as a pendant by kings, and otherwise kept inside an eagle-shaped golden reliquary.<ref name="rose9598">Rose, pp. 95–98.</ref> According to 14th-century legend, the [[Virgin Mary]] appeared to [[Thomas Becket]], Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until 1170, and presented him with a gold eagle and some oil for anointing English kings.<ref name="ampulla"/> This ampulla was first recorded as being used at [[Henry IV of England|Henry&nbsp;IV]]'s coronation in 1399 and was deposited for safekeeping with St&nbsp;Edward's regalia at the Abbey by Richard&nbsp;III in 1483.<ref name="macgregor257"/> Known as the Holy Oil of St Thomas, the same batch was used to anoint all subsequent kings and queens (except [[Mary&nbsp;I]]) until it eventually ran out in 1625. It is unclear why, after the Restoration, the vessel itself came to be reinterpreted as an eagle standing on a domed base.<ref name="rose9598"/> In terms of religious importance, the anointing objects are second only to St&nbsp;Edward's Crown,<ref>Keay (2011), p. 48.</ref> and in 2013 the ampulla stood beside the crown on the altar of Westminster Abbey at a service marking the 60th anniversary of [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10096497/Queens-coronation-anniversary-Crown-to-leave-Tower-for-first-time-since-1953-for-Westminster-Abbey-service.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10096497/Queens-coronation-anniversary-Crown-to-leave-Tower-for-first-time-since-1953-for-Westminster-Abbey-service.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Crown to leave Tower for first time since 1953 for Westminster Abbey service|author=Gordon Rayner|date=4 June 2013|access-date=14 December 2015|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=UK}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Coronation Spoon===
The {{convert|27|cm|in|adj=mid|-long|frac=2}} Coronation Spoon, which dates from the late 12th&nbsp;century, is silver-gilt and set with four pearls added in the 17th&nbsp;century. A ridge divides the bowl in half, creating grooves into which the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] dips two fingers and anoints the monarch as [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]]. Originally, it may have been used for mixing water and wine in a chalice. The spoon is first known to have been used to anoint a monarch at the English coronation of James&nbsp;I in 1603.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31733|The Coronation Spoon}}</ref> It is the oldest surviving piece of the Crown Jewels (and the only surviving English royal goldsmith's work from the 1100s), first recorded in the Royal Collection in 1349 as "a spoon of ancient form", and was probably made for [[Henry II of England|Henry&nbsp;II]] or [[Richard I of England|Richard&nbsp;I]].<ref>Strong, pp. 78–79.</ref> In 1649 the spoon was sold for 16 [[Shilling (British coin)|shillings]] to Clement Kynnersley, [[Yeoman of the Removing Wardrobe]], who returned it to Charles&nbsp;II upon the restoration of the monarchy.<ref>Strong, pp. 270–271.</ref>
{{wide image|Coronation Spoon.png|644px|alt=Spoon with a long, thin handle and engraved patterns|align-cap=center|The silver-gilt Coronation Spoon}}

==Robes and ornaments<!-- Correct terminology. See, for example, Rose, p. 22; Strong, p. 119; and Twining, p. 68. -->==
The anointing is followed by investing with coronations robes and ornaments.{{efn|Objects are listed in the order in which they are presented to a monarch.}}

===Robes===
[[File:Queen Victoria taking the Coronation Oath by George Hayter 1838 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Queen Victoria]] wearing her coronation robes, 1838]]
All the robes have priestly connotations and their form has changed little since the Middle Ages. A tradition of wearing St&nbsp;Edward's robes came to an end in 1547 after the [[English Reformation]], but was revived in 1603 by James&nbsp;I to emphasise his belief in the divine nature of kingship.<ref name="rose99-100">Rose, pp. 99–100.</ref> As well as robes, a monarch also wore cloth-of-gold [[buskin]]s or sandals, depending on his or her foot size.<ref>Valerie Cumming in MacGregor, "'Great vanity and excesse in Apparell'. Some Clothing and Furs of Tudor and Stuart Royalty", p. 327.</ref> These holy relics were destroyed along with royal crowns and ornaments in the Civil War. New robes were made for each monarch starting with Charles&nbsp;II, a practice that ended in 1911, when George&nbsp;V reused the 1902 Supertunica (a [[dalmatic]]), and the Imperial Mantle (a [[cope]]), fashioned for George&nbsp;IV in 1821.<ref name="rose99-100"/>{{efn|George IV never wore the Supertunica. Westminster Abbey took custody of the robe and it was donated to the Crown by a private owner in 1911.<ref>Cox, p. 279.</ref>}} They were also worn by his successors George&nbsp;VI, Elizabeth&nbsp;II and Charles&nbsp;III. Together, the gold robes weigh approximately {{convert|10|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 14.</ref> A new [[Stole Royal]] was made in 2023 for Charles&nbsp;III by the [[Royal School of Needlework]], taking inspiration from the 1953 stole of his predecessor, Elizabeth&nbsp;II. It is adorned with emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, a dove representing the [[Holy Spirit]], a Tudor-style crown, and a pattern based on the [[Cosmatesque|Cosmati]] Pavement in Westminster Abbey.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coronation outfits worn by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to go on display at Buckingham Palace|url=https://www.rct.uk/about/press-office/press-releases/coronation-outfits-worn-by-their-majesties-king-charles-iii-and#/|date=19 May 2023|website=Royal Collection Trust}}</ref>

===Spurs===
Prick [[spur]]s remade for Charles&nbsp;II are presented to the monarch. They are made of solid gold, richly embossed with floral patterns and scrolls, and have crimson velvet straps embroidered in gold. Both necks terminate in a [[Tudor rose]] with a spike at its centre. Also known as [[St&nbsp;George]]'s Spurs, they are emblems of knighthood and chivalry, and denote the sovereign's role as head of the armed forces. Gold spurs are first known to have been used in 1189 at the coronation of Richard&nbsp;I, though it is likely they were introduced for [[Henry the Young King]] in 1170, and this element of the service was probably inspired by the initiation ceremony of knights. A pair of mid 14th-century spurs were added to St&nbsp;Edward's regalia at the Abbey in 1399 and used at all coronations until their destruction in 1649.<ref>Rose, pp. 50–52.</ref> Historically, spurs were fastened to a monarch's feet, but since the Restoration they are simply presented to the monarch.<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 22.</ref>

===Armills===
The [[Armill]]s are gold bracelets of sincerity and wisdom.<ref>Barker, p. 94.</ref> Like spurs, they were first used at English coronations in the 12th century.<ref>Rose, p. 52.</ref> By the 17th century, armills were no longer delivered to the monarch, but simply carried at the coronation. A new pair had to be made in 1661; they are {{convert|4|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} wide, {{convert|7|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} in diameter, and [[champlevé]] enamelled on the surface with roses, thistles and harps (the national symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland) as well as fleurs-de-lis.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31723|The Armills}}</ref> For Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation in 1953, the tradition of wearing armills was revived, and a new set of plain 22-karat gold armills lined with crimson velvet presented to the Queen on behalf of various Commonwealth governments. Each bracelet is fitted with an invisible hinge and a clasp in the form of a Tudor rose. The hallmark includes a tiny portrait of the Queen,<ref name="twining171">Twining, p. 171.</ref> who continued to wear them upon leaving the Abbey and could be seen wearing them later, along with the Imperial State Crown and Sovereign's Ring, at her appearance on the balcony of [[Buckingham Palace]].<ref>Mears, et al., p. 17.</ref>

===Orbs===
[[File:Sovereign's Orb.png|thumb|alt=Gold ball with a cross at the top and a band of gems around the equator|Sovereign's Orb]]
An orb, a type of [[globus cruciger]], was first used at an English coronation by [[Henry&nbsp;VIII]] in 1509, and then by all subsequent monarchs apart from the early Stuart kings James&nbsp;I and Charles&nbsp;I, who opted for the medieval coronation order. The Tudor orb was deposited with St&nbsp;Edward's regalia at Westminster Abbey in 1625.<ref name="rose45">Rose, p. 45.</ref> Since 1661 the Sovereign's Orb is a hollow gold sphere about {{convert|16.5|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} in diameter and weighing {{convert|1.2|kg|lb|abbr=on|1}} (more than twice as heavy as the original<ref name="rose45"/>) made for Charles&nbsp;II.<ref name="mears19">Mears, et al., p. 19.</ref> A band of gems and pearls runs along the equator and there is a half-band on the top hemisphere. Atop the orb is an amethyst surmounted by a jewelled cross, symbolising the Christian world, with a sapphire on one side and an emerald on the other.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31718|The Sovereign's Orb}}</ref> Altogether, the orb is decorated with 375 pearls, 365 diamonds, 18 rubies, 9 emeralds, 9 sapphires, 1 amethyst and 1 piece of glass.<ref name="rose42">Rose, p. 42.</ref> It is handed to the sovereign during the investiture rite of the coronation, and is borne later in the left hand when leaving Westminster Abbey.<ref>King George's Jubilee Trust, pp. 26, 31.</ref> A small version, originally set with hired gems, was made in 1689 for Mary&nbsp;II to hold at her coronation as joint sovereign with William&nbsp;III; it was never used again at a coronation and was re-set with imitation gems and cultured pearls. The orb is {{convert|14.6|cm|in|abbr=on|1}} in diameter and weighs {{convert|1.07|kg|lb|abbr=on|1}}.<ref name="mears19"/> Both orbs were laid on Queen Victoria's coffin at her state funeral in 1901. Officially, no reason was given for using Mary&nbsp;II's orb, but it may have been intended to reflect Victoria's position as [[Empress of India]].<ref>Twining, p. 173.</ref>

===Rings===
The Sovereign's Ring has been worn by monarchs at their coronation since [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William&nbsp;IV]] in 1831, with the exceptions of Queen Victoria, whose fingers were too small to retain it,<ref name="tanner1953"/> and Charles III, who acknowledged the ring but did not wear it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132%20Coronation%20Liturgy.pdf|title=The Authorised Liturgy for the Coronation Rite of His Majesty King Charles III|website=Church of England|date=29 April 2023}}</ref> In the centre is a large octagonal sapphire overlaid with rubies forming a cross, surrounded by 14 brilliant diamonds. The general design is intended to represent the red [[St&nbsp;George's Cross]] (England) on the blue background of [[Flag of Scotland|St&nbsp;Andrew's Cross]] (Scotland).<ref name="twining171"/> Rubies symbolise all the kingly virtues – such as humility, good morals, and charity – and have featured on coronation rings since the early Middle Ages.<ref>Rose, p. 26.</ref> A small copy was made for Victoria, who wrote in a letter: "The Archbishop had (most awkwardly) put the ring on the wrong finger, and the consequence was that I had the greatest difficulty to take it off again, which I at last did with great pain"<ref>Hibbert, p. 35.</ref> – her jewellers had measured the wrong finger.<ref name="Rose, p. 107">Rose, p. 107.</ref> In 1919 both rings were deposited at the Tower along with the Queen Consort's Ring, which is similar in design and was made in 1831 for Queen Adelaide.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31721|The Queen Consort's Ring}}</ref>

Before 1831, monarchs generally received a new ring symbolising their "marriage" to the nation,<ref name=tanner1953>{{cite news|author=Lawrence E. Tanner|title=The Queen's coronation: The story of the regalia|newspaper=Country Life|date=6 June 1953|pages=52–61|url=http://www.countrylife.co.uk/culture/the-queens-coronation-the-story-of-the-regalia-by-lawrence-e-turner-7476|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> with perhaps two exceptions: Richard&nbsp;II offered Westminster Abbey a "solemn jewel, a gold ring set with a precious stone called a ruby, of no small value" to be worn by his successors. Evidence suggests it was later worn by Henry&nbsp;V.<ref>Oman, p. 49.</ref> Another was the Stuart Coronation Ring, probably used at the English coronations of Charles&nbsp;I and Charles&nbsp;II, and certainly that of James&nbsp;II, who took it into exile with him in France after the [[Glorious Revolution]] in 1688. It was returned to the British monarchy 100 years later and belongs to the [[Royal Collection#Gems and Jewels|Royal Collection of Gems and Jewels]]. The ring has a large ruby etched with a St&nbsp;George's Cross and bordered by 26 diamonds. Since 1830 it has been on permanent loan from Windsor Castle to [[Edinburgh Castle]] where it is displayed with the Honours of Scotland.<ref name="pb">Piacenti and Boardman, pp. 199–200.</ref> The coronation ring of [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] survives in the Portland Collection at [[Welbeck Abbey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/explore/entry/queen-mary-ii-and-her-coronation-ring/|title=Queen Mary II and Her Coronation Ring|website=Harley Foundation|accessdate=10 November 2025}}</ref>

===Sceptres===
[[File:Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross.png|thumb|alt=Gold rod surmounted by a large diamond, itself supporting a large round amethyst, on top of which is a cross made of diamonds with an emerald at its centre.|The head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross]]
The [[sceptre]], a symbolic ornamental rod held by the monarch at a coronation, is derived from the [[Shepherd's crook|shepherd's staff]] via the [[crozier]] of a bishop.<ref name="steane36">Steane, p. 36.</ref> Two gold sceptres made in 1661 are part of the coronation regalia. The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross is a token of his or her temporal power as head of state. The whole object is {{convert|92|cm|ft|abbr=on|0}} long, weighs around {{convert|1.17|kg|lb|abbr=on|1}}, and is decorated with 333 diamonds, 31 rubies, 15 emeralds, 7 sapphires, 6 spinels, and 1 composite amethyst.<ref name="rose41">Rose, p. 41.</ref> In 1910, it was redesigned to incorporate [[Cullinan&nbsp;I]], also known as the Great Star of Africa, which, at over {{convert|530|carat|g}}, is the largest clear cut diamond in the world.<ref name="swcross">{{Royal Collection|31712|The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross}}</ref> It was part of a rough diamond weighing {{convert|3106|carat|g|1}} found in South Africa in 1905, and was named after [[Thomas Cullinan (diamond magnate)|Thomas Cullinan]], the chairman of the mining company. The gold clasps holding it can be opened and the stone removed to be worn as a pendant hanging from Cullinan&nbsp;II, which is set in the Imperial State Crown, to form a brooch&nbsp;– Queen Mary often wore it like this.<ref name="mtm30"/> Above the pear-shaped diamond is the amethyst surmounted by a cross pattée encrusted with an emerald and small diamonds.<ref name="swcross"/>

The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove, which has also been known as the Rod of Equity and Mercy, is emblematic of the monarch's spiritual role. It is slightly longer, at {{convert|1.1|m|ft|abbr=on|1}}, but weighs about the same as the Sceptre with Cross. The sceptre is decorated with 285 gemstones, including 94 diamonds, 53 rubies, 10 emeralds, 4 sapphires and 3 spinels.<ref name="rose41"/> Circling the rod are bands of precious stones. At the top is a gold monde set with diamonds and topped by a plain cross, upon which sits a white enamelled dove with its wings outspread, representing the [[Holy Ghost]].<ref>{{Royal Collection|31713|The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove}}</ref> A sceptre like this first appeared in the 11th&nbsp;century and was probably based on the German sceptre, which was topped by an [[Reichsadler|Imperial Eagle]].<ref name="steane36"/> The Sceptre with Dove is the penultimate piece of regalia to be delivered. Holding both sceptres, the monarch is crowned with St&nbsp;Edward's Crown.<ref name="Rose, p. 107"/>

The Crown Jewels include two sceptres made for [[Mary of Modena]] in 1685: a gold sceptre with a cross known as the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross, and another made of ivory topped by a dove known as the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove. Unlike the sovereign's dove, this one has folded wings and is relatively small. For the coronation of Mary&nbsp;II, the wife and joint sovereign of William&nbsp;III, a more elaborate gold sceptre with dove was commissioned in 1689. It has not been used since, and went missing for several decades, only to be found in 1814 at the back of a cupboard in the Tower of London.<ref name="rose42"/>

==Altar plate==
[[File:Coronation of George V 1911 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Black-and-white photograph of large altar dishes standing on a table in front of the royal box during a coronation|Altar dishes behind George&nbsp;V at his coronation in 1911]]
In the Jewel House there is a collection of [[chalice]]s, [[paten]]s, [[flagons]], candlesticks, and dishes&nbsp;– all silver-gilt except five gold [[Eucharist|communion]] vessels&nbsp;– that are displayed on the altars of Westminster Abbey during coronations.<ref>Mears, et al., p. 34.</ref> Although not regalia these items, known as plate (from the Spanish ''plata'', meaning silver),<ref>Schroder, p. xxvi.</ref> are considered to be Crown Jewels by virtue of their long association with the Jewel House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/themes/trails/the-crown-jewels/banqueting-and-church-plate|title=Banqueting and church plate|publisher=Royal Collection Trust|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref>

One of the most striking pieces is a large dish {{convert|95|cm|ft|abbr=on}} across and weighing {{convert|13|kg|lb|abbr=on|1}}, in the centre of which is a relief depiction of the [[Last Supper]]. Around the edge are four engravings of biblical scenes: the [[Maundy (foot washing)|Washing of the Feet]], the [[Road to Emmaus appearance|Walk to Emmaus]], the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)#Symbolism|Coming of the Holy Ghost]], and [[Great Commission|Christ's Commission to the Apostles]]. Made in 1664 for [[James, Duke of York]], and later acquired by Charles&nbsp;II, it stands on the high altar during a coronation ceremony.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31745|Altar Dish (1664)}}</ref> At each end of the altar stands a {{convert|3|ft|cm|adj=on|order=flip|0|abbr=on}} tall candlestick made in the 17th&nbsp;century, which is engraved all over with scrolls, leaves and flowers.<ref>Mears, et al., pp. 35–36.</ref>

An altar dish and flagon were made in 1691 for the royal [[Church of St Peter ad Vincula]] at the Tower of London. The dish measures {{convert|70|cm|ft|abbr=on|1}} across and depicts the Last Supper above the coat of arms of co-monarchs William&nbsp;III and Mary&nbsp;II.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31744|Altar Dish (1691)}}</ref> The flagon stands {{convert|42.5|cm|ft|abbr=on|1}} tall.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31752|Flagon (1691)}}</ref> Both pieces are still used in the chapel on Easter, [[Whitsun]] and Christmas, and they were first displayed at a coronation in 1821.<ref>Dixon-Smith, et al., p. 64.</ref>

Another dish still in regular use is the Maundy Dish&nbsp;– one of six used by the King at [[Royal Maundy]] for handing out [[alms]] to elderly people in recognition of their service to the church and local community. The ceremony, which takes place in a different cathedral every year, entirely replaced the ancient custom of washing the feet of the poor in 1730, and the dish, though it bears the [[royal cypher]] of William and Mary, dates from the reign of Charles&nbsp;II. Two purses containing specially minted coins are taken from the dish and presented to each recipient.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/49358/Royal-Maundy-Service.pdf|title=The Maundy Service|author=Office for the Royal Maundy|publisher=Westminster Abbey|year=2011}}</ref>

==Banqueting plate==
[[File:Exeter Salt.jpg|thumb|The Exeter Salt top centre with salt spoons either side, a caddinet (spice box) lower left, and a [[cruet]] lower right]]
The last [[Coronation of the British monarch#After-celebrations|coronation banquet]] held at Westminster Hall took place in 1821 for George&nbsp;IV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/westminsterhall/other-uses/coronation-banquets/|title=Coronation banquets|publisher=Parliament.uk|access-date=14 February 2016}}</ref> Silverware used at those banquets include the Plymouth Fountain, a wine fountain made around 1640 by a German goldsmith and presented to Charles&nbsp;II by the city of [[Plymouth]]. Gilded for George&nbsp;II in 1726, it is {{convert|77.5|cm|ft|abbr=on|1}} tall and decorated with flowers, fruit, dolphins, mermaids and sea monsters.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31742|The Plymouth Fountain}}</ref> The nautical theme is continued in the silver-gilt Wine Cistern, also known as the Grand Punch Bowl, which is cast as a giant oyster shell. It weighs {{convert|257|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}, measures {{convert|0.76 x 1.38 x 1.01|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and can hold 144 bottles of wine on ice.<ref>Mears, et al., pp. 42–43.</ref> It was commissioned in 1829 by George&nbsp;IV but not completed until after his death. It is the heaviest surviving piece of English banqueting plate.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 150.</ref> In 1841, the cistern was re-purposed as a [[punch bowl]], with the addition of a large ivory-stemmed ladle, which has a silver-gilt bowl in the form of a [[Chambered nautilus#In literature and art|nautilus shell]].<ref>{{Royal Collection|31769|Ladle}}</ref>

The Exeter Salt is a {{convert|45|cm|ft|adj=on|1}} tall [[salt cellar]] in the form of a castle on a rocky outcrop. Each of its four main compartments held about {{convert|29|g|oz|abbr=on|0}} of salt, while smaller ones held pepper and other spices.<ref>Keay (2011), p. 70.</ref> It was made {{circa}}{{nbsp}}1630 in Germany and is set with 73 gems probably added later. The Salt was bought in [[Hamburg]] in 1657 by the city's British [[Resident (title)|Resident]] as a peace offering to the Russian court, which had cut all ties with Britain during the [[Interregnum (England)|Interregnum]]. He was turned away at the Russian border and eventually took it home to London. In 1660, it was acquired from a private dealer for £700 by the city of [[Exeter]] and presented to Charles&nbsp;II.<ref>Olivia Fryman in Bird and Clayton, "Ceremony and Coronation", p. 82.</ref>

Eleven smaller salts named after St&nbsp;George were originally made for a [[St&nbsp;George's Day]] banquet of the [[Knights of the Garter]] in the late 17th&nbsp;century. A twelfth, the Queen Elizabeth Salt, was made in 1572 during the reign of Elizabeth&nbsp;I for a member of the aristocracy; it was later acquired by Charles&nbsp;II. Twelve spoons made for George&nbsp;IV in 1820 complement these salts.<ref>Mears, et al., pp. 39–40.</ref>

==Baptismal plate==
[[File:Christening-of-The-Prince-of-Wales-1842-(cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Queen Victoria and her family assembled in St George's Chapel, Windsor, for the baptism of her eldest son|The [[Lily Font]] on top of the Charles&nbsp;II font and basin at the christening of [[Edward VII|Edward, Prince of Wales]] in 1842]]
Three silver-gilt objects (comprising a total of six parts) associated with royal [[Infant baptism|christenings]] are displayed in the Jewel House. Charles&nbsp;II's {{convert|95|cm|ftin|0|adj=on}} tall font was created in 1661 and stood on a basin to catch any spills.<ref name="inventory"/> Surmounting the font's domed lid is a figure of [[Philip the Evangelist]] baptising the [[Ethiopian eunuch]].<ref>{{Royal Collection|31739|Baptismal font and basin}}</ref> While Charles's marriage to [[Catherine of Braganza]] produced no heir, the font may have been used to secretly baptise some of his 13 illegitimate children.<ref name="mears44">Mears, et al., p. 44.</ref> In 1688, [[James Francis Edward Stuart]], son of James&nbsp;II and Mary of Modena, was the first royal baby to be christened using this object.<ref>Keay (2002), p. 43.</ref>

A [[Pitcher (container)|ewer]] and basin of French design made in 1735 were only used at two christenings. The {{convert|46|cm|ftin|0|adj=on}} tall ewer's handle is topped by a figure of [[Hercules]] slaying the [[Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]], an unlikely motif for baptismal plate, suggesting it originally had an alternate purpose. Indeed, it was first used in 1738 at the impromptu christening of a "very ill" future George&nbsp;III only hours after his birth.<ref name="rcin31740">{{Royal Collection|31740|Ewer and basin}}</ref> His father, [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], was banished from the royal court and forbidden to use the Charles&nbsp;II font.<ref name="mears44"/> An inscription on the ewer records its presence at the 1780 christening of George&nbsp;III's youngest son, [[Prince Alfred of Great Britain|Prince Alfred]].<ref name="rcin31740"/>

The [[Lily Font]] was made in 1840 for the christening of [[Victoria, Princess Royal]], the first child of Queen Victoria, who declined to use the Charles&nbsp;II font because of its unseemly history. The 1661 font was recycled as a plinth (''pictured'') and its basin found a new role as an altar dish.<ref name="mears44"/> The Lily Font stands {{convert|43|cm|ftin|0}} tall and weighs approximately {{convert|10|kg|lb|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>{{Royal Collection|31741|The Lily Font}}</ref> It is decorated with water lilies, symbolising purity and new life, and cherubs plucking [[lyre]]s. The object has been used for the christenings of all of Elizabeth&nbsp;II's children and grandchildren (except [[Princess Eugenie]]) with holy water brought from the [[River Jordan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/queen-victoria-s-font-to-be-used-for-princess-charlotte-s-baptism-1-7342458|title=Queen Victoria's font to be used for Princess Charlotte's baptism|newspaper=The Yorkshire Post|date=5 July 2015|access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref>

==Ownership, management and value==
The Crown Jewels are part of the [[Royal Collection]].<ref name="BBCOne"/> As with Royal palaces, ownership is regarded as [[Restraint on alienation|inalienable]] and passes from one monarch to the next in perpetuity.<ref name="bogdanor190">Bogdanor, p. 190.</ref> However, a 17th-century ruling by Sir&nbsp;[[Edward Coke]], which states "the ancient jewels of the crown are heirloomes and shall descend to the next successor and are not devisable by [[Will and testament|testament]]", contains an exception allowing the monarch to dispose of objects via [[letters patent]] during their lifetime under the Great Seal or [[Privy Seal]].<ref>Ronald Lightbown in MacGregor, "The King's Regalia, Insignia and Jewellery", p. 259.</ref>{{efn|Further reading on this subject: {{cite book|last=Nash|first=Michael L.|chapter=The Jewels of the Kingdom|title=Royal Wills in Britain from 1509 to 2008|year=2017|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-137-60144-5|pages=61–86}}}} In 1995, [[Iain Sproat]], then [[Secretary of State for National Heritage]], confirmed that the disposal of the Royal Collection was "entirely a matter for the Queen".<ref>{{Cite Hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=House of Commons |title=Ethiopian Manuscripts|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1995/jul/19/ethiopian-manuscripts#S6CV0263P2_19950719_CWA_1348|date=19 July 1995 |volume=263 |column=1463W }}</ref> Their potential value is generally not included in estimates of the monarch's wealth because in practice it is unlikely the Crown Jewels will ever be sold,<ref name="bogdanor190"/> nor are they insured against loss,<ref>{{Cite Hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=House of Commons |title=Royal Residences |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2003/jun/19/royal-residences#S6CV0407P0_20030619_CWA_85 |date=19 June 2003 |column=353W |volume=407 }}</ref> and are officially described as priceless.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hrpprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/hrp-prod-container/11158/cjs_general_factsheet_revised_2012_2.pdf|title=Crown Jewels factsheet|publisher=Historic Royal Palaces|access-date=16 February 2016|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002173018/https://hrpprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/hrp-prod-container/11158/cjs_general_factsheet_revised_2012_2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{efn|In 1995, three disused crown frames then owned by the jewellers [[Asprey|Asprey & Garrard]], which are now kept in the Tower of London, were valued for an [[Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art|export licence]] application:<ref>Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, pp. 48–50.</ref>
*[[State Crown of George&nbsp;I]], £576,000 (c. £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|576000|1995|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation-year|UK-GDP}}{{Inflation-fn|UK-GDP}})
*[[Crown of Queen Adelaide]], £425,000 (c. £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|425000|1995|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation-year|UK-GDP}}{{Inflation-fn|UK-GDP}})
*[[Coronation Crown of George&nbsp;IV]], £376,000 (c. £{{Inflation|UK-GDP|376000|1995|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation-year|UK-GDP}}{{Inflation-fn|UK-GDP}})}} Maintenance, alteration and repair falls to the [[Crown Jeweller]], a member of the Royal Household who cleans them after visiting hours at the Tower of London each January and accompanies the regalia and plate whenever they leave the Tower for use at royal ceremonies. Older items have been conserved by experts from the [[British Museum]].<ref>Hoey, p. 64.</ref> The [[Royal Collection Trust]] keeps an inventory of the jewels,<ref name="major"/> and [[Historic Royal Palaces]] is responsible for their display.<ref>Hoey, p. 197.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Monarchy|United Kingdom}}
{{Columns-list|
* [[Cap of Maintenance]]
* [[Collar (order)]]
* [[Diamond Diadem]]
* [[Jewels of Elizabeth II]]
* {{nowrap|[[Royal Family Orders of the United Kingdom]]}}
}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
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{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.rct.uk/ Royal Collection Trust]
*[https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/explore/the-crown-jewels/ The Crown Jewels] at Historic Royal Palaces
*[https://www.royal.uk/crown-jewels The Crown Jewels] at the website of the British royal family

Videos:
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgMrIJuAmp0 Royal Regalia] from ''[[The Coronation (documentary)|The Coronation]]'' (2018) with commentary by [[Anna Keay]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVaMx4gQLC4 ''The Crown Jewels'' (1967)] by [[British Pathé]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkhHpZr7o5E ''The Crown Jewels'' (1937)] by British Pathé

{{Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|state=collapsed}}
{{Crowns}}
{{Crown jewels by country}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom}}
[[Category:Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Crown jewels|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:National symbols of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Tower of London]]