The collective term Crown Jewels denotes the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at other state functions. The term refers to the following objects: the crowns, sceptres (with either the cross or the dove), orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself.
Many of these descend directly from the pre-Reformation period and have a religious and sacral connotation. The vestures donned by the sovereign following the unction, for instance, closely resemble the alb and dalmatic worn by bishops, although the contention that they are meant to confer upon the sovereign an ecclesiastical character is in disrepute among Christian scholars.
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The earliest known use of regalia in England was discovered by archaeologists in 1988 in Deal, Kent and dates to between 200 and 150 B.C. Inside the tomb of the "Mill Hill Warrior" was a bronze crown, a sword, a scabbard, a brooch and a ceremonial shield. Further finds in a Norfolk field near Ely and Thetford, at Hockwold cum Wilton revealed a large number circlets and a bronze crown adorned with human faces.[1] Following the conquest of Britain by the Roman Empire in AD 43 crowns and other symbols of authority continued to be used by the governors of Britannia.[2]
By the 5th century AD the Roman forces withdrew from Britain after they were overwhelmed by the invading forces of the Angles and the Saxons from the east. Following this invasion a series of new kingdoms emerged. One of the methods used by regional kings to solidify their authority over their territories was the use of ceremony and insignia. Contemporary evidence of Anglo-Saxon regalia is difficult to come by as the kings didn't communicate in writing. However, the tomb of an unknown king provides a unique insight into the regalia of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Buried with him is an ornate helmet covered in bronze, decorated with detailed facial features and set with garnets.[3] The king was also buried with a sceptre, a decorated sword and a shield.[4]
In 1066 Edward the Confessor died without an heir. William, Duke of Normandy emerged as king of England following his victory over the English at the Battle of Hastings. William worked hard to solidify his authority over his subjects, and his frequent 'crown-wearings' were an important part of this. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that: "He wore his crown three times a year as often as he was in England… On these occasions the great men of England were assembled about him… He was so stern and relentless a man that no-one dared do anything against his will."[5]
In the 12th century the monks of Westminster Abbey claimed that Edward the Confessor had bequeathed to them his regalia and stipulated that it was to be used in the coronation of each subsequent monarch. This claim is largely believed to have been fabricated in order to draw pilgrims to the abbey. At the coronation of Henry III in 1220 the crown was declared to have belonged to Edward the Confessor; thus the concept of a hereditary collection of regalia came to be.[6] This crown, later renamed as St Edward's Crown, was used in subsequent coronations until its destruction by the English Republic four hundred years later. One of the few surviving descriptions of this crown states that it was a "gold crown decorated with diverse stones'."[7] In the 12th century the silver gilt anointing spoon was commissioned, probably for Henry II; it is the oldest surviving piece of regalia used in the Coronation ceremony. The original purpose of the spoon was unclear; it is only since the 17th century that it has been referred to as the "anointing spoon".[8]
Following the defeat of the Welsh prince Llewelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282 by Edward I the Welsh regalia was surrendered. According to one source, the Welsh "gave up [to Edward I] the crown of the most famous Arthur, the former king of Britain. And thus the glory of Wales and the Welsh was given over to the kings and lords of England."[9] Meanwhile, following the conquest of Scotland, the Stone of Scone was sent to the Tower of London "in recognition of a kingdom surrendered and conquered".[10][11][12] King Edward's Chair was commissioned to house the stone; although not built as such the chair was soon being used for the investiture of the kings of England, earning it's reputation as the "Coronation Chair".[13] In Edward II's treasury, in 1324, there were no fewer than ten crowns, the most extravagant has been valued at approximately a million pounds in today's money.[14] At some point in the 14th century the crown jewels were moved from the jewel house at Westminster Abbey, following a series of successful and unsuccessful thefts, to the Tower of London.[15][16]
The crown-wearing traditions established in the medieval period continued into the Middle Ages.[17][18] By the middle of the 15th century the crown was formally worn on six religious feasts every year: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Whitsun, All Saints and one or both of the feasts of St. Edward. The crown was also displayed and worn at the annual State Opening of Parliament.[19] At about this time swords, symbols of kingship since ancient times, were introduced into the coronation ceremony. Three swords were used to represent the king's powers in the administration of justice; they were the sword of spiritual justice, the sword of temporal justice and the sword of mercy.
WIth increasing political and dynastic stability regalia was beginning to pass increasingly from one king to the next. The first example of this was the sovereign's state crown. When the crown was manufactured is unknown but it is likely that it was created at the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. The frame of the crown was gold and embedded with pearls, rubies, sapphires and diamonds; the crown was decorated with fleur de lys and crosses each of which was decorated with images of christian religious figures and former monarchs of England.[20][21] Another emerging item of regalia was the orb, 'a Rounde ball with a cross of gold', being mentioned in several tudor inventories.[22] The concept of the state regalia as entirely hereditary was solidified in law when James I decreed that named 'Roiall and Princely Ornaments and Jewells' were 'to be indyvidually and inseparably for ever hereafter annexed to the Kingdome of this Realme'.[23]
Following the death of James I, Charles I came to the throne. His many conflicts with parliament, stemming from his belief in the divine right of kings and the many religious conflicts that permeated his reign, triggered the English Civil War. After six years of war, Charles was defeated and executed by the parliamentarians. Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England and less than a week after the king's execution the monarchy was abolished. The newly created English republic found itself in a desperate financial situation following the war. In order to raise funds the 'Act for the sale of the personal estate of the King, Queen and Prince' was promulgated and trustees were appointed to value the jewels and sell them to the highest bidder.[24] The most valuable of these objects was the Tudor State Crown, valued at £1,100 (£1,740,000 as of 2011);[25] it was set with 28 diamonds, 19 sapphires, 37 rubies and 168 pearls.[26]
The collection of Crown Jewels contains various crowns, some of which are used by every Sovereign, others being made personally for Sovereigns or for the Queen's Consort. Typically the crown of a King has a slightly pointed arched top, while that of a Queen has a slightly bowed top.
State Diadem—Worn by her on the way to her coronation and worn in such a way by Queens Consort down to the nineteenth century.
Coronation Crown—The crown with which she was actually crowned. Now in the Museum of London.
State Crown—Worn for the procession out of the Abbey and put to other uses subsequently.
Two sceptres used by the Sovereign form a part of the regalia:
The Sceptre with the Cross was made in 1661, and is so called because it is surmounted by a cross. In 1910, it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which at over 530 carats (106 g) is the second largest cut diamond in the world after The Golden Jubilee. During the coronation, the monarch bears the Sceptre with the Cross in the right hand.
The Sceptre with the Dove was also made in 1661, and atop it is a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit. While the Sceptre with the Cross is borne in the right hand, the Sceptre with the Dove is borne in the left. At the same time as the Sovereign holds both Sceptres, he or she is crowned with St Edward's Crown.
The Sovereign's Orb, a type of globus cruciger, is a hollow golden sphere made in 1661. There is a band of jewels running along the centre, and a half-band on the top hemisphere. Surmounting the orb is a jeweled Cross representing the Sovereign's role as Defender of the Faith. For a part of the coronation, it is borne in the Sovereign's left hand.
The Small Orb, a smaller globus cruciger made in 1689 for Mary II due to her joint coronation with William III. Both the Small Orb and its larger counterpart rested on Queen Victoria's coffin in 1901.
Five swords are used during the coronation.
The Jewelled Sword of Offering was made for the Coronation of King George IV. It is the only sword actually presented to the Sovereign during the Coronation (by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to signify that the royal power is at the service of the church); the others are merely borne in front of the Sovereign. It was described by Lawrence Tanner as the most beautiful and valuable sword in the world; the hilt and the scabbard are both encrusted with jewels (which include diamonds, rubies and sapphires) and the blade is of the finest Damascus steel. During the procession in the abbey it replaces the Great Sword of State because that is too heavy to be easily carried.[28]
The Great Sword of State is the largest sword in the collection, and is borne in front of the Monarch by the Lord Great Chamberlain both at the coronation and at the State Opening of Parliament. The gilt handle has crosspieces representing the lion and unicorn and the scabbard is decorated with jewels in the shapes of the floral symbols of the United Kingdom: the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, and the shamrock for Ireland.[29]
The other three swords used are the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice, and the Sword of Mercy. The first two symbolize the sovereign's relationship with church and state and the latter represents Curtana, the short sword of Ogier the Dane which he was warned to draw in mercy not in vengeance.[30]
The Ring was made for William IV's coronation in 1831. Previously, each Sovereign received a new ring to symbolize their "marriage" to the nation, though no new rings have been used since 1831.
When the Sovereign is anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the anointing oil is poured from the Ampulla into the Anointing Spoon. The Ampulla is a hollow gold vessel shaped like an eagle, and the Spoon is a silver-gilt spoon set with pearls. The ampulla is believed to be the one first used in the coronation of Henry IV in 1399. According to legend it was made to contain the oil presented by the Virgin Mary in a vision seen by St Thomas of Canterbury. It is accompanied by a golden spoon which is certainly of the 13th century. It is likely though not certain that the ampulla, an eagle crafted in pure gold, escaped destruction in 1643 when most of the regalia were destroyed or sold.[31] The Spoon was bought by Clement Kynnersley, Yeoman of the Removing Wardrobe, for sixteen shillings when Cromwell ordered the destruction of the new regalia;[32] the Spoon, probably dating from the thirteenth century, is thus the oldest element of the Regalia. The ceremony of the anointing derives from the coronation ceremony of France (see Holy Ampulla for further details).
The Armills are gold bracelets said to symbolize sincerity and wisdom. Upon Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, a new set of gold armills were produced and presented on the behalf of various Commonwealth governments, namely: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ceylon, and Southern Rhodesia.
The Crown Jewels have been kept at the Tower of London since 1303 after they were stolen from Westminster Abbey. It is thought that most, if not all, were recovered shortly afterwards. After the coronation of Charles II, they were locked away and shown for a viewing fee paid to a custodian. However, this arrangement ended when Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels after having bound and gagged the custodian. Thereafter, the Crown Jewels were kept in a part of the Tower known as Jewel House, where armed guards defend them.
In 1843, Queen Victoria appointed Garrard & Co to the position of Crown Jewellers, leading to the production of numerous pieces of silverware and jewellery for the Royal Family, as well as the upkeep of the Crown Jewels. Garrard dealt with a number of famous jewels, such as the Cullinan diamonds (including Cullinan I, "The Great Star of Africa"), and created such pieces as the Imperial Crown of India in 1911, the crown of Queen Mary for her coronation, and the Crown of Queen Elizabeth in 1937. In 1852, Garrard were given the responsibility of re-cutting the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond into a brilliant.
On 15 July 2007 an announcement was made in the Court Circular, under Buckingham Palace, that Garrard & Co's services as crown jeweller were no longer required, with the reason cited being that it was simply 'time for a change.'[33] G. Collins and Sons were appointed the new Crown Jewellers.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom] at Wikimedia Commons
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