The Crown Jewels of England and Wales

The Crown Jewels are the ceremonial treasures of the Kings and Queens of England. Those on display in the Tower of London are said to be the greatest collection of jewels in the world. They belie a rich and fascinating history. This is a highly select view of that history. The earliest treasures were collected by the Anglo Saxon kings of England.

Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1042-66, prudently stored them in Westminster Abbey for safekeeping. King John famously lost the ancient treasures in The Wash in 1216. Circumstances were more complicated than are commonly realised. King John had stalled on promises made when he famously signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede in June 1215. His aggrieved barons had invited Louis Capet, the son of Philip II of France to claim the throne of England. By May 1216 Louis Capet was in control of the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Alexander II of Scotland threatened from the North. King John was on campaign when he lost his baggage train in those soft sands of The Wash. He was also unwell, suffering from dysentery, which led to his death a few days later at Newark. His son was hastily crowned as Henry III in Gloucester Abbey using a makeshift golden circlet.

New items were fashioned to replace those lost. In 1284 the coronet of Llywelyn, The Prince of Wales, was added to the collection as a trophy for the complete annihilation of an independent Welsh state. Perhaps because of its political significance, the coronet was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303. It was quickly recovered, but from that year the crown jewels were stored in the Tower of London.

Between 1338 and 1342 Edward III pawned the Crown Jewels to finance his operations in the Hundred Years War. This led to a law that prohibits the crown jewels from ever leaving the country.

In 1649 England briefly became a republic. Oliver Cromwell, as acting head of state, ordered that the Royal regalia ‘be totally broken’ as being symbolic of the ‘detestable rule of kings’. Many treasures were melted down with their metals used as coinage by The Royal Mint. The precious stones were sold separately. A few items were sold intact.

When Charles II was restored to the throne of England and Scotland in 1660 the Crown sought to replace the missing regalia. Only five items could be found intact. These were three swords, a silver spoon and The Coronation Chair.

Metal recovered from the old Saint Edward’s Crown was hastily incorporated into a new crown for the coronation of Charles II. This crown, also known as Saint Edward’s Crown is still used in modern coronations. Monarch complain that it is heavy and uncomfortable. There is a theory, which is probably little more that a romance from the Reformation period, that the old crown might have been the crown of Alfred the Great.

A number of other items were made specifically for the coronation of Charles II. These include spurs (representing knighthood and chivalry), the Sovereign’s Orb (representing Christian sovereignty), the Scheptre with the Cross, the Sceptre with the Dover, St Edward’s Staff and the ampula (which holds the annoingin oil).

In 1671 a gang led by Colonel Thomas Blood tried to steal the Crown Jewels. When the gang was caught in the act, Colonel Blood demanded aan audience with King Charles II. Following the audience Colonel Blood was given a pardon and a pension. There is a theory that the king was short of money and was behind the plot.

During the 1680s two new sets of regalia were required to accommodate the tradition that Queen Consorts are crowned alongside their Monarch. Three crowns were produced for Mary of Modena, the wife of James II. The State Diadem was worn on her way to her coronation as Queen Consort in 1685. The Coronation Crown was used to crown her and the State Crown was worn on the procession from the Abbey. The Coronation of William and Mary in 1689 was unusual because it was a joint coronation. The Small Orb was designed for Mary II’s use in the Coronation.

In 1831 at the Coronation of William IV and his consort Queen Adelaide, the Coronation Crown fell from favour. Since 1831 each Queen consort has had her own Coronation crown. By the twentieth the Consort’s crown had become very fragile and seemed old fashioned. New crowns were produced for Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII, Queen Mary, consort of King George V and Queen Elizabeth, consort of George VI. All three consorts’ crowns in turn included the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond.

The coronet of Llewelyn was lost during the Comonwealth period. A new crown, The Coronet of George, was produced for the Prince of Wales (the future George V) to wear at the Coronation of his father, Edward VII in 1902. The future Edward VIII continued the tradition by wearing the crown at the Coronation of George V in 1911. Thereafter the tradition ends. Despite a Law that the Crown Jewels must never leave England Edward VIII took the crown with him into exile following the abdication crisis in 1936. After Edward’s death in 1972 the Coronet of George was returned to the Royal Collection . It is on display in the Tower.

In 1937 a new crown was produced for King George V to wear abroad. The Imperial Crown of India was created for King George V to wear during a visit to Delhi as Emperor of India. Although it is on display with the Crown Jewels, technically, because it can be used abroad it is not a Crown Jewel. In 1969 Prince Charles was invested Prince of Wales with full ceremony at Caenarvon Castle. As the Coronet of George was unavailable, a new coronet, the Coronet of Charles,was prepared.