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Everything You Need to Know about the Coronation Regalia
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| The Coronation Regalia. Image from The Royal Collection Trust |
The coronation of King Charles III and
Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey will see the United Kingdom
stage the much-awaited but seldom-witnessed spectacle filled
with pomp and circumstance, the first of its kind in almost seven
decades. Aside from witnessing the parade of royals, heads of state, and
celebrities, the coronation will also highlight the appearance of the precious
coronation regalia, the precious objects which symbolise the temporal and sacred service and
responsibilities of the monarch. Playing a central role in this
very important ceremony are these centuries-old treasures originally kept at
the Tower of London. Read on to find out the rich history of the Coronation
Regalia.
St. Edward’s Crown
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The St. Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of
the Coronation Regalia and the entire British Crown Jewels. Named in honour of Edward
the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and
British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century. The original
crown was a sacred item relic kept at Westminster Abbey, where Edward was
buried. At the height of the English Civil War, the crown, together with the much
of the Crown Jewels, was confiscated, sold or melted down.
With the Restoration and ascension of
Charles II in 1661, Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner was commissioned to make a
new crown. While not an exact replica of
the medieval design, the new crown with its Baroque arches, was made with the
original four crosses-pattée, four fleurs-de-lis, and two arches. The frame is
cast in a solid gold frame, decorated with 444 precious stones, including
rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines. The crown has a
velvet cap with an ermine band.
The crown, however, fell into disuse after
William III’s coronation in 1689. King George V eventually revived using the
crown in his own coronation in 1911. For her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II
opted for a stylised image of this crown to be used on coats of arms and other
insignia in Commonwealth realms to symbolise her royal authority.
St. Edward’s Crown is kept in Jewel House
at the Tower of London. It was removed from the Tower in December 2022 for resizing for King Charles
III’s coronation.
Imperial State Crown
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Embed from Getty Images
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The Imperial State Crown symbolises the
sovereignty of the British monarch. Existing in various forms since the 15th
century, the Imperial State Crown is the crown the monarch exchanges for St.
Edward’s Crown, at the end of the coronation ceremony. The term imperial state
crown dates back to the fifteenth century when English monarchs chose a crown
design closed by arches, to demonstrate that England was not subject to any
other earthly power. The current version was made in 1937 for King George VI
and is worn by a new monarch for the first time in the royal procession
following their coronation (having been crowned with St Edward’s Crown during
the ceremony). It is subsequently used state occasions, such as the State
Openings of Parliament. The crown is adorned with 2,901 precious stones,
including the Cullinan II diamond, St. Edward’s Sapphire, the Stuart Sapphire,
and the Black Prince’s Ruby (a spinel). It Consists of 2,868 diamonds, 17
sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 269 pearls.
St.
Edward’s Sapphire is an octagonal, rose-cut sapphire that forms part of the
British Crown Jewels. It
is believed to have been taken from the ring (or coronet) of Edward the
Confessor in 1042. Queen Victoria later added the jewel to the Imperial State
Crown, giving it a leading role in the centre of the cross at the top of the
crown, where it remains today in the similar crown last worn by Queen Elizabeth
II.
The
Black Prince’s Ruby is a large, irregular cabochon red spinel weighing 170
carats (34 g) set in the cross pattée above the Cullinan II diamond at the
front of the Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom. The spinel is one of
the oldest parts of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, with a history dating
back to the middle of the 14th century. It has been in the possession of
England’s rulers since it was given in 1367 to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock
(the “Black Prince”). The
stone is believed to have originated from the Badakhshan mines in present day
Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the principal source of large spinel gems in the
Middle Ages.
King Charles III will swap St. Edward’s
crown for the Imperial State Crown after he is crowned as king.
Sovereign’s Sceptres
The sovereigns sceptre with cross is a symbol of the monarch’s authority and
good governance. It is presented during the coronation ceremony along with
other chivalric ornaments. The ceremony begins with the anointing of the new
sovereign, followed by the presentation of robes and ornaments, culminating in
the investiture of the sceptre and the crowning of the monarch.
Two
sceptres are presented, one surmounted by a cross and the other by a dove. The
sceptre with cross was originally made for Charles II, but has undergone
several alterations over time. In 1910, it was modified to accommodate the
great Cullinan diamond, which weighs over 530 carats and is set in an enamelled
heart-shaped structure atop the sceptre. The structure is mounted with step-cut
emeralds and a faceted amethyst monde, adorned with diamonds, rubies, spinels,
and emeralds. The sceptre also features enamelled brackets representing a
crown, as well as rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds.
The Sovereign’s sceptre with dove is a symbol of the spiritual role of the
sovereign, and the dove represents the Holy Ghost. It has historically been
referred to as the ‘Rod of Equity and Mercy’. At the coronation of William I in
1066, the sceptre’s importance in controlling uprisings in the kingdom and
confining those who stray was emphasized. Thus, the monarch’s care for their
people is closely linked to this sceptre or rod.
The sceptre is made up of a plain gold rod
with three sections, adorned with enameled and gem-set collars at the
intersections. It has a gold monde at the top, with a silver zone and arc set
with rose diamonds, and a gold cross that supports an enameled dove with
outspread wings. The collars are decorated with various precious stones, such as
rose- and table-cut diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and spinels. At the
base of the sceptre is a compressed spherical pommel set with additional
rose-cut diamonds.
The Orb is a symbol of the ruler’s
authority, representing the Christian world with a cross on a globe, and the
three sections divided by bands of precious stones signify the three continents
known during medieval times. The Orb is adorned with clusters of emeralds,
rubies, and sapphires, surrounded by rose-cut diamonds and pearls. At the top,
there is a cross with a sapphire on one side and an emerald on the other, and
pearls at each arm’s end. It was created for the coronation of Charles II in
1661 from the royal goldsmith Robert Viner.
At the coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury places the orb
into the Monarch’s right hand, which is later returned to the altar before the
crowning. After the coronation, the Monarch exits the ceremony wearing the
Imperial State Crown, holding the
Scepter, and grasping the Orb.
Coronation Spoon
The Coronation Spoon is the oldest object
in the British Crown Jewels. Dating back to the 12th century. The spoon was first recorded in 1349 as
among Edward the Confessor’s Regalia
kept Westminster Abbey and was already described as a spoon of “antique
forme”, the style of which could be attributed to the twelfth century and
may have been originally owned by Henry II or Richard I. According to the Royal
Collection’s website, the spoon is ” the only piece of royal goldsmiths’
work to survive from that century.”
The
spoon was certainly made not for eating or stirring but, presumably for mixing wine and water in a chalice. During
the coronation of James I, the spoon was
already used for anointing the sovereign, a tradition that has since been
followed in subsequent coronations.
The spoon was sold off during the English
Civil War, escaping the fate of other items in the coronation regalia, which
were melted down like the other items.
It was purchased by a Mr. Kynnersley, Yeoman of Charles I’s Wardrobe, for 16
shillings. Kynnersley returned the spoon when King Charles II. It was
embellished with small pearls and was used at his coronation in 1661. It has
remained in use ever since.
The Coronation Ampulla
The Coronation Ampulla serves the purpose
of holding the consecrated chrism or oil in anointing the sovereign during the
coronation ceremony. Also known as the vessel, the ampulla has the shape of an eagle with
wings spread out, positioned on a rounded and leafy base. Its foot is
intricately decorated with curved scrolls and masks. The eagle’s head can be
unscrewed, revealing a spout in the beak for pouring oil.
Embed from Getty Images
The Ampulla’s design
is inspired by an earlier and smaller vessel, originates from a legend dating
back to the fourteenth century. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to
St. Thomas Becket and presented him with
a golden eagle and a vial of oil, which were to be used for anointing future
kings of England. The customary practice involves filling the Ampulla with oil
and then pouring it into the Anointing Spoon, a twelfth-century artifact,
during the most sacred moment of the coronation. The act of anointing, where
the Archbishop applies holy oil to the head, breast, and hands of the
sovereign, traces its roots back to the Old Testament Book of Kings, which
describes the anointing of King Solomon. The Ampulla itself has a noteworthy
history and was provided by the Crown Jeweller, Robert Vyner, for the
coronation of Charles II in 1661.
The Coronation Sword
The Sword of State symbolises the sovereign’s authority. It features a steel blade with a silver-gilt hilt, enclosed in a wooden scabbard and covered in velvet. During the reign of King Charles II two swords were made, the first in 1660, the second in 1678.
Embed from Getty Images
The first, however, did not survive, the second one has been used in coronations succeeding Charles II’s , as well as during the Prince of Wales Investiture in 1969.
Queen Mary’s Crown
In 1911, Queen Mary was to be crowned
alongside her husband, King George V. For this grand occasion, she bought the
Art Deco-inspired crown from Garrard & Co. herself, and wanted future
queens consort to wear it too. It is, however, extraordinary for a British
crown due to having eight half-arches instead of the traditional two arches.
The State crown of Queen Mary is a
beautiful and light diamond crown. In the center of the circlet is one of the lesser portions
of the Star of Africa weighing 96 carats. In a cross-pate above this is the
Koh—Noor the most renowned diamond in the world. It weights in its present condition 106 1/16 carats (having originally weighed 800carats).
After
a tragic history of many centuries , the diamond was captured by the British and
presented by the Army of the Punjab to Queen Victoria after the Sikh
Wars. The cross that surmounts the mound at the top of the crown is set
with yet another lesser portion of the Star of Africa weighing 64 carats.
Not worn since the death of Queen Mary in
1953, it has been displayed with the
other Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. It was removed from the Tower and
modified for Queen Camilla’s use on her coronation. The much-contested Indian Koh-i-Noor diamond
was removed and in a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the crown will be reset
with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, part of the late queen’s personal
jewellery collection and often worn by her as brooches.
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