"Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are 140 royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower of London, which include the regalia and vestments worn by British kings and queens at their coronations. Symbols of 800 years of monarchy, the coronation regalia are the only working set in Europe – other present-day monarchies have abandoned coronations in favour of secular ceremonies – and the collection is the most historically complete of any regalia in the world. Objects used to invest and crown the monarch variously denote his or"
"Jeweller can handle the regalia. It is customary for armed police officers to be present at all times. In 2011, Colonel Richard Harrold was appointed as the Keeper of the Jewel House. The Chief Exhibitor of the Jewel House is Keith Hanson, and the Deputy Chief Exhibitor is Lyn Jones. Jewel House The Jewel House is a vault housing the British Crown Jewels in the Waterloo Block (formerly a barracks) at the Tower of London. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 and refurbished in 2012. Regalia have been kept in various parts of the Tower since the"
"dresses and robes, especially when they put on their coronets"". The coronation ensembles are in the Royal Collection Trust. Elizabeth II's jewels The monarch of the Commonwealth realms, Queen Elizabeth II, owns a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the Gems and Jewels and the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels. The origin of a distinct royal jewel collection is vague, though it is believed the jewels have their origin somewhere in the 16th century. Many of the pieces are from overseas and were"
"Jewel House The Jewel House is a vault housing the British Crown Jewels in the Waterloo Block (formerly a barracks) at the Tower of London. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 and refurbished in 2012. Regalia have been kept in various parts of the Tower since the 14th century after a series of successful and attempted thefts at Westminster Abbey. A Keeper of the Crown Jewels was appointed in 1207. Over the subsequent centuries his title varied, from Keeper of the King's Jewels, Master of the Jewel House, Master and Treasurer of the King's Jewels and Plate,"
"such as the Koh-i-Noor and Cullinan diamonds, were sealed in a biscuit tin and hidden beneath a sally port, allowing them to be recovered swiftly. After the war, the Jewels were kept in a vault at the Bank of England for two years while the Jewel House was repaired as the Tower had been struck by a bomb. In 1953, St Edward's Crown was placed on the head of Queen Elizabeth II in what is now the only ceremony of its kind in Europe. Today, 140 objects make up the Crown Jewels, which are permanently set with 23,578 precious and"
"Elizabeth II's jewels The monarch of the Commonwealth realms, Queen Elizabeth II, owns a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the Gems and Jewels and the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels. The origin of a distinct royal jewel collection is vague, though it is believed the jewels have their origin somewhere in the 16th century. Many of the pieces are from overseas and were brought to the United Kingdom as a result of civil war, coups and revolutions, or acquired as gifts to"
"of Charles II in 1651 until they were discovered in a chest inside Edinburgh Castle in the early 19th century. A 'golden royal crown' pre-dating the existing 'Honours' had been in existence. It is recorded that it was seized by the English authorities following a search of the luggage of the deposed John Balliol as he attempted to leave England and make his way to exile in France following his release from imprisonment in London in 1299. This crown was sent to King Edward I in London where it was probably placed with the English crown jewels at Westminster Abbey."
"into exile with him in France after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. It returned to the United Kingdom 100 years later and is now part of the Royal Collection of Gems and Jewels. The gold ring has a large ruby etched with a St 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. Mary II's coronation ring also survives in the Portland Collection at Welbeck Abbey. The sceptre, a symbolic ornamental rod held by the monarch at a coronation,"
"Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, where they are usually called armills, are those of King Charles II, and the newest were created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The Elizabeth II Armills were presented to the Queen by the governments of various Commonwealth nations and are single-piece round bracelets made of 22 carat gold lined with crimson velvet, with a concealed hinge and spring catch. However most British monarchs have not worn armills when crowned. The term ""armilla"" is used in the English ""Liber Regalis"" (probably 1382) to describe a stole, like the Byzantine imperial ""loros"","
"Mary II was crowned as joint sovereign with her husband William III. After the Acts of Union 1707 joined England and Scotland together, the Scottish Crown Jewels were locked away in a chest, and the English Crown Jewels continued to be used by British monarchs. Gemstones were hired for coronations – the fee typically being 4% of their value – and replaced with paste and crystals for display in the Jewel House, a practice that continued until the early 20th century. During World War II, the Crown Jewels were stored in the basement of Windsor Castle. The most valuable gems,"
"furniture, ceramics, cars, textiles, lace, carriages, jewellery, clocks, instruments, plants, manuscripts, books, sculptures, and the Crown Jewels. Some of the buildings which house the collection, like Hampton Court Palace, are open to the public and not lived in by the Royal Family, whilst others, like Windsor Castle, are both residences and open to the public. The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London was built specially to exhibit pieces from the collection on a rotating basis. There is a similar art gallery next to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and a Drawings Gallery at Windsor Castle. The Crown Jewels"
"St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Edward the Confessor, it has been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century. The original crown was a holy relic kept at Westminster Abbey, Edward's burial place, until the regalia were either sold or melted down after Parliament abolished the monarchy in 1649, during the English Civil War. The present version of St Edward's Crown was made for Charles II in 1661. It is solid gold, tall, weighs , and is decorated with"
"which is on public display at Hampton Court Palace. G. Collins and Sons G. Collins & Sons Limited is a jewellery firm at 76/78 High St, Royal Tunbridge Wells in southeast England. Queen Elizabeth II appointed Harry Collins as her Personal Jeweller in the year 2000 and he remains in this position to this day. He was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 2016 . From 2007 to 2012 Harry Collins was also the Crown Jeweller, succeeding Garrard & Co in charge of the maintenance of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. In 2012 Harry Collins"
"their coronation in 1902. The diamond was transferred to Queen Mary's Crown in 1911, and finally to The Queen Mother's Crown in 1937. When The Queen Mother died in 2002, the crown was placed on top of her coffin for the lying-in-state and funeral. All these crowns are on display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London with crystal replicas of the diamond set in the older crowns. The original bracelet given to Queen Victoria can also be seen there. A glass model of the Koh-i-Noor shows visitors how it looked when it was brought to the United"
"of England. St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the coronation regalia, used at the moment of crowning and exchanged for the lighter Imperial State Crown, which is also worn at State Openings of Parliament. Among the precious stones on the crown are Cullinan II, the Stuart Sapphire, St Edward's Sapphire, and the Black Prince's Ruby (a spinel). On the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross is Cullinan I, the largest clear cut diamond in the world. Wives of kings are crowned as Queen Consort with a plainer set of regalia. The Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother houses the 105-carat"
"England, and the second during World War II when it was moved to Gloucester Cathedral for the duration of the war. On Christmas Day 1950, Scottish Nationalists broke into the abbey and removed the Stone of Destiny. It was recovered in time for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Since 1996, the stone has been kept at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland on the proviso that it be returned to England for use at coronations. The Coronation Chair is highly protected, and leaves its secure location—on a plinth in St George's Chapel in the nave—only when it is carried into the"
"the monarch. Most of the jewellery dates from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Crown Jewels are only worn at coronations (St Edward's Crown being used to crown the monarch) and the annual State Opening of Parliament (the Imperial State Crown). At other formal occasions, such as banquets, the Queen wears the jewellery in her collection. Elizabeth owns more than 300 items of jewellery, including 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 14 watches and 5 pendants, the most notable of which are detailed in this article. Unlike the Crown Jewels—which mainly date from the"
"part of the Crown Jewels when it was left to the Crown upon Victoria's death in 1901. It had been successively mounted in the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary before it was transferred to The Queen Mother's Crown. After the death of the king, Queen Elizabeth, known thereafter as the Queen Mother, did not wear the full crown, but wore it minus the arches as a circlet at the coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. It was placed on top of the Queen Mother's coffin for her lying-in-state and funeral in 2002. The crown is"
"of Elizabeth II's children and grandchildren except Princess Eugenie, with holy water from the River Jordan. The font stands tall and weighs approximately . The Crown Jewels, part of the Royal Collection, do not officially belong to the nation, but are effectively public assets. Ownership is regarded as inalienable and passes from one monarch to the next by virtue of his or her position as king or queen. However, a 17th-century ruling by Sir Edward Coke, which states ""the ancient jewels of the crown are heirloomes and shall descend to the next successor and are not devisable by testament"", contains"
"four pearls, three of which are often said to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth I, but the association is almost certainly erroneous. The crown is worn by the monarch on leaving Westminster Abbey at the end of his or her coronation. It is also worn or carried at the annual State Opening of Parliament, although in 1974 and 2017, when snap general elections were held, Queen Elizabeth II chose to wear a hat (but had the crown carried on a cushion beside her). Usually, the crown is taken to the Palace of Westminster under armed guard in its own carriage"
"appointed as the new Crown Jeweller. In 2012, Collins stepped down from the role and Martin Swift of Mappin & Webb became the ninth Crown Jeweller. Keeper of the Jewel House Crown Jeweller The Crown Jeweller is a member of the Royal Household appointed by the British monarch. He or she is responsible for the maintenance and, when they leave the Tower of London, security of the regalia and plate that make up the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The post was created in 1843 by Queen Victoria, who issued a royal warrant to Garrard & Co., and the"
"of Victoria's) and used by Elizabeth II. The Stuart Sapphire is on public display with the other Crown Jewels in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. The sapphire weighs . It is oval-shaped, about long and wide, and has one or two blemishes but was evidently deemed to be of high value by the Stuarts. At some point a hole was drilled at one end, probably to introduce an attachment by which the stone could be worn as a pendant. On the back is a miniature plaque engraved with a short history of the Imperial State Crown. Stuart"
"royal treasure was usually kept in the Tower of London, and at the Great Treasury, Westminster. Additionally, coronation regalia was, over the centuries, kept in the Chamber of the Pyx in Westminster Abbey. From the foundation of the abbey in until 1303, the Chamber of the Pyx also held the general royal treasury. Most crowns were kept in the Tower of London from the time of Henry III, as were coronation regalia from 1643, except for some items which were in the abbey during the time of James II. Following Richard de Podnecott's attempted robbery of the Chamber of the"
"the Second World War, and extensively restored the building, clearing the surrounding area and opening the tower for tourists. In the 21st century, the Jewel Tower is managed by English Heritage, receiving around 30,000 visitors each year. The Jewel Tower was built within the Palace of Westminster between 1365 and 1366, on the instructions of King Edward III, to hold his personal treasure. Edward had broadly three types of treasure: his ceremonial regalia, which was usually kept at the Tower of London or held by the Abbot of Westminster; the jewellery and plate belonging to the Crown, which was kept"
"in the Royal Archives in Windsor Castle. In 2012, they were scanned and made available online as a special project for the diamond jubilee of Victoria's great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth. Although initially made available for free worldwide, since mid-2013 free access to the diaries has been restricted to users within the United Kingdom only. Citations Sources Queen Victoria's journals Queen Victoria maintained diaries and journals throughout her life, filling 122 volumes which were expurgated after her death by her youngest child, Princess Beatrice. Extracts were published during her life and sold well. The collection is stored in the Royal Archives and,"
"more treasured artefact. According to King Edward I's jewel account for that regnal year (12 Edward I), the crown was recoated in gold plating to make it look more impressive (which suggests that it may have been made of iron). It was then presented at the shrine of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey as the ""Coron Arthur,"" or the Crown of King Arthur. The coronet, alongside the English Crown Jewels, was kept in Westminster Abbey until 1303 before they were all re-housed in the Tower of London after it and the English Crown Jewels were all temporarily stolen. It"
"accession of Charles II—the jewels are not official regalia or insignia. Much of the collection was designed for queens regnant and queens consort, though some kings have added to the collection. A few diamonds were brought to the United Kingdom from the British colonies and far away lands as the spoils of war. Most of the jewellery was purchased from other European heads of state and members of the aristocracy, or handed down by older generations of the Royal Family, often as birthday and wedding presents. In recent years, Elizabeth has worn them in her capacity as Queen of Australia,"
"an exception allowing the monarch to dispose of objects via letters patent. In practice it is unlikely the Crown Jewels will ever be sold, nor are they insured against loss, and are officially priceless. Their maintenance falls to the Crown Jeweller, a member of the Royal Household who cleans them at the Tower of London each January after visiting hours. The jeweller also accompanies the regalia and plate whenever they leave the Tower, for example at State Openings of Parliament and royal christenings. Older items such as the Coronation Spoon are cleaned by experts from the British Museum. The Royal"
"Chequers Ring The Chequers Ring is one of the few surviving pieces of jewellery worn by Queen Elizabeth I of England. The mother-of-pearl ring, set with gold and rubies, includes a locket with two portraits, one depicting Elizabeth and the other traditionally identified as Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn, but possibly her step-mother Catherine Parr. The ring is presently housed at Chequers, the country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The ring is tentatively dated to the mid-1570s. A mother-of-pearl hoop is mounted with sheet gold set with table-cut rubies, found on the sides of the bezel and"
"Kingdom. Replicas of the diamond in this and its re-cut forms can also be seen in the 'Vault' exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London. During the Second World War, the Crown Jewels were moved from their home at the Tower of London to Windsor Castle. In 1990, ""The Sunday Telegraph"", citing a biography of the French army general, Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, by his widow, Simonne, reported that George VI hid the Koh-i-Noor at the bottom of a pond or lake near Windsor Castle, about 32 km (20 miles) outside London, where it remained until after the"
"by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974. It was placed into storage at St James's Palace, London in 2011. Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales The Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales is a small crown that is part of the Honours of Wales. The gold coronet, with diamonds set in platinum, was made for and used by Prince Charles at his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969. Designed by the artist Louis Osman, the coronet was a gift from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths to the Prince's mother, Queen Elizabeth II. It has been described as modern but its"
"a large part of the Portuguese Crown Jewels were stolen from the Museon in The Hague, where they were on loan for an exhibition on European Crown Jewels. Following an investigation by the museum and Dutch authorities, the Dutch government paid a sum of six million euros to the Portuguese government for reparation. The Portuguese Crown Jewels are currently kept in a secured vault at the Ajuda National Palace, in Lisbon. While the palace is a popular and important museum, the crown jewels are not open to the public. The crown jewels are now only seen at special events concerning"
"Western fine art but it has been shaped by the individual tastes of kings, queens and their families over the last 500 years. Numbering over 300 items, the Royal Collection holds one of the greatest and most important collections of French furniture ever assembled. The collection is noted for its encyclopedic range as well as counting the greatest cabinet-makers of the Ancien Régime. A collection of 277 cameos, intaglios, badges of insignia, snuffboxes and pieces of jewellery known as the Gems and Jewels are kept at Windsor Castle. Separate from Elizabeth II's jewels and the Crown Jewels, 24 pre-date the"