The Tower
Treasure
house
The Crown Jewels have been on display to the public at the Tower of London since at least 1661. Having moved from various locations in the Tower, they can currently be seen in the Jewel House in the Waterloo Block, opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1994. The Crown Jewels are priceless. Representing far more than precious stones and gold, they symbolise hundreds of years of British history and are still used today at many state occasions.
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The English coronation ceremony dates back to the 8th century, and for the last 900 years, it has taken place at Westminster Abbey. The current regalia – the symbols of royal authority, used by royalty on state occasions – mostly dates from 1660 when Charles II ascended the throne, and is on show in the Jewel House.
The old regalia, used until the coronation of Charles I, was either destroyed or disposed of by Cromwell's parliamentary commissioners who regarded it as symbolic of the 'detestable rule of Kings'. However, some pieces have survived.
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The oldest piece in the collection is the silver gilt anointing spoon, displayed alongside the ampulla, which was probably made for Henry II or Richard I. The spoon was sold during the Commonwealth, but returned to Charles II on the Restoration. It is the only piece of royal goldsmith's work to survive from the 12th century.
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When Queen Anne was crowned in 1702, she was suffering from a severe attack of gout. Weighed down by the regalia, she gained the dubious distinction of being the only English monarch to be carried to her coronation.
William IV's coronation crown is said to have been so heavy (it weighed 7 pounds/3.2 kilograms when set with stones) that it gave the new king violent toothache. He rushed back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony to have the offending tooth removed.
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Possibly the most famous crown in the collection is the Imperial State Crown worn by the queen each year at the state opening of Parliament. The sapphire set in the Maltese cross on the top was allegedly taken from a ring found on the finger of Edward the Confessor when he was re-interred in Westminster Abbey in 1163.
The Imperial State Crown of George I has returned to its original home – the Martin Tower – where, in 1815, a deranged woman reached through the grille and wrenched it out of shape. Also in the Martin Tower is the most sumptuous crown ever created – the Coronation Crown of George IV, made in 1821. It originally held more than 12,000 diamonds and was said to make the monarch look like 'some flamboyant bird of the east.' De Beers have lent the Tower diamonds valued at more than £2 million to represent those that once adorned this frame.
The smallest crown in the Tower's collection is Queen Victoria's small diamond crown. Standing only 3.7 inches (9.4 centimetres) high, it weighs 5.11 ounces (144.9 grams) and was worn on top of the queen's widow's cap.
The only crown allowed to leave the country is the Imperial Crown of India. Set with more than 6,000 diamonds, it was made specially for the Delhi Durbar in 1911 when George V was crowned emperor of India.
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The largest top-quality cut diamond in the world is the First Star of Africa, or Cullinan I. Sitting in the top of the sceptre, it weighs just over 530 carats. Found in the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1905, it weighed 3,106 carats uncut. Cutting it took more than eight months; the result was nine major stones – including the First Star of Africa – and 96 small brilliants.
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The Koh-I-Noor ('Mountain of Light') – probably the most famous diamond in the world – currently sits in the queen mother's crown, created in 1937 for the coronation of George VI. Legend has it that the diamond will bring luck only to women, and it was said that whoever owned it would rule the world.
The diamond is supposed to have got its name in 1738 in the aftermath of the battle of Karnal, in which Nadir Shah of Persia defeated the Mogul ruler of India. Nadir Shah suggested that he and the vanquished Mohammed Shah exchange turbans as a sign of goodwill, knowing from a member of the Mogul's harem that he kept a diamond of legendary size in the folds of his headgear. When Nadir Shah later unravelled the turban and the stone fell into his hands, he exclaimed: 'Koh-I-Noor!'
Passing from one ruler to another by conquest and misadventure, the stone was finally presented to Queen Victoria following the annexation of the Punjab in 1849. When it arrived in England, the roughly cut diamond weighed 186.10 carats and was set in an armlet with smaller diamonds on each side. It was a star exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The following year, largely at the suggestion of Prince Albert, the decision was taken to recut the diamond – an operation that took 38 days and resulted in a loss of weight in the stone of almost 43%. It now weighs 105.6 carats.
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So far, there has only ever been one attempt to steal the Crown Jewels – by Colonel Thomas Blood in 1671. With three accomplices, he took the crown and orb, but was captured soon afterwards. After visiting him in prison, Charles II pardoned him and arranged for his release.
