Crown Jewels which will appear at King Charles coronation

'Your neck could break' Queen describes wearing Imperial State Crown

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The UK will celebrate its first coronation in seven decades on May 6, 2023, and King Charles will formally take the oath as King in Westminster Abbey. He will wear the St Edward’s Crown for the first time, and carry other precious jewels just like his late mother Queen Elizabeth II did in 1953. Express.co.uk spoke to the jewellery experts at We Love Diamonds about the Coronation Regalia.

The Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s Sceptre With Cross

The Imperial State Crown was worn by the late Queen at her coronation and throughout her reign for important state occasions.

The expert at We Love Diamonds highlighted how the Imperial State Crown “contains some of the world’s most famous jewels and gemstones including the Stuart Sapphire, The Black Prince’s Ruby and the Cullinan II Diamond.”

They added: “The 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond was gifted to King Edward VII in 1907 and was cut by the Asscher brothers.

“The rough stone that was cut for this crown also produced many other valuable diamonds including the 530.2-carat Cullinan I diamond (also known as The Great Star of Africa).

“This is the diamond that is mounted on the head of the Queen’s Sceptre with Cross.

“Seven other diamonds cut from this enormous rough diamond were also privately owned by Her Majesty having inherited them from Queen Mary, her grandmother.”

Other diamonds cut include Cullinan III and Cullinan IV, which the Queen wore together as a brooch and affectionately dubbed ‘Granny’s Chips’.

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St Edward’s Crown

St Edward’s Crown is the main jewel in the Coronation Regalia and it has been used at coronations since the 13th Century.

The expert added: “This was originally commissioned by Charles III’s namesake Charles II in 1661.

“This crown features close to 450 precious stones and is worth circa £60million.

“It’s most definitely one of the most valuable pieces of jewellery in the entire crown collection and is, specifically, only allowed to leave the Tower of London for coronation ceremonies.

“There is little doubt that King Charles III will indeed personally wear this resplendent piece during his own forthcoming coronation.

“One thing His Majesty will have to endure though is the crown’s weight of nearly five pounds!”

The Sovereign’s Orb and the Coronation Spoon

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Imperial State Crown were placed on top of the Queen’s coffin during her funeral procession in September.

The Sovereign’s Orb is carried in one hand by the monarch during their coronation, so we can expect this jewel to make an appearance at Charles’ coronation next year.

The Coronation Spoon’s origins stem back to the 12th Century, and it is used for the process of anointing the monarch with holy oil.

The Queen Mother’s Crown

The Imperial State Crown was crafted for King George VI for his coronation in 1937, and his wife Queen Elizabeth also wore her own crown for the event.

Set in the Queen Mother’s Crown is the Koh-i-Noor diamond, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world weighing in at 105.6 carats.

The Queen Consort Camilla may wear this crown at King Charles’ coronation in May, as all queen consorts since Queen Alexandra have worn the diamond in their crowns.

However, the Koh-i-Noor diamond is steeped in controversy, with countries including India, Pakistan and Afghanistan laying claim to it.

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