King Charles’s coronation crown is worth a staggering amount – yet will never be worn by him again
Yahoo UK digs into the estimated value, weight and history of the solid gold crown the monarch will be crowned with.
👑 What crown will King Charles be crowned with? St Edward’s Crown
💰 How much is the crown worth? Estimated at £3.6m
⚖️ How much does the crown weigh? 2.23kg
King Charles’s coronation is fast approaching, and several pieces of royal regalia have been removed from the Tower of London in preparation, including the coronation crown.
The centrepiece of the Crown jewels, the coronation crown is one of the oldest pieces in the collection and will only be used at the exact time of crowning Charles III king, as opposed to the other crowns at the coronation.
As the crown has been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work ahead of the ceremony, here’s everything you need to know about it.
What crown will King Charles wear for his coronation?
Following tradition, King Charles will be officially crowned with the St Edward’s Crown, the same headpiece that his mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned with.
The solid gold frame makes it the heaviest of the coronation crowns at 2.23kg (nearly 5lbs) and is adorned with several semi-precious stones.
Only used at the moment of crowning itself, it is the one crown that will only be worn once by the monarch in their lifetime, and placed back in the Tower of London after the coronation, unlike the Imperial State Crown for example, which is used as ceremonial events such as the state opening of parliament.
What is the history of King Charles’s coronation crown?
The current St Edward’s Crown has been around since 1661, created for King Charles II’s coronation in place of the mediaeval crown that had been melted down by parliamentarians in 1649 following the execution of King Charles I.
It was commissioned from the then Crown jeweller, Robert Vyner, to follow in the footsteps of the original mediaeval design which is thought to date back to the 11th century royal saint, Edward the Confessor – the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
It features four crosses-pattée, four fleurs-de-lis, and two arches atop solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topazes and tourmalines.
The crown is topped with an orb and a cross, symbolising the Christian world, and features a velvet cap with an ermine band, much like the the Robe of State of Crimson Velvet.
How much is King Charles’ crown worth?
It is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact modern value of the St Edward’s Crown, given its historical prominence, however estimates can be made based on the individual jewels and the weight of the stones.
Given the crown is solid gold, 30 cm tall, weighing 2.23kg and is decorated with 444 precious and semi-precious stones, says Maxwell Stone, creative director of jewellery specialist Steven Stone, “I’d estimate the historic piece to be worth a staggering £3.6m.”
Watch: Replica of St Edward’s Crown made using 319 Scrabble pieces
