The magnificent crown that adorns Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is none other than the Imperial State Crown. It is the same crown that the Queen wore following her coronation ceremony in 1953 and has worn during State Openings of Parliament every year. It is the crown she wore most often – unlike the St Edwards Crown which she wore only once during her coronation, and therefore the most memorable of all the Crown Jewels. Made of gold, lined with purple velvet and glittering with over 3000 precious gemstones, it is truly an impressive sight to behold.
The history of the Imperial State Crown can be traced back to Queen Victoria’s reign. The crown was redesigned to be lighter for Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI in 1937 and altered slightly in height for the Queen herself.
The crown features 2,868 diamonds, including the stunning 317 carat Cullinan II Diamond, one of the largest polished diamonds in the world. Also known as the Second Star of Africa, it was cut from the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever to be found. The 3,107 carat Cullinan Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and gifted to King Edward VII by the Transvaal government on his birthday in 1907.
Above the Cullinan II Diamond and in the centre of the crown sits another famous gemstone, the 170 carat Black Prince’s Ruby. It is believed to have been mined in Tajikistan and seized from Prince Abū Sa'īd of Granada by King Pedro of Castile in the 14th century. It landed into British hands when King Pedro offered it to Prince Edward of Woodstock (the Black Prince) in 1367 in return for his alliance in battle. The Black Prince’s Ruby was also worn by Henry V into battle in 1415 where he nearly lost both it and his life. The gemstone has been called the Great Imposter for not actually being a ruby at all, but a spinel. It was not until 1783 that technology allowed us to make the distinction between both gemstones.
The Imperial State Crown also includes 4 actual rubies, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls. Among the sapphires is the St Edwards Sapphire which rests in the centre of the top of the cross and is the oldest gemstone in the British Crown Jewels. It is understood to be the sapphire from King Edward’s coronation ring in 1042.
The most amusing story about the gemstones from the Imperial State Crown is how they were hidden to protect them during World War II: they were kept in a biscuit tin buried in a secret spot in Windsor Castle!
Naturally, all of the gemstones lead to the crown being quite heavy – it weighs 1.06 kg. The queen once joked, “You can't look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up, because if you did your neck would break - it would fall off. There are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they're quite important things.”
Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility.
Just like the Queen, we can expect King Charles III to be crowned with the St Edwards Crown and wear the Imperial State Crown as he leaves Westminster Abbey after the ceremony.
When the Imperial State Crown isn’t in use, one can always catch a glimpse of its dazzling beauty at the Tower of London where it is on display with the rest of the Crown Jewels.
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