Newsweek Article about Charles's Desired changes.

Prince of Wales wants to change Oath to protect all religions.  

The Crown Jewels of The United Kingdom

 St Edward's Crown is the crown used at the moment of coronation.  It was made for Charles II in 1661, as a replacement for the medieval crown which had been melted down in 1649 by the Parliamentarians.  The original was thought to date back to the eleventh-century royal saint, Edward the Confessor – the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. 

The crown was commissioned from the Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner, in 1661.  Although it is not an exact replica of the medieval design, it follows the original in having four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, and two arches.  It is composed of a solid gold frame set with semi-precious stones, including rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines.  The crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band. 

The Crown Jewels are the most resplendent and famous of the nation's treasures.  Kept under the watchful eye of the Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London, they constitute the most complete collection of royal regalia in the world.  Their long history, spanning almost a thousand years, and their continued ceremonial use in the Coronation Service and at the State Opening of Parliament make them one of the richest expressions of sovereign magnificence.

As a group, the Crown Jewels comprise a host of extraordinary items – from orbs, sceptres and crowns, to gold and silver-gilt banqueting and altar plate.  All are intimately connected with the status and role of the monarch.  The oldest of these is the twelfth-century spoon used for the sovereign's ritual anointing at the coronation.

Today, the Crown Jewels consist largely of the remarkable pieces made for Charles II's coronation in 1661, and later supplemented at definitive moments in monarchical history.  Fashioned from singularly precious materials, they incorporate some of the world's most famous gemstones, including the Koh-i-nûr and Cullinan diamonds.  

The regalia made for Charles II's coronation in 1661 forms the central part of the Crown Jewels today.  The existing Crown Jewels had almost entirely been lost or destroyed during the Commonwealth and the king therefore commissioned new pieces on his return to England from exile in 1660.  Their design reflects a tradition stretching back to the twelfth century.
 

Ancient Ritual

The earliest surviving descriptions of an English coronation date from before 1000 AD.  Many stipulated the use of crowns, rings and sceptres, but usually these items were made anew for each monarch.  It was only after the reign of Edward the Confessor – the last Anglo-Saxon king – that the tradition of a single, sacred collection of regalia emerged.  One hundred years after his death, Edward was declared a saint, and the objects connected with him pronounced holy relics.  A crown, said to have been his, was consequently used at the coronation of Henry III in 1220, and then carefully retained for future monarchs.  It was soon joined by an array of other regalia, including two rods and a gold spoon.  Some were used at every coronation for 400 years, and it was these that were recreated during the Restoration. 
 

The Interregnum

New regalia for Charles II was required because the medieval Crown Jewels had been almost entirely sold or destroyed in the mid-seventeenth century.  During the 1620s, severe financial difficulties had prompted Charles I to auction many treasures from the Jewel House in the Tower of London – although he refrained from selling the principal items of regalia.  Disagreements with Parliament nevertheless soon descended into civil war, and after 1642 the king's opponents eagerly seized the Crown's London possessions.  Following Charles's execution in 1649, gold plate and other items were sold to fund the new government, while St Edward's coronation regalia – the symbols of monarchy – were melted down at the Mint.  The only item of medieval regalia which survived was the twelfth-century coronation spoon. 

The Royal Goldsmith Robert Vyner was therefore tasked with supplying new Crown Jewels for Charles II's coronation in 1661. Click on an object below to read more about how their designs reflected historic precedent.

The gold Ampulla is used to hold the consecrated oil with which a sovereign is anointed during the coronation ceremony. It is cast in the form of an eagle with outspread wings. The head of the eagle is threaded and removable, and there is an aperture in the beak for pouring the oil.

The design is based on an earlier, smaller vessel, which in turn was based on a fourteenth-century legend: the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to St Thomas Becket and presented him with a golden eagle and a vial of oil for anointing future kings of England. Oil from the Ampulla is poured onto the twelfth-century Anointing Spoon (RCIN 31733) at the most sacred moment of the coronation. The gesture of anointing, when the Archbishop touches holy oil onto the head, breast and hands of the sovereign, dates back to the Old Testament Book of Kings, where the anointing of Solomon as King is described.

THE CORONATION SPOON

One of the oldest objects in the Crown Jewels is the twelfth-century Coronation Spoon. It is used for anointing the sovereign with holy oil, the most sacred part of the coronation ceremony.

The Coronation Spoon survived Parliament's destruction of the Crown Jewels in 1649 because it was bought by a man called Clement Kynnersley. Kynnersley had been an official of the royal wardrobe of Charles I, and was one of the commissioners who organised the sale of the late king’s goods. After the Restoration in 1660 Kynnersley returned the Coronation Spoon to Charles II, no doubt hoping to win back royal favour. 

This sceptre is formed of a plain gold rod, topped by a gold monde (globe) and cross supporting an enamelled dove.  It represents the sovereign's spiritual role, with the dove symbolising the Holy Ghost.  Traditionally it has been known as 'the Rod of Equity and Mercy'.  At the coronation of William I (the Conqueror) in 1066, a contemporary wrote: '…by the sceptre uprisings in the kingdom are controlled and the rod gathers and confines those men that stray'. As a result, the monarch's pastoral care of the people is associated with this sceptre.

During the coronation service the new sovereign is first anointed with holy oil, then robed in coronation robes, and then invested with a number of ornaments symbolising the chivalric and spiritual nature of kingship. These include the spurs, swords and armills, followed by the orb, a ring and the sceptres. The sovereign is presented with two sceptres - one surmounted by a cross representing temporal power and this one, surmounted by a dove. After the investiture the sovereign is crowned.

The Orb is a representation of the sovereign's power.  It symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and the bands of jewels dividing it up into three sections represent the three continents known in medieval times.

It is formed of a hollow gold sphere, mounted with clusters of emeralds, rubies and sapphires surrounded by rose-cut diamonds, and single rows of pearls.  A cross on the top is set with with rose-cut diamonds, with a sapphire in the centre on one side and an emerald on the other, and with pearls at the angles and at the end of each arm.

During the coronation service, the Orb is placed in the right hand of the monarch as they are invested with the symbols of sovereignty.  It is then placed on the altar before the moment of crowning.

Each of the gold spurs features a Tudor rose and a velvet-covered strap with gold embroidery. 

Gold spurs were first included among the English coronation ornaments in 1189, at the coronation of Richard I (the Lionheart). They symbolised knighthood, and their use in the coronation ritual derives directly from the ceremony of creating a knight.  These spurs were made in 1661 for Charles II but were altered in 1820 for George IV, when new textiles replaced the earlier buckles and straps.

The spurs form part of the coronation ceremony in which the sovereign is invested with the ornaments or symbols of royalty. Traditionally the spurs were fastened to the sovereign's feet, but since the Restoration they have simply been held to the ankles of kings, or in the case of queens regnant, presented and then placed on the altar. After the investiture the sovereign is crowned.

The most extravagant component of the new banqueting plate was the Salt of State, also known as the Exeter Salt.  The vessel's form had developed in the Middle Ages, when English craftsmen devised increasingly elaborate vessels in which to serve good quality salt, which was a highly sought-after commodity.  By the time of the Restoration, it was traditional for those dining with the monarch to rise to their feet in respect when the salt was set on the royal table. 

For Charles II's coronation banquet, a new salt made by the Hamburg goldsmith Johann Hass was presented by the city of Exeter, perhaps to make amends for having failed to support his father, Charles I, during the Civil War.  The 46 cm high vessel is in the shape of a tower with turrets, supported by four dragons and decorated with frogs and lizards.  It is encrusted with garnets, turquoises, sapphires, emeralds, rubies and amethysts, and cost £500, a considerable sum in the mid-seventeenth century.  The main salt cellar is concealed in the central tower beneath a lid, but small drawers in the base function as additional compartments for salt or spices.  

Silver-gilt Baroque fountain with four spreading basins, repousse and chased with marine scenes and figures of Neptune, Amphitrite and infant tritons with sea-monsters, surmounted by a square column with figures of Neptune or nymphs in niches on each side, the finial cast as the figure of Venus with serpents about each arm, on a domed base with mermaid feet.

In historic inventories this piece was described as the earliest example of an English wine fountain. In fact, it is German, and has been attributed to the Hamburg goldsmith Peter Oehr I. Descriptions of it in use in the seventeenth century noted that it spouted coloured flames and perfumed waters. At that date the figure on the top was a male figure, either Atlas or Hercules, who may have held a dish which acted as a perfume burner. The fountain underwent considerable alteration in the eighteenth century when the figure of Venus was placed in the top, and the mechanism of the fountain fell out of use.

The fountain was presented to Charles II by the City of Plymouth in 1661 and is clearly identifiable in a contemporary account as, 'a fountaine carved with rare art, curious figures, out of the tope perfumed fier did appear and small pipes at the sides that sweet watters gushed forth.' The 'perfumed fier' may refer to a pastille which was burnt in the pan held by the original Atlas/Hercules figure. The fountain was purchased by the City of Plymouth from Sir Thomas Vyner.

Unmarked.

This pair of silver-gilt flagons was supplied for the Chapel Royal at Whitehall Palace following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The flagons have pear-shaped bodies and are decorated all over with a pattern of overlapping ostrich feathers.  The unusual design appears to have been based on flagons previously kept in the Jewel House in the early sixteenth century.  The maker's mark may be that of the goldsmith James Beacham, who in 1660 also sold a tankard to the diarist Samuel Pepys.

The chalice and paten are among the few pieces of church and banqueting plate made of gold, which was likely to have been imported from the coast of West Africa, near modern-day Ghana.  Charles II would have taken communion from these at his coronation in 1661, and they would have been carried in the procession to Westminster Abbey with the other items of regalia.  Thereafter, they were used at the Chapel Royal.  The coat of arms on the chalice and paten today is that of William III and Mary II, who had the pieces re-engraved after 1688.

Since the Restoration, important additions to the Crown Jewels have been made at defining moments in British history, up to and including the coronation of the present Queen. 

The accession of James II in 1685 posed a new challenge for the Jewel House since his wife, Mary of Modena, needed to be crowned with him.  Charles II had been unmarried at the time of his coronation, so no regalia had yet been prepared for a consort.  A diadem, state crown and two sceptres were subsequently produced for the queen's coronation, in a ceremony taking place shortly after the king had been enthroned.

In 1689, the coronation of the only joint sovereigns, William III and Mary II, saw the commission of an additional orb and sceptre.  The Imperial Crown of India was meanwhile created for George V's inauguration as Emperor of India in 1911.  Most recently, a pair of new armills was prepared for the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen in 1953, as a symbolic gift from the Commonwealth.

The tradition for queens consort to wear diadems or circlets in the coronation procession dates back to the fourteenth century.  This diadem was ordered only six weeks before the coronation of James II and his wife Mary in 1685, and was delivered on 22 April, the day before the ceremony.  It was originally encrusted with 177 diamonds which were provided on loan, but these have subsequently been replaced by quartz crystal. 

Mary of Modena's step-daughter, Mary II, wore the diadem in 1689 and it was again worn by Queen Anne in 1702.  It may also have been worn by George II's consort, Queen Caroline, although it is difficult to confirm this from contemporary accounts. For George III's coronation in 1760, Queen Charlotte was provided with her own crown and the diadem does not appear to have been used again

The coronation of 1689 was unique, since it is the only time in English history that joint sovereigns, rather than a sovereign and a consort, have been crowned.  This meant that Mary II required Crown Jewels equal to that of her husband, William III, rather than the lesser regalia provided for a consort.  This orb was created by Robert Viner, a relative of the Royal Goldsmith Robert Viner who had prepared the regalia for Charles II during the Restoration. 

Like the Sovereign's Orb created in 1661, the orb symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and its bands of jewels and pearls dividing it up to represent the three continents known in medieval Europe.  Since Roman and Byzantine times, orbs have also served as symbols of imperial power.

In 1911 King George V announced that an Imperial Durbar would be held in Delhi following his coronation in Westminster Abbey.  On that occasion, he would meet Indian princes and rulers and announce the transfer of the country's capital from Calcutta to Delhi.  As it was not lawful to remove any of the regalia from England, it was decided that a new crown should be created for the occasion.

The Imperial Crown of India was designed by Garrard, the Crown Jewellers.  It has a silver frame, laminated with gold, and is set with 6,100 diamonds.  The band of the crown is set with emeralds and sapphires surrounded by diamonds.   Above the band are four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis; the crosses set in the centre with rubies, the fleurs-de-lis with emeralds, all with further diamonds.  The crown is surmounted by a further cross-pattée with an emerald in the centre.

Despite the intense heat in Delhi, King George V wore full coronation robes at the ceremony, together with the new crown.  He later wrote in his diary, 'Rather tired after wearing the Crown for 3 1/2 hours, it hurt my head, as it is pretty heavy...'.  On the return to England, the crown was added to the regalia in the Tower of London.

The Imperial State Crown is the crown worn by the monarch to leave Westminster Abbey after the coronation ceremony.  St Edward's Crown is by tradition left at the altar, mirroring its medieval precursor which was considered a sacred relic.  The Imperial State Crown is also used on other formal occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. 

Because the State Crown is used so regularly, it has needed periodic replacement, while Charles II’s original coronation crown has survived.  This example was made for King George VI in 1937.  In addition to 2868 diamonds, it is mounted with a number of historic stones – many of which have legends associated with them.  They include St Edward's Sapphire, said to have been given by Edward the Confessor to a beggar later identified as St John the Evangelist.  The crown also includes Cullinan II, the second largest stone cut from the great Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever discovered.

The Stuart Sapphire is at the back of the crown. The sapphire was smuggled out of England when James II fled in 1688.

The Black Prince's Ruby set in the cross of the crown is actually a Spinal gifted to Edward Prince of Wales (Known as the Black Prince) in 1367 from Pedro "The Cruel" King of Castile for helping to defeat a rival in battle.

The Cullinan II diamond set in the band of the crown. It is the second largest stone cut from the Cullinan diamond the largest diamond in the world.

This crown was made in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI, using many stones already in the Collection.  Most of the 2,800 diamonds set into its platinum frame were removed from Queen Victoria's Regal Circlet.  The front cross meanwhile holds the Koh-i-Nûr diamond, which had been successively mounted in the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.  The large Turkish diamond at the front of the band was a gift from Sultan Abdul Medjid to Queen Victoria in 1856 - a gesture of gratitude for British support during the Crimean War (1853-56).

After the 1937 coronation, Queen Elizabeth wore this crown without its arches at State Openings of Parliament during her husband's reign, and again at the coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.

During the coronation service, gold armlets – 'armills' – are placed on the sovereign's wrists.  They are referred to in the ceremony as 'bracelets of sincerity and wisdom' and are thought to relate to ancient symbols of knighthood and military leadership.  New armills were prepared for the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen in 1953 as a gift from the Commonwealth, replacing the previous pair which had been used since 1661.

Each armill is lined with red velvet and engraved inside with the words, 'Presented for the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ceylon and Southern Rhodesia'.  They are made from 22 carat gold and have an invisible hinge with a spring catch, which is operated by a cast Tudor rose on the surface.

Known as the 'First Star of Africa', Cullinan I is the largest colourless cut diamond in the world.  In 1911 the Crown Jeweller, Garrard, mounted it in the Sovereign's Sceptre which had been made for Charles II's coronation in 1661.  The diamond is so large that the sceptre had to be reinforced to take its weight.  Nevertheless, the structure which holds the diamond is hinged, so the stone can be removed and worn separately if desired.

Twelve silver-gilt salt spoons, each with an oval bowl, the back of which is engraved with the Royal creat, Garter motto and crown; handle pierced and chased with vine tendril stems terminating in a vine leaf with grapes.

Provenance

Created for the coronation of George IV in 1820 to be used with the St. George's Salts and the Queen Elizabeth Salt.

Silver-gilt mace, cast and chased with a crown surmounting a bulbous head chased with scrolling acanthus foliage, and applied with a CR cipher and national emblems (rose, portcullis, thistle, harp and fleur-de-lis) in roundels formed by winged terms and foliage. Below is a plate chased with the coat of arms of Charles II. The shaft of the mace, which is oak encased in silver gilt, is chased with scrolling flowers and foliage, and terminates in a vase-shaped lower section with roses and thistles and a ball finial. Ceremonial maces of silver or silver gilt have traditionally been carried by the sovereign's Sergeants-at-Arms or royal bodyguards since the medieval period. The shape ultimately derives from the war-mace or club although it has become increasingly decorative and less functional over time. Thirteen new maces, for each of the Sergeants-at-Arms, were created for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, although these have been altered and enhanced in their history. As symbols of royal authority, maces were also created for the Palace of Westminster and are carried before the Speaker into the chambers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. This mace appears to be one created in 1670 for the House of Commons.

Provenance

This mace was probably that made for the House of Commons in 1670.

This silver-gilt mace was made in 1660–61 for the coronation of Charles II. Maces were carried in the coronation procession by the 13 Sergeants-at-Arms, State officials and important members of the household as a representation of their authority. This example is topped with a crown of four pearled ribs, a design similar to that used for maces during the Commonwealth after St Edward's Crown had been melted down. It may therefore incorporate elements from an earlier mace that was hurriedly appropriated for royal use following the Restoration. The arms plate of the mace is chased with the arms of Charles II and the stem with a strap work pattern enclosing alternate roses and thistles, a design that can be traced back to the early seventeenth century.

Given the antiquarian design of the chasing, this mace was probably the one carried at the coronations of both Charles II and James II by the Sergeant Trumpeter, Gervase Price. The warrant for commissioning his mace that was sent to the royal goldsmith, Sir Robert Vyner, specifically requested that it be made 'after the ancient forme and manner'. By 1661, Price, who had been Charles II's trumpeter during his exile, was in charge of the 17 trumpeters to the king. He is depicted holding a mace with similar decoration and a beaded crown in the illustration of James II's coronation procession in Francis Sandford's History of the coronation James II (1687). Sandford noted how 'The form of the Proceeding to Their Majesties Coronation…' commenced with 'Drums, Four a-Brest, to be followed by the Drum-Major. Trumpets, Four a-Brest, to be followed by the Serjeant-Trumpeter'. This mace was therefore probably the first borne in the procession to Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony.

Text adapted from Charles II: Art and Power (2017).

Provenance

Made for the coronation of Charles II, 1661.

A full-length, sleeved coat of gold silk, opening at the front, with a narrow strip and wider band of foliate-embroidered ornament to either side and lined with red tabby silk; with a belt similarly embroidered and with a gold buckle cast with roses, thistles and shamrocks. This Supertunica was worn at the coronation's of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. The Supertunica is the garment worn under the Imperial Mantle. The Supertunica, like the other coronation robes, relates to priestly vestments, and although this particular garment dates from the twentieth century its form has changed little since medieval coronations. This link with priestly robes was a reminder of the divine nature of kingship. The sovereign is invested with the Supertunica following the anointing ceremony.

Provenance

Supplied for the coronation of King George V in 1911 by Wilkinson & Son of Hanover Square, London.

A mantle of cloth of gold, woven in coloured threads with a curvilinear pattern of foliage, crowns, fleurs-de-lis and eagles, with coloured roses, thistles and shamrock woven over, and with gold fringing, lined in red tabby silk. The gold clasp, which closes the mantle at the chest, is cast in the form of an eagle. The Imperial Mantle, also known as the Pallium or Dalmatic Robe, was made for the coronation of George IV in 1821. The design of this example was based on earlier Mantles, which may be seen in portraits of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, but in origin it is based on a priestly robe, and its form has changed little since medieval coronations. This link with priestly robes was a reminder of the divine nature of kingship. The sovereign is robed in the Mantle in the investiture part of the coronation ceremony, which follows the anointing with holy oil. After this the sovereign is dressed in the Supertunica and Stole, with the Mantle on top. The various ornaments (swords, ring, orb, sceptres, spurs and armills) are then presented, before the moment of crowning. The silk for George IV's Mantle was supplied by two mercers - William King and Philip Cooper, and the robe was made by the tailor John Meyer for £24. The royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge and Rundell created the 'elegant chased golden eagle' to form the clasp. After the coronation of George IV the Mantle became a perquisite of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey, and it was passed down to a private individual. Eventually it was returned to the Crown in the early 20th century and it was subsequently worn at the coronations of Kings George V and VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

Provenance

Made for the coronation of George IV in 1821.

Silver trumpet; bell chased with a rococo cartouche flanked by military trophies (flags, drums, trumpets) and a band of flowers and scrolling foliage; ball similarly chased with laurel wreaths on the outer sections; with spirally fluted tubing. This trumpet is one of sixteen state trumpets. Seven bear inscriptions indicating their original use by the 1st Regiment Life Guards, while the remaining nine were made for the Royal Household, of which six bear the name of the trumpeter to whom they were first issued. This trumpet was issued to a Mr Harding. Although most bear the marks of different silversmiths, they are also engraved with the names of instrument makers, either of William Shaw (c.1754 – c.1823) of Wardour Street, Soho and later Red Lion Street, Holborn; William in partnership with his son Thomas (b.1775); or of Thomas Shaw & Co. These trumpets have not been used since the disbanding of the Corps of State Trumpeters by the Duke of Wellington as an economy measure in the mid-nineteenth century.

The crown comprises an openwork silver frame set with 1,187 brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds in open-backed collet mounts. The band is formed with a frieze of lozenges and ovals in oval apertures, between two rows of single diamonds, supporting four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, with four half-arches above, surmounted by a monde and a further cross-pattée.

The crown was designed to be worn by Queen Victoria on top of her widow's cap. The priorities in creating the design were lightness and comfort and the crown may have been based on Queen Charlotte's nuptial crown which had been returned to Hanover earlier in the reign. Queen Victoria wore this crown for the first time at the opening of Parliament on 9 February 1871, and frequently used it after that date for State occasions, and for receiving guests at formal Drawing-rooms. It was also her choice for many of the portraits of her later reign, sometimes worn without the arches. By the time of her death, the small crown had become so closely associated with the image of the Queen, that it was placed on her coffin at Osborne.

After Queen Victoria's death, the crown was worn by Queen Alexandra who passed it to her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary; the latter seems to have never worn it. In 1937, King George VI added it to the regalia at the Tower of London, although it has never been used at a coronation ceremony.

Provenance

Made for Queen Victoria in 1870 by the Crown Jewellers, R.S. Garrard & Co.

  

A gold coronet, the band decorated with embossed jewel-like lozenges and ovals with foliate surrounds, on a matted ground, between rows of gold pearls. Above the band are four gold crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, partly matted and chased. The single arch dips deeply in the centre and supports a monde with gold pearls and a cross above. Fitted with a purple velvet cap and ermine band. The form of the coronet to be worn by the heir apparent to the Crown (usually the Prince of Wales) was decided in a warrant issued in 1677 by Charles II. It was laid down that the coronet would be composed of crosses and fleurs-de-lis, with one arch, and a monde and cross in the centre. In the event, George I was the first post-Restoration monarch whose son survived to adulthood and George (later George II) was created Prince of Wales in 1714. At the coronation the following year, the Prince wore a coronet adorned with pearls and diamonds, although this piece does not survive. George II's own son, Frederick, was not present at his father's coronation in 1727, and was only created Prince of Wales in 1729, although a coronet had already been ordered for him the year before. It is not clear that the coronet was much worn by Frederick, although it does appear in a portrait of him, painted in 1742 attributed to Joseph Highmore (RCIN 404593), and it was carried before the Prince when he attended the State opening of Parliament. This practice was continued for subsequent Princes of Wales, until 1901 when a new Prince's coronet was commissioned for the coronation ceremony of Edward VII.

Provenance

Made for Frederick, Prince of Wales, in 1728.

The coronet is composed of a silver-gilt frame, with a matted frieze decorated with partly or wholly polished jewel-like ovals and lozenges, each with an acanthus surround, above a ropework border. The upper border is continuous with four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, partly matted and chased. The single arch is semi-circular with two borders of applied silver beads, supporting a matted monde surmounted by a cross. The form of the coronet to be worn by the heir apparent to the Crown (usually the Prince of Wales) was decided in a warrant issued in 1677 by Charles II. It was laid down that the coronet would be composed of crosses and fleurs-de-lis, with one arch, and a monde and cross in the centre. This version was created to be worn by the Prince of Wales, later George V, at the coronation of his father, Edward VII, on 9 August 1902. It was used again at the coronation of George V himself, in June 1911, when it was worn by the young Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII). A month later, the Prince was invested as Prince of Wales and a new coronet was made for the occasion.

Provenance

Supplied to George, Prince of Wales (later George V) in 1901 by the Crown Jewellers, Garrard & Co.

  

The Investiture Coronet was designed by the architect and goldsmith Louis Osman (1914-1996) and given to HM The Queen by the Goldsmith’s Company for The Prince of Wales’s Investiture at Caernarfon in 1969. It is 24 carat gold, with the 4 Crosses Patées and the 4 fleur-de-Lys made from a nugget of Welsh gold, reinforced with platinum and decorated with diamonds and emeralds. The orb mounted on the top of the arch was engraved by Malcolm Appleby with The Prince of Wales’s insignia. This is surrounded by 13 diamonds arranged as the constellation of Scorpio, The Prince of Wales’s star sign. The diamonds set horizontally represent the 7 Gifts of God on one side and the 7 deadly sins on the other.

Provenance

Presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the Goldsmith’s Company for the Investiture of The Prince of Wales on 1st July 1969

A gold and silver sceptre in three sections, surmounted by a gold monde with applied gold zone and arc, set with blue pastes, garnets and table-, rose- and mixed-cut diamonds with a plain gold cross on which is perched the enamelled dove with outspread wings. At the junctions of the rod are enamelled collars, set with colourless stones (quartzes), coloured pastes, emeralds, garnets and citrines. The lower part of second section has a fretted silver and enamel sleeve set with coloured stones. At the base is a compressed pommel set with table- and rose-cut stones and partly enamelled. The sceptre represents the sovereign's spiritual role, with the dove representing the Holy Ghost. Traditionally it has been known as 'the Rod of Equity and Mercy'. At the coronation of William I (the Conqueror) in 1066, this role was emphasised in a contemporary description: 'For by the sceptre uprisings in the kingdom are controlled and the rod gathers and confines those men that stray'. The monarch's pastoral care of his people is therefore bound up with this sceptre or rod. During the coronation service the new sovereign is first anointed with holy oil, then robed in coronation robes, and then invested with a number of ornaments symbolising the chivalric and spiritual nature of kingship. These include the spurs, swords and armills, followed by the orb, a ring and then the sceptres. The sovereign is presented with two sceptres - one surmounted by a cross representing temporal power and this one surmounted by a dove. After the investiture the sovereign is then crowned. This sceptre was made in 1689 for Mary II, who, as a joint sovereign with her husband William III, required her own full set of regalia. Although this was the only coronation in history where a second set of sovereign's regalia was supplied, the sceptre was restored for subsequent coronations, and it may have undergone some alterations in 1820 for the coronation of George IV, even though it was not in use in the official ceremony. It was originally set with hired stones, later replaced with false stones, and at some point after 1768, set with real stones.

Provenance

Supplied to Mary II for her coronation in 1689 by Sir Robert Viner, royal goldsmith.

A plain, tapering, gold rod in three sections, with moulded collars flanked by chased acanthus leaves on a matted ground and six applied palm leaves below the baluster which supports a plain monde with arc and zone, and cross above. A "pike" of steel at the bottom. Also known as the 'Long Sceptre', St Edward's Staff is traditionally thought to have been a relic associated with Edward the Confessor (St Edward), and was carried in the processions at the coronations of Richard III, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I and James I. Like the other regalia the Staff did not survive the Commonwealth. In 1660 therefore it was recreated although its exact purpose was no longer remembered, nor its original appearance. The Staff has continued to be carried in coronation processions although it performs no function in the ceremony.

Provenance

Supplied for the coronation of Charles II in 1661 by the royal goldsmith, Robert Viner (later Sir Rober Viner).

The ring is composed of a mixed-cut octagonal sapphire in a gold setting overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut rubies, butted together in a gold strip setting to form a cross, with a border of fourteen cushion-shaped diamonds and a diamond on each shoulder, with a gold hoop. During the coronation ceremony the ring is placed on the fourth finger of the sovereign by the archbishop, as a symbol of 'kingly dignity'. Since the thirteenth century it has been traditional to include a ruby as the principal stone in the ring. The presentation of the ring forms part of the investiture of the coronation, which is preceded by the anointing with holy oil, and is followed by the crowning itself. This ring was made for the coronation of William IV in 1831. Like all coronation rings until the twentieth century, each monarch had a newly-made ring which was not kept with the regalia but with the personal jewellery of the sovereign. William IV left this coronation ring to his widow, Queen Adelaide, who in turn bequeathed it to Queen Victoria, together with her consort's ring. Queen Victoria left both of these, and her own coronation ring to the Crown in 1901, and all three were deposited in the Tower of London, with the other Crown Jewels, by George V in March 1919. All sovereigns from Edward VII onwards have used William IV's ring at their coronations.

Provenance

Supplied for the coronation of William IV in 1831 by the royal goldsmiths, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell.

The Armills or oval hinged gold bracelets are each decorated in champlevé and basse-taille enamel with the national emblems (roses, thistles, fleurs-de-lis and harps) and dark blue fleurets and red pellets between light blue enamel herring-bone borders. They are lined in red velvet. These Armills were made in 1661 to replace those lost during the Commonwealth period (which were jewelled). However already by that date their exact purpose during the coronation ceremony was unclear. Nevertheless the wording of the ceremony refers to the 'bracelets of sincerity and wisdom' and the Armills are thought to relate to ancient symbols of knighthood and military leadership and they are still presented to the Sovereign. These Armills were used at every coronation from 1661 until 1953, when new versions were made for Queen Elizabeth II.

Provenance

Supplied for the coronation of Charles II in 1661 by the royal goldsmith, Sir Robert Viner.

The sword has a straight, narrow, sharply tapering blade of partly blued and gilt steel, decorated on both faces with the national emblems (roses, thistles and shamrocks) among strapwork scrolls, the Royal coat of arms, a royal crown with GR monogram and a later WR monogram, a trophy of arms, and a figure of Britannia. The cruciform gold hilt has short, straight quillons terminating in cast and chased lion masks, densely set overall with diamonds, with ruby-set eyes; with a rectangular quillon block, with a large central emerald on each side - on the front a rectangular stone, on the back an octagonal one, both framed in diamonds; a straight grip set with diamond oak sprays, with emerald acorns; and a pommel set with diamonds, with a central emerald on each side and four rubies at the end. The leather scabbard is entirely encased in sheet gold and lined in red silk velvet. The scabbard is chased with roses, thistles and shamrocks, set with dimaonds, rubies and emeralds, with a similar chased design on the reverse, on a matted ground; the mouth-locket is mounted with sapphires and a ruby. The chape is decorated with diamond oak-leaf sprays with emerald acorns and a large turquoise on each side.

The design of the sword was suggested by George IV himself, and it was paid for out of the King's privy purse. The cost was £5,988. It was used as a Sword of Offering in his coronation ceremony in 1821. By tradition the Sword of Offering was retained by the sovereign after the coronation, and this example was not reused at a coronation ceremony until 1902 when it was used by Edward VII, and it was at this date that it joined the regalia in the Tower of London. It has been used as the Sword of Offering at every subsequent coronation.

The Sword of Offering is one of the objects with which the sovereign is invested during the coronation ceremony. This takes place after the anointing, when the sovereign is then robed and presented with a number of symbolic ornaments. Many of these relate to knightly virtues. The Archbishop blesses the sword and then delivers it to the monarch with the injunction that it should be used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil. The sword is then offered on the altar. After the investiture the sovereign is then crowned.

Provenance

Supplied for the coronation of George IV in 1821 by the royal goldsmiths, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell

The sword has a broad, straight, flat, two-edged steel blade with etched decoration, and a cruciform silver-gilt hilt, the quillons in the form of a rampant lion and unicorn, a harp at the front of the quillon block and a portcullis above. The wooden scabbard is covered in velvet with applied silver-gilt emblems including a rose, a thistle and the coat of arms of the period 1714-1801. This sword was used to represent the sovereign when he or she was not physically present, as a symbol of royal authority. This example was used by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland as the sovereign's representative and was borne by him on state occasions. It was supplied to the Lord Lieutenant in 1660, although the scabbard dates from a later period. The Irish Sword of State was used until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, and was kept in Dublin until that date. It was added to the regalia in the Jewel House in 1959.

Provenance

Supplied to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1660

Sword with gilt-iron hilt with a wooden, wire-bound grip, the steel blade tapering to a leaf-shaped point; symbols like open lozenges are stamped in the gutters with the maker's name. Velvet-covered leather scabbard with gold embroidery and silver-gilt mounts. This sword, known as the Sword of Temporal Justice, is one of three swords which are carried unsheathed, pointing upwards, in the coronation procession. This sword is accompanied by the Sword of Spiritual Justice and the Sword of Mercy (with a blunted tip). The practice of carrying three swords, representing kingly virtues, dates back to the coronation of Richard the Lionheart in 1189. The three swords were made for the coronation of Charles I in 1626 and then placed with the regalia in Westminster Abbey. Together with the coronation spoon, these three works were the only pieces to survive the Civil War and Interregnum untouched. It is not known whether they were used in the coronation procession of Charles II, but they have certainly been used since 1685. A new scabbard was made for the sword in 1821 for the coronation of George IV.

Provenance

Probably supplied for the coronation of Charles I in 1626

On 1 February 1850 the Governor-General of India, the Marquess of Dalhousie (1812-60), informed Queen Victoria that he had personally carried the celebrated diamond, the Koh-i-nûr (Mountain of Light), from Lahore and deposited it that day in the treasury at Bombay, prior to its despatch to England. The great diamond, set in this armlet, was delivered to Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace by the President of the Board of Control at the East India Company on 3 July 1850.

The Queen and Prince Albert both felt that the Koh-i-nûr was badly cut and disappointingly lacking in brilliance. The diamond and two side stones were examined in detail by Sebastian Garrard on 9 April 1851, and a mould was taken so that a crystal facsimile could be cut. This work was carried out between July and September 1852.

After re-cutting, Garrards devised a number of alternative settings for the original stone. The Queen wore it frequently as a bodice brooch, but it could also alternate with the Timur Ruby as the centre of a necklace. The two side stones were used as pendants on the Timur Ruby necklace, but after the return of the Hanoverian jewels in 1858, Garrards made them detachable for use as drop earrings to accompany the newly made Coronation necklace.

Since its arrival in England the Koh-i-nûr has only been worn by Queens regnant and consort due to a legend which states that it will bring bad luck if worn by a man. After Queen Victoria's death the stone has been mounted successively in the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth (consort of George VI).

The rock crystals now in this armlet represent the original form in which the Koh-i-nûr diamond arrived from India.

Text adapted from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010

Provenance

Presented to Queen Victoria, 1850

A silver-gilt rectangular tray upon six lion couchant feet, the centre engraved with the arms of Charles II with supporters, altered to those of William and Mary with the cypher WM R above. At the top are two lidded boxes with lion couchant finial knobs.

Sir Edward Walker's account of the coronation of Charles II describes the laying of the royal table before the banquet. First the cloth was laid by the Sergeant of the Ewry and the Gentlemen Ushers, accompanied by two Sergeants at Arms bearing maces; 'then the Officers of the Pantry with two Sergeants at Armes also with their Maces before them, in like manner sett the King's Salt of State & Caddinett on the Table'. Caddinets essentially served as individual salt or spice boxes, combined with a tray-like platter for the napkin and bread and often including boxes for containing the monarch's cutlery. That they were placed first on the table demonstrated that they were ranked in importance equal to the salt.

Caddinets were first recorded in France during the reign of Henri II (1547–59), dressing the tables of the nobility. By the end of the following century their use had become exclusively a royal prerogative, not only among the French but in other European courts. In England, however, they were not known. Their short-lived appearance in England is attributed to Charles II, who, having encountered them while in exile, introduced them to the royal dining table. Only three English-made caddinets survive, this being the earliest example, supplied to the king in 1683. This piece must have been a replacement for the work described by Walker at the coronation banquet. A total of five caddinets are listed in the inventory of James II's plate, taken in 1687, where they were all described as gilt.

The tradition of dining with a caddinet remained symbolic – William and Mary continued the practice in England, although it died out thereafter, but the exiled Stuarts also took it with them, both James Edward Stuart and Cardinal Henry Stuart commissioning examples in Italy in the early eighteenth century, although elsewhere they were no longer the fashion. Continuing such an out-dated tradition can only have been another attempt to underline royal status by the Stuart family.

Text adapted from Charles II: Art and Power (2017).

Provenance

Supplied to Charles II, 1683; sold,1808; reacquired for the Royal Collection, 1975.

A silver-gilt font comprising a circular bowl, with a domed cover, surmounted by a finial cast as St Philip baptising the Eunuch, supported on a tall stem on a spreading foot. The font is chased overall with flowers, fruits and scrolls. The font is accompanied by a partly fluted dish, chased with birds and flowers, and with the Royal coat of arms in the centre.

Silver fonts for private use are extremely rare, with equivalent examples only being found in the Swedish Royal Collection. This superbly chased piece, although commissioned in 1660, was not used during the reign of Charles II, who had no legitimate heirs, but was first used for the baptism of James II's eldest son, James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender). It remained in use until the baptism of Princess Charlotte, daughter of George IV, in 1796. The font was then often used as a stand for the Victorian font created in 1840. The basin has often appeared separately as a piece of altar plate at great royal ceremonial occasions.

Provenance

Made for Charles II in 1660

Christening font with a bowl in the form of an expanded flower with a border of water-liles and leaves; stem formed of leaves, flanked at the base by three seated cherubs playing lyres upon a circular plinth with coats of arms and supporters.

In anticipation of the birth of their first child, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, on 21 November 1840, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert commissioned a new baptismal font. It is one of only two English silver fonts (the other having been made for Charles II in 1660). The somewhat secular iconography of water lilies and harping putti was deemed appropriate for a piece of christening plate as lilies were considered to represent purity and water lilies were associated with new life. Water lilies appear later on Queen Victoria's christening present to her grandson, Prince Albert Victor.

The font was ordered through the firm of E. & W. Smith who supplied Queen Victoria with several items of domestic plate in the early part of her reign. Evidently the firm subcontracted the job in their usual manner, in this case to Barnard & Co., who presented a bill on 8 February 1841 for £189 9s. 4d. The sum included an additional charge for altering one of the three coats of arms on the font for the Queen, the Prince and the Princess. It may be that the engraver assumed that the first child would be a boy and after the birth in November an alteration was required to the 'label of difference'.

The date set for the baptism was 10 February 1841, the Queen and Prince Albert's wedding anniversary. The ceremony was conducted in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury using water from the River Jordan. Queen Victoria judged that the font looked 'very beautiful'. The baby, dressed in Honiton lace and white satin, did not cry, and her mother recorded that 'Albert & I agreed that all had gone off beautifully & in a very dignified manner'

A painting by C.R. Leslie shows that the font was placed on a circular centre table for the occasion. At the Prince of Wales's christening, which took place at Windsor a year later, the Charles II font was used as a stand. Barnard's font has been used at every royal christening since 1841.

Text from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love.

Provenance

Commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1840 and delivered in 1841. Used at the christening of Princess Victoria, the Princess Royal, in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, 10 February 1841. Bill from Barnards 10 February 1841, for £401 10s.

A massive silver-gilt wine cistern, on a spreading base with scroll feet, cast all over with shells and rocks, and covered throughout with applied Bacchanalian groups; at each end are groups of infants at play; the handles are cast as lion and unicorn supporters; the interior is engraved with the arms of George IV.

  

The largest piece of wrought English plate in existence, the Punch Bowl weighs 8,000 oz, and cost £8500. It was designed by Thomas Stothard as the culmination of George IV's great dining service - the Grand Service - although the King did not live to see it delivered to Windsor Castle. It was first used at William IV's 65th birthday dinner in 1830. Accounts of the dinner note that John Bridge himself attended, and hid behind the wine cooler during the course of the meal, in order to oversee the plate in use without being seen himself. Queen Victoria converted the wine cooler into a punch bowl, commissioning a massive ladle to accompany it. It was used to celebrate the christening of her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, in 1842.

Provenance

Commissioned by George IV in 1829

A silver-gilt and ivory ladle with a bowl formed as a large nautilus shell, with engraved and matted surface, the whorl rising to a coral branch encrusted with small shells; the ivory shaft is slightly curved and formed in two sections joined by a silver-gilt foliage spray. The handle terminates in a rococo cartouche incorporating the Prince of Wales's feathers.

The Grand Punch Bowl was originally created as a wine cooler. For the christening of Prince Albert Edward (Edward VII) at Windsor Castle in 1843, Queen Victoria converted the cooler into a punch bowl with the addition of this ladle of suitably large dimensions.

Provenance

Commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1842