King Charles III Coronation Will Include $3.8 Billion Worth of Jewels
King Charles III became the new sovereign when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on September 8. However, his coronation will likely not happen for some time due to the required logistics, planning, and much-needed security. That’s because when Charles is officially crowned king, the event will include $3.8 billion worth of jewels.
King Charles III will wear the Imperial State Crown
When Queen Elizabeth was lying in state at London’s Westminster Hall, resting on top of her coffin was the Imperial State Crown — the star of the Crown Jewels collection. When the crown is not in use, it is on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, the home of the crown jewels for more than six centuries.
For his coronation, Charles will follow tradition and wear the extremely heavy St. Edward’s Crown — made of solid gold and featuring over 400 gemstones, including rubies, garnets and sapphires.
At the end of the ceremony, he will put on the Imperial State Crown to leave Westminster Abbey. The king will also wear that crown on official occasions and the opening of Parliament. The Imperial State Crown, however, is not the only sacred object that will be part of the coronation ceremony.
The coronation will include $3.8 billion worth of jewels
The sacred objects used during the coronation ceremony represent the powers and responsibilities of the monarch. In addition to the Imperial State Crown, the Coronation Regalia includes the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross and the Sovereign’s Ring.
According to Crisscut, the scepter holds the world’s largest diamond — the 530-carat Cullinan diamond — worth $430,000,000 (£400,000,000).
“The Crown Jewels contain some of the most precious and famous jewels in the world – including the Coronation Regalia. Comprised of the sacred objects used during the coronation ceremony, we can expect to see the Coronation Regalia in the near future, during King Charles III’s coronation ceremony,” expert jeweler Maxwell Stone explains.
“Each piece is extraordinary – from the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross, which contains the $430 million Cullinan I diamond, to the Sovereign’s Ring, which features an octagonal sapphire, overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut ruby that form a cross.”
Stone says that because the Coronation Regalia is “laced with history,” it’s incredibly difficult to value the pieces. However, he estimates they are worth “a staggering $3.8 billion (£3.5 billion).”
When will King Charles III’s coronation take place?
It’s tradition in the United Kingdom to wait until a sufficient mourning period has passed before crowning the new sovereign. The official 10-day mourning period is over and the queen has been buried, but it will still be months before Charles is crowned.
According to The Telegraph, an official coronation date has not been set. However, the expectation is that it will take place in the spring or summer of 2023. When Charles’ mother ascended to the throne, she officially became queen when King George VI died on February 6, 1952. However, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation didn’t take place until June 2, 1953.
