King Charles III Will Wear a 5-lb, 362-Year-Old Crown Worth $57 Million at His Coronation
Though King Charles’ coronation is said to be a shorter, less expensive affair than that of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, it will still be quite the elegant affair. The ceremony itself is expected to be traditional, with King Charles wearing the ancient and historic St. Edward’s Crown for the ceremony.
According to The Sun, the king has opted to wear his military uniform rather than don the breeches and tights of previous kings. Phew. Read on for more details about the crown and what it means for King Charles’ coronation.
The historic St. Edward’s Crown will top things off at King Charles’ Coronation
During the ceremony, King Charles will wear the 5-lb St. Edward’s Crown—the same crown worn by Queen Elizabeth at her coronation in 1953. The crown is a near-replica of one belonging to the last Anglo-Saxon king of the United Kingdom, the 11th-century royal saint Edward the Confessor, according to Historic Royal Palaces.
Following the English Civil War, which saw Parliament abolish the monarchy in 1649, the original St. Edward’s Crown was melted down. The crown King Charles III will wear at his coronation was made in 1661 for Charles II following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
Charles II was made king at the hand of Parliament after agreeing to certain terms of religious tolerance. The country had long since suffered at the whim of its leader’s religious beliefs, and the monarchy was only allowed to exist again if tolerance was the foundation it was built upon.
More interesting still is that while St. Edward’s Crown is considered the official coronation crown, it has only been used to crown six monarchs since its creation—most recently, Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen also used St. Edward’s Crown as the dominant symbol associated with her rule. Charles has since replaced St. Edward’s Crown in his royal cipher and representations, using the Tudor Crown instead.
King Charles’ coronation crown is worth a pretty pound
Created by Royal Goldsmith Robert Vyner, the new St. Edward’s Crown features a similar—but not exact—design to the original with a diamond-set cross pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, and two arches. The crown bears a velvet cap and ermine band.
It is set with 444 semi-precious stones—rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes, and tourmalines—all set into a solid gold frame. St. Edward’s Crown is the centerpiece of the famed Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and is estimated at $57 million, according to Reader’s Digest.
King Charles’ Coronation is going to feature a lot of crowns
After King Charles is crowned with St. Edward’s Crown, the weighty topper will be replaced by the lighter Imperial State Crown for the duration of the ceremony, reports The Sun. Referred to by the late Queen Elizabeth as her “going away hat,” the Imperial State Crown is also made of gold; it features a velvet cap and ermine band and is encrusted with 2,868 diamonds,17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies.
Included among the jewels are the famous Cullinan II Diamond, the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Stuart Sapphire, and the St. Edward’s Sapphire, reports Country Living. The Imperial State Crown was last seen publicly when it adorned Queen Elizabeth’s coffin after her passing in September 2022.
Also being coronated is King Charles’ wife, Camilla, who will be crowned Queen Consort. She will wear Queen Mary’s Crown for the ceremony. It was originally believed the Camilla would wear a crown bearing the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond.
However, Queen Mary’s Crown has recently been chosen in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency” (BBC). As such, Queen Mary’s Crown will be “reset using diamonds from [the late Queen Elizabeth’s] personal jewelry collections” and include her diamonds born of the South African Cullinan diamond.
Additionally, the Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to wear coronets for the occasion, as are Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, if they attend the event. Their attendance is still undetermined.
And while King Charles III’s coronation is being pitched as a more reserved ceremony than in the past, it still promises to be a dazzling affair, costing an estimated $100 million and including $3.8 billion in jewels to celebrate the crowning of the 62nd British monarch.
