The Royal Crown Is Undergoing A Makeover Ahead Of King Charles III’s Coronation

St Edward’s Crown, the historic centerpiece of the British Crown Jewels, is no longer at the Tower of London—but don’t fret, it isn’t missing. Instead, the royal crown has been taken “for modification work” ahead of King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023. 

Intriguingly, as per Robb Report, this is the first time the centuries-old heirloom has left the Tower in nearly six decades, and it was the same crown donned by Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation back in 1953. 

According to The Royal Household, St Edward’s Crown has historically featured in the ceremony since 1661, when it was made for Charles II as a replacement for a medieval crown that had melted down in 1649. 

The crown was commissioned from the Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner, and although it isn’t an exact replica of the original medieval design, it follows the initial concept of four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, complete with two arches. 

Its solid gold frame is adorned with countless precious jewels, including 345 aquamarines, 37 white topaz, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, seven amethysts, six sapphires, two jargoons, one garnet, one spinel, and one carbuncle, topped off with a velvet cap featuring an ermine band. 

The original headpiece, which no longer remains, is believed to have been passed down through the generations from Edward the Confessor—England’s last Anglo-Saxon King—since the 11th century. 

King Charles III’s coronation is set to take place on May 6, 2023, allowing the monarch to receive the historic Crown Jewels exactly 70 years after his late mother did. With the piece weighing nearly five pounds, it quite literally rings true that “heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

[via Robb Report and The Royal Household, images via various sources]