The Crown Jewels

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• The British Crown Jewels collection, held at the Tower of London, is a dynamic amalgamation of traditions spanning centuries, surviving destruction during the 1649 Commonwealth period.  Copied to clipboard!
• The coronation ceremony, largely unchanged since King Edgar's crowning in 973, relies on sacred objects like the 12th-century St. Edward's Spoon, which miraculously survived being sold off by Oliver Cromwell.  Copied to clipboard!
• The collection features items like the Black Prince's Ruby (actually a spinel) and the Cullinan I diamond, but notably excludes the controversial Kohinoor diamond from King Charles III's coronation.  Copied to clipboard!

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Cromwell’s Destruction of Jewels

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(00:01:33)

• Key Takeaway: In 1649, Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of the Crown Jewels to erase the monarchy’s legacy, melting down historic items like Henry VIII’s crown.
• Summary: Sir Henry Mildmay oversaw the inventory and subsequent destruction of the Crown Jewels following King Charles I’s execution. Goldsmiths were instructed to break up crowns and sell the salvaged stones, melting down the metal for coins. This act aimed to signify the definitive end of the English monarchy and the establishment of the Commonwealth.

Crown Jewels Composition and Security

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(00:05:21)

• Key Takeaway: The modern collection comprises 100 objects with 23,000 gemstones, is considered priceless, and is protected at the Tower of London.
• Summary: The current collection consists of 100 objects adorned with 23,000 gemstones and is housed at the Tower of London under high-tech security. The items are not insured because they are deemed irreplaceable. The collection reflects eight turbulent centuries of history, including items that survived the 1649 purge.

Origins of Royal Regalia

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(00:06:42)

• Key Takeaway: English royal regalia traditions converged from Roman imperial, martial barbarian, and Christian influences dating back to prehistory.
• Summary: The tradition of royal adornment stretches back to a 200 BCE diadem found in Kent, reflecting Roman, martial, and Christian influences. The coronation ceremony itself, including anointing, has roots in rituals established by King Edgar in 973. Each monarch historically commissioned new regalia, meaning there was no permanent set until later periods.

King John’s Lost Crown

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(00:11:35)

• Key Takeaway: King John lost the Crown Jewels in 1216 while attempting a perilous shortcut across the treacherous tidal estuary known as The Wash.
• Summary: Facing a Scottish invasion, King John chose to cross the Wash estuary during low tide despite known dangers like quicksand. His baggage train, carrying the crown jewels, was caught by the rapidly rising tide and lost. John’s son, Henry III, was initially crowned with his mother’s bracelet before using St. Edward’s crown in 1220.

Restoration and Replacement Regalia

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(00:19:03)

• Key Takeaway: Charles II meticulously replaced the destroyed regalia after the Restoration, aiming to replicate the pre-Civil War items, including forgotten ceremonial objects.
• Summary: After Cromwell’s death, the monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II, who insisted on recreating the lost jewels. The cost of replacement was equivalent to three warships. Even objects whose function was forgotten, like St. Edward’s staff, were remade to maintain the appearance of continuity.

Coronation Ceremony Elements

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(00:21:38)

• Key Takeaway: The coronation of King Charles III utilizes ancient rituals, including the anointing with oil from Jerusalem using the 1649-surviving St. Edward’s Spoon.
• Summary: The ceremony involves carrying three swords, laying St. Edward’s staff on the altar, and the monarch swearing an oath followed by the people’s acclamation. The anointing is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury using oil poured from an eagle-shaped ampulla into the ancient spoon. The monarch wears St. Edward’s crown briefly before switching to the Imperial State Crown.

Imperial State Crown Construction

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(00:26:07)

• Key Takeaway: The Imperial State Crown’s frame has been remade multiple times since 1660, allowing for modern setting techniques that hide the structure beneath the jewels.
• Summary: St. Edward’s crown is worn only briefly due to its weight (over two kilograms), necessitating the lighter Imperial State Crown for state business. The frame of the State Crown has been replaced four or five times, resetting the original stones using modern goldsmith techniques. This results in a crown where the jewels appear to float without a visible setting.

Black Prince’s Ruby History

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(00:29:37)

• Key Takeaway: The Black Prince’s Ruby, set in the Imperial State Crown, is misidentified; it is a 170-carat spinel taken by the Black Prince from King Pedro of Spain.
• Summary: The large red stone is a Cabochon Spinel, mined in Central Asia and brought to Europe via the Silk Route. It was seized by the Black Prince from Pedro the Cruel in 1367 after the Prince helped restore Pedro to the throne. The stone survived the 1649 sale and was placed in the Imperial State Crown by Queen Victoria in 1838.

Controversial Kohinoor Diamond

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(00:32:12)

• Key Takeaway: The Kohinoor diamond, historically significant as one of the largest Indian diamonds, is excluded from King Charles III’s coronation due to its colonial acquisition.
• Summary: The Kohinoor diamond originated in India and passed through Mughal, Persian, and Afghan hands before being extracted by the East India Company and given to Queen Victoria. Its use in the coronation would be considered a provocative political statement in the post-colonial era. It remains locked up in the Tower of London, typically reserved for consorts’ crowns.

Heists and Security Failures

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(00:35:26)

• Key Takeaway: The Crown Jewels suffered a massive theft in 1303 by Richard Pudlicote and a violent attempted robbery in 1671 by Thomas Blood.
• Summary: Richard Pudlicote stole an estimated year’s tax income in 1303 by tunneling into Westminster Abbey’s Picks Chamber, though he left the most distinctive items like the King’s crown. In 1671, Thomas Blood attacked the keeper, Talbot Edwards, and managed to smash the crown and dent the orb before being captured; Blood was later pardoned by the King.

WWII Evacuation and Modern Security

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(00:42:46)

• Key Takeaway: During WWII, gemstones were removed and hidden in a biscuit tin at Windsor Castle for safekeeping, proving prescient when the Tower was bombed.
• Summary: During the Second World War, the collection was moved to Windsor Castle, where the most valuable stones were wrapped and stored in a biscuit tin in the basement. This precaution was necessary as the jewel house at the Tower was later struck by a German bomb. The stones were restored for Elizabeth II’s televised coronation in 1953.