It is the crown of Saint Edward that King Charles III. will be crowned at the coronation ceremony on Saturday. This valuable item is only used once per Dominion… and only for one hour.
A replica of the crown of King Edward who ruled England over a thousand years ago, the crown that Charles III. was used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1953 and has been in storage ever since.
“It’s a stunning solid gold object set with hundreds of precious stones,” says Marc Laurendeau, a journalist and expert on the monarchy who saw Saint Edward’s crown firsthand during a visit to London in 1990.
cross and lilies
In addition to the 444 gems adorning its golden arches (including ruby, sapphire, topaz, tourmaline and zircon), the crown is set on a piece of ermine, a symbol of purity and moral virtue.
The crown is decorated with lilies symbolizing the monarchy and four crosses. “This religious symbol reminds us that the power of kings comes from God; At least that’s what they claim,” comments Mr. Laurendeau.
It is difficult to determine the commercial value of such an object, which is carefully guarded in the Tower of London. Estimates range from 39 to 57 million US dollars.
Photo from https://www.royal.uk/coronation-crowns
An uncomfortable jewel
In addition to its highly symbolic function, the crown of Saint Edward is notoriously… heavy.
Its weight of over 2.4 kg makes it one of the British monarchy’s most uncomfortable pieces of jewellery. Queen Elizabeth II feared she would break her neck as the sovereign leaned forward to read a speech. She often related this fact with humor.
Because of its weight, Queen Victoria in 1837 and King Edward IV in 1901 refused to use it at their coronations. But Charles III will wear it!
- What is the true portrait of King Charles: listen to the interview with Benoît Tanguay, editor of the journal La Riposte sociale, on the Benoit Dutrizac program QUB radio :
The Coronation Ceremony
The coronation ceremony of Charles III. begins at 11am sharp (6am in Quebec) at Westminster Abbey in London. It is celebrated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
At midday, to the sound of trumpets, the Primate of the Anglican Church will place the crown of Saint Edward on the King’s head; Barrages of cannon will ring out across Britain.
At the end of the ceremony, when the procession to Buckingham Palace begins, it is the Imperial Crown of Apparatus that will crown the new king.
This more comfortable piece of jewelry was worn by the Queen at least once a year to mark the opening ceremony of Parliament.
It is also this crown that honors deceased monarchs at state funerals in the United Kingdom.