LONDON (AP) – St Edward’s Crown, the centerpiece of the crown jewels viewed by millions of people each year at the Tower of London, has been moved to an undisclosed location to be displayed in preparation for the coronation of King Charles III next year to modify.
The move has been kept secret for security reasons until the operation is complete, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Saturday. The palace gave no details and did not say where the renovation work would take place.
Charles will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a ceremony that embraces the past but looks to the modern world after the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. The Imperial State Crown is also used during the service.
Versions of St Edward’s Crown are believed to have been used by monarchs since the 11th century.
The current crown was made for Charles II in 1661 to replace the original, which was melted down in 1649 after the House of Commons abolished the monarchy and declared a Commonwealth during the English Civil War. The original is thought to have been attributed to Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1042 to 1066.
The crown includes a 2.23-kilogram (4.91-pound) solid gold frame – set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topazes and tourmalines – a purple velvet cap and an ermine strap. It was worn by Elizabeth during her coronation in 1953.
Charles will be crowned in a solemn religious ceremony conducted by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, the palace said in a statement. Camilla, the queen consort, is crowned along with her husband.
The palace plans the coronation, known as Operation Golden Orb, as Charles and his heir, Prince William, seek to demonstrate that the monarchy is still relevant in modern, multicultural Britain.
While Elizabeth was widely respected, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of people who waited hours waiting to pass by her coffin, there is no guarantee that reverence will be transferred to Charles.