Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Crown Jewels
When you finally enter the building, you'll pass through a series of rooms with instructive
warm-up videos. Don't let the crowd rush you—just step aside if you want to keep watch-
ing. The videos touch on the many kings and queens who have worn the crown jewels,
from William I the Conqueror (1066), to Henry VIII, to his daughter Elizabeth I, to the
current Queen Elizabeth II. Film clips show you close-up highlights of coronation regalia,
as well as the most recent coronation—Elizabeth II's, in 1953.
After the videos, you enter the exhibits, seeing each of the actual coronation items
in the order that they're used whenever a new king or queen is crowned. First, you walk
down a hallway displaying the ceremonial maces, swords, and trumpets that lead the ac-
tual coronation procession into Westminster Abbey.
Next comes a room with the royal regalia. The monarch-to-be is anointed with holy
oil poured from the eagle-beak flask; handed the jeweled Sword of Offering; and dressed
in the 20-pound gold robe and other gear. (Other items in the first case are simply standing
by. The 12th-century coronation spoon, last used in 1953 to anoint the head of Queen El-
izabeth, is the most ancient object here.) Most of the original crown jewels from medieval
times were lost during Cromwell's 1648 revolution.
After being dressed and anointed, the new monarch prepares for the “crowning” mo-
ment.
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Five glass cases display the various crowns, orbs, and scepters used in various royal
ceremonies. Ride the moving sidewalk that takes you past them. You're welcome to circle
back and glide by again (I did, several times). Or, to get away from the crowds, hang out
on the elevated viewing area with the guard. Chat with the guards—they're actually here
to provide information (and to keep you from taking photos, which aren't allowed). As you
glide by on the walkway, you'll see the following items. (The collection rotates, so you may
not see all of the crowns described here.)
Scepter and Orb:
After being crowned, the new monarch is handed these items. The
Sovereign's Scepter
is encrusted with the world's largest cut diamond—the 530-carat
Star of Africa, beefy as a quarter-pounder. This was one of nine stones cut from the ori-
ginal 3,106-carat (1.37-pound) Cullinan diamond. The
orb
symbolizes how Christianity
rules over the earth, a reminder that even a “divine monarch” is not above God's law. The
coronation is a kind of marriage between the church and the state in Britain, since the king
or queen is head of both, and the ceremony celebrates the monarch's power to do good for
the whole of the nation.
St. Edward's Crown:
This coronation crown is the one placed by the archbishop
upon the head of each new monarch on coronation day in Westminster Abbey. It's worn
for 20 minutes, then locked away until the next coronation. The original crown, destroyed
