All the Details on King Charles’s 2 (Two) Mega-Fancy Crowns
It’s 2023, monarchies are still a thing we’re putting up with, and King Charles is throwing himself a fancy party (coronation) to make things official. And yes, the Palace is breaking out the 💎 royal jewels 💎 for the occasion—meaning Charles will 100 percent be wearing a fancy crown. And not just any fancy crown. Charles will wear the same crown that his fellow monarchs have plopped atop their heads—and he’ll also chill out with an orb and scepter just to make sure everyone knows he’s in charge. TBD if this visual will inspire an uprising, but we’ll see! Anyway, we’re here to nerd out over Charles’s crown(s), so let’s get into it.
King Charles Will Be Crowned With St. Edward’s Crown
Fancy, huh? This five-pound crown was actually made for King Charles II back in 1661 after the original—which dated back to Edward the Confessor—was melted down in 1649. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the crown was made by “royal goldsmith” Robert Vyner and is pretty similar to the original medieval design in that it has “four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis and two arches.”
So, how much is St. Edward’s Crown worth? This thing is fully priceless, but to give you an idea of value: It is made from solid gold and encrusted in rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes, and tourmalines. It also has some velvet and ermine thrown in, as every crown should.
Anyway, expect Charles to officially be crowned with St. Edward’s Crown, just like his mother Queen Elizabeth II was:
King Charles Will Also Wear the Imperial State Crown
After King Charles has spent some time getting cozy with St. Edward’s Crown, he’ll change into the Imperial State Crown. Why, you ask? So he has something to wear when leaving the coronation (it seems St. Edward’s Crown goes straight back into the vault).
Anyway, this one also has velvet and ermine, so don’t panic. It’s also set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 269 pearls. Huh! Wonder how much public housing selling off some of those diamonds would pay for, but moving on!
The Imperial State Crown is slightly newer than St. Edward’s and was actually made for King George VI’s coronation in 1937. It’s “mounted with several historic stones,” per the Royal Trust Collection, including but not limited to Cullinan II (aka the Second Star of Africa)—a truly massive diamond that blows your friend’s engagement ring out of the water at 317.4 carats. This diamond is the second largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond, which is casually the biggest diamond ever. It was mined in South Africa and “gifted” to King Edward VII, and there have (understandably) been calls for its return.
Here’s Queen Elizabeth wearing the Imperial State Crown after her coronation:
And the crown adorning the coffin at her state funeral:
FYI before we go: Ahead of being crowned, Charles will likely be seen wearing a “cap of maintenance,” which is basically a little fabric hat. That’s all!
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