St. Edward’s Crown: What year was it made, what is it made of, who has worn it, and how much is it worth?

On May 6th, Charles III will be crowned as the King of the United Kingdom as well as other Commonwealth realms. The new British monarch will succeed his mother, Elizabeth II, who was officially crowned in 1953 and led the country for over half a century. Now, Westminster Abbey will be one of the epicenters of global news due to this event, which has many and varied details to consider.

One of the most important is directly related to the crown that the new king will wear at the event. Charles III will wear the one known as St. Edward’s Crown, which dates back to 1661, although the one that will actually be used is a replica of the original. The jewels, their value, and the identity of the kings who have worn it are some of the most interesting aspects to take into account.

The St. Edward’s Crown dates back to 1661

To talk about this crown, one of the most important elements of Charles III’s coronation, one must go back to the 17th century. In 1661, specifically, this concept was created, and the monarch for whom this was made is the last Charles who reigned in England, Charles II.

Although a replica will be used during this coronation it’s worth noting that the one from 1661 was created to replace the one that was melted just twelve years before in 1649. The origin of this medieval one is said to be in the 11th century and would have belonged to Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon king.

What jewels are in the St. Edward’s Crown?

This crown, which has been used extensively by the monarchs of the land, especially in recent centuries, has several details to consider. Among the most important are the materials it is composed of and its structure, as it is composed of 22-carat gold, accompanied by 444 precious and semi-precious stones. Also, it has a cap made of velvet with a band of ermine. Among the jewels that appear, you can find rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topazes, tourmalines, aquamarines.

The height and weight of the St. Edward’s Crown

The St. Edward’s Crown is composed of all these jewels but how much space is there for it all to fit? Well, it measures 30 centimeters in height, and when it comes to the weight, this can be somewhat uncomfortable. This crown weighs 2.23 kilograms, and is considered one of the heaviest crowns on the planet.

The monarchs who wore the St. Edward’s Crown

Another interesting detail to consider is that, besides Charles II, James II and William II were two of the kings who opted for the St. Edward’s Crown. But after the latter in 1869, it took more than 200 years for another English head of state to choose this headwear.

In this case, it was George V who broke the wait, wearing it in 1911. After him, George VI and Elizabeth II were the next monarchs to wear the St. Edward’s Crown. On May 6th, Charles III will be the next to take advantage of his coronation to use what is one of the most important royal items in the history of the nation and which adds much symbolism.

What is St. Edward’s Crown worth?

After analyzing several of the most important components of the St. Edward’s Crown, it is time to comment on another of the most relevant details: its value. In recent years, it has been estimated to be worth $4.5 million.

Just the 365 aquamarine gems that are part of this crown are valued at a price of $172,500, while the sapphires at more than $2 million.