SAFELY BACK HOME IN THE TOWER OF LONDON THE CROWN JEWELS VISITORS TO SEE REGALIA FROM CORONATION IN NEW DISPLAY
REPORT: EMILY NASH For more information, visit hrp.org.uk.
T hey dazzled millions of viewers worldwide during the coronation of the King and Queen in Westminster Abbey in May, and now visitors to the Tower of London can see the Crown Jewels in more detail than ever before.
The glittering regalia used during the awe-inspiring ceremony appear in all their glory alongside new displays describing the history and origins of some of the most famous and controversial stones in the collection.
The exhibition is the result of a partnership between Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages the Tower of London, and former crown jeweller Garrard.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to showcase this amazing collection at a time when it’s in the public eye as it hasn’t been for many, many years,” Charles Farris, public historian for the history of the monarchy at Historic Royal Palaces, tells HELLO!.
“With the first coronation in 70 years, there’s a new context for a lot of people. They will recognise some of the objects from the amazing coronation ceremony.”
Garrard, crown jeweller from 1843 to 2017, were behind pieces such as the Queen Mary Crown worn by the Queen at the 6 May ceremony. The dazzling piece, which was modified for Her Majesty ahead of the coronation, is part of the display, along with the St Edward’s Crown, used to crown her husband, and the Imperial State Crown, which he wore to return to Buckingham Palace.
They appear alongside images from the day and official coronation portraits in the tower’s Jewel House Treasury, where items that featured in the rituals appear in the order they were featured in the ceremony.
Along with the Ampulla and Coronation Spoon, which were used to anoint the King and Queen, the gleaming altar plates, rings, sceptres and orb can be seen.
In another room, exploring the history of coronation processions, two of the maces carried in the King’s coronation are on display, along with the Sword of State – famously carried by MP Penny Mordaunt – and other swords that were used.
PRICELESS ITEMS
There are also items from the royal ceremonial dress collection, including a court suit worn at the coronation of George IV in 1821, a herald’s tabard from the 1937 coronation of George VI and state trumpets complete with banners, and a picture of John Blanke, a black musician in the Tudor
