Historic crown to be modified for King Charles’s coronation

An undated handout photo, issued by Buckingham Palace on December 3, 2022, shows the Imperial State Crown which will be worn by Britain's King Charles on his coronation day on May 6, 2023. (Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2022/via Reuters); An undated handout photo, issued by Buckingham Palace on December 3, 2022, shows St Edward's Crown which will be worn by Britain's King Charles on his coronation on May 6, 2023. St Edward's Crown, the historic centrepiece of the Crown Jewels, has been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work to begin ahead of the coronation. (Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2022/via Reuters)

  • Crown removed from Tower of London to be modified
  • St. Edward’s Crown used in coronations for over 350 years
  • Charles to be crowned in Westminster Abbey on May 6

LONDON — The historic St. Edward’s Crown, which has been the centerpiece of the coronation of monarchs in England for more than 350 years, has been removed from the Tower of London to be modified for the coronation of King Charles III next May, Buckingham Palace said.

The crown, which usually forms part of the Crown Jewels on display at the Tower, has been used since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 after the monarchy was restored following the 10-year republic of Oliver Cromwell.

The St. Edward’s Crown replaced a medieval version, thought to have dated back to the 11th Century reign of Edward the Confessor which was melted down in 1649.

Charles III will be crowned with St. Edward’s Crown during the solemn ceremony to be held at London’s Westminster Abbey on May 6, just as his late mother Queen Elizabeth II was in 1953. He will also wear the Imperial State Crown during the service.

The St. Edward’s Crown, made up of a solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, follows its original medieval forebear in having four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis. It also has a velvet cap with an ermine band.

Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Mike Harrison

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