With the coronation of King Charles III expected to take place at some point next year, many royal fans will no doubt be looking forward to seeing the Coronation Regalia in all their glory once more. This is the collection of bejewelled sacred objects used during British coronation ceremonies.
Several of these dazzling items were most recently seen during the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the Imperial Crown adorning the monarch's coffin. The orb and sceptre were also used during the ceremony and placed on the coffin. All of these were also notably used during the Queen's coronation in 1953, as they are brought out during the special occasion to symbolise a monarch's various powers and responsibilities.
Ahead of King Charles' coronation, experts from UK jewellery retailer Steven Stone have taken a look at these most precious of Crown Jewels and royal items that will feature in the coronation and estimated their value - and they claimed they have a combined total worth of a whopping £3.5 billion.
St Edward's Crown - estimated value £3.6 million
Designed for King Charles II in 1661, the solid gold St Edward's Crown has been present at every coronation since. Encrusted with 444 precious and semi-precious stones, this crown stands 30 centimetres tall and tips the scales at 2.23 kilograms (4.9 lb).
According to Historic Royal Palaces, St Edward’s Crown is the most important and sacred of all the crowns. It is only used at the moment of crowning itself.
The Imperial State Crown - estimated value £2.5 billion
First commissioned for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, the new monarch will traditionally wear the gold, silver, and platinum Imperial State Crown as they leave Westminster Abbey after the ceremony.
Weighing 1,060 grams, the crown sparkles with 2,868 diamonds, 269 pearls, 17 sapphires, and 11 emeralds, with the second-biggest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond – the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever mined – positioned at the front.
Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross - estimated value £700 million
Measuring 92 cm, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross represents the monarch's temporal power, and is one of two sceptres used during the ceremony. As well as various gemstones, the sceptre also bears the world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan Diamond.
Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove - estimated value £250,000
Signifying the monarch's spiritual role, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove is adorned with 285 gemstones – including 94 diamonds, 53 rubies, 10 emeralds, four sapphires, and three spinels.
Sovereign's Orb - estimated value £175,000
The Sovereign's Orb, which is decorated with nine emeralds, 18 rubies, nine sapphires, 365 diamonds, 375 pearls, one amethyst, and one glass stone, is put in the right hand of the new King or Queen while they are being invested with the symbols of sovereignty and is then placed on the altar before the crowning.
The Sovereign's Ring - estimated value £350,000
First presented to King William IV following his 1831 coronation, the sapphire, ruby, and diamond studded Sovereign's Ring has been worn by every monarch since, apart from Queen Victoria on account of her apparently short fingers.
The Gold Ampulla - estimated value £500,000
Used to hold the consecrated oil to anoint a new sovereign during the ceremony, the Gold Ampulla has been made to look like an eagle spreading its wings, with an aperture in the beak used for pouring the sacred oil.
The Spurs - estimated value £100,000
The gold spurs are intended to symbolise knighthood, and are usually held to the ankles of the monarch during the ceremony. First made in 1661 for Charles II, they underwent alterations in 1820 for George IV, with new textiles replacing the older buckles and straps.
The Sword of Offering - estimated value £500,000
Decorated with 3,476 precious stones, the Damascus steel blade of the Sword of Offering is also adorned with the national flowers of England, Scotland, and Ireland: roses, thistles, and shamrocks.
Leading expert, Maxwell Stone said: "The Crown Jewels contain some of the most precious and famous jewels in the world - including the Coronation Regalia. Comprised of the sacred objects used during the coronation ceremony, we can expect to see the Coronation Regalia in the near future, during King Charles III's coronation ceremony.
"Each piece is extraordinary - from the Sovereign's Scepter with Cross, which contains the £400 million Cullinan I diamond, to the Sovereign's Ring, which features an octagonal sapphire, overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut ruby that form a cross.
"Laced with history, it's incredibly difficult to value the Coronation Regalia. I'd estimate it to be worth a staggering £3.5 billion."
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