The popularity of the crown jewels has long ago spread across the world. Also known as Regalia, they refer to all the precious coronation objects that have passed the test of time and which have played an important part in Britain’s history. In the present, the Great Britain is the only monarchy in the world who still uses the crown jewels during the coronation ceremony. The present collection of Regalia has been displayed in the Tower Of London since 1994. This place has been the storage facility for these precious objects since the 14th century. Most people are fascinated by the value of the precious stones, but the ceremonial objects have a deeper meaning and they have played an important part in the history of monarchy.
The current exhibition of the crown jewels contains some of the most precious objects in the world. Most items are rather modern, but their value is increased by the individuality and valor of the precious stones. The Sovereign’s Scepter is by far one of the most beautiful pieces of the collection. It contains a 530,2 carat Cullinan diamond. Otherwise known as The Star Of Africa, the stone is the largest colorless diamond in the world. Another famous piece is the St. Edward’s Crown which is the official crown used for the monarch coronation. The Imperial State Crown is shown off a lot more often, as the Queen wears it at every Parliament State Opening. The Crown of Queen Elisabeth is also very famous. It contains 2,800 diamonds including the famous Mountain of Light, a prestigious Indian gem which was added in 1850. Despite the brightness of all these gems, one of the most precious items of the Regalia is the Anointing Spoon which is used for the holy oil during the coronation. This spoon is the only coronation object that has survived the abolition of monarchy in the 16th century.
It is no wonder that over the years there have been numerous attempts to steal the Regalia. As a result, the ceremonial objects, which were first stored in Westminster Abbey, were moved to the Tower of London. Although this this not stop the robbery attempts, it was a consistent increase in security. However, the objects that are currently referred to as Regalia are only a small part of England’s history. Upon the 1649 execution of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell ordered the total destruction of the crown jewels. The precious stones were dismounted and sold and the gold was melted. This decision was taken as a measure of precaution against a future rebellion. Cromwell was not satisfied solely with the execution of the king, but he wanted to destroy everything that monarchy stood for and the Regalia were too important to be spared.
The importance of the crown jewels was acknowledged over 1000 years ago when the precious items started to be stored from one generation to another. They gave a spiritual meaning to the coronation ritual. Despite the fact that all kings and queens had their own personal crowns and jewels that they could use whenever they wanted, the Regalia has a deep meaning. It embeds all the values that monarchy stands for and when a new king or queen uses it during a ceremony he/she takes on the duty of protecting the land like so many others did before.
