There is no more iconic piece of jewelry owned by Queen Elizabeth than the Saint Edward crown. If you do not recognize the name, surely you will know to which crown I am referring by saying that it is the very same crown that the Queen used on her coronation day, the one that wears when opening the Parliament, and the most important crown a British ruler can wear. Yeah, the one filled with diamonds, pearls, and sapphires and has a cushion-like form.
Besides having a long history that relates this piece of jewelry to Saint Edward the Confessor, who was King of England between 1042 and 1066 and was the last ruler of the House of Wessex, the crown is also related to Catherine de Medici, Mary, Queen of Scots and even Mexico. How come? Well, the key to understanding these relations is in the little details, so let’s begin with a little history.
The origins of the Saint Edward’s crown
This crown that now belongs to the jewels of the United Kingdom was once the same that Edward the Confessor wore and after he died, it was declared a holy relic since the English King was made a saint.
The crown was held at the Westminster Abbey and, according to historians, the monks that kept it claimed that Edward requested the crown to be worn by all future English kings as part of keeping his regalia in perpetuity. This claim became accepted as a fact and therefore, the first know set of hereditary coronation regalia in Europe was born.
However, the crown that was once worn by Anne Boleyn and a symbol of the British Empire was sold during the English Civil War as a despise of the “detestable rule of kings”. Years later, when the monarchy was restored in 1660, a new St. Edward’s crown was made with a strong resemblance to the medieval crown and some new additions like the arches that belong to the Baroque era.
However, despite having a brand new crown, many English rulers decided not to wear it due to its weight. It was not until George V became the first monarch to be crowned with St. Edward’s crown in over 200 years. His successor George VI wore it in 1937 and of course, Queen Elizabeth wore it in 1953.
The jewels in it
The new St. Edward’s crown is made of solid gold and weighs 4.9 pounds. But the most interesting part of it are the 444 precious and semi-precious stones, including pearls, diamonds, sapphires, and rubies, all with a lot of history.
The Black Prince’s Ruby
One of the main stones is this 170-carat ruby that once belonged to Don Pedro, King of Castile who, by the way, took it from a Moorish king in Granada.
The Cullinan II diamond
Also known as the “Second Star of Africa” this 317.4-carat diamond is the second largest stone ever discovered. It was first presented to Edward VII in 1907 as a symbolic gesture to heal the rift between Britain and South Africa after the Boer War and it was formally handed over to the King on his birthday, 9 November 1907.
Its name comes from the fact that the diamond was cut into several pieces and the largest cleaving of the stone, named Cullinan I, was placed in the Sovereign’s Sceptre.
The multiple pearls
If something distinguishes the St. Edward crown are the pearls that hang from it. Four of them came from Queen Elizabeth’s earrings and were once associated with the pearls that Catherine de Medici received from Pope Clement VII on her marriage to Henri II of France in 1533. She later gave them to her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots, and after her imprisonment, they were allegedly sold to Elizabeth I.
The biggest pearl has a Mexican origin
Besides the pearls that once were the property of Mary the Queen of Scots, one that really stands out is the one called Great Lemon.
This huge pearl shaped like a lemon and surrounded by diamonds was actually discovered on the coasts of Mexico and gifted to King Edward VII (1841-1910).
The Great Lemon was extracted from the Sea of Cortez in Baja California Sur in 1883 by two divers who found it near the island of the Holy Spirit. It later became the property of Antonio Ruffo Santa Cruz, the owner of the company that found the pearl and who diced to gift it to King Edward.
Years later, the Queen herself decided to visit the place where the biggest pearl of the crown was found.
The Stuart Sapphire
This 104-carat stone was used as a pendant before becoming of the crown’s jewels. Its history is related to smuggling and robbery until it was used in the State Crown Queen Victoria used it in 1909 for her coronation.
