Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom

Crown Jewels
St Edward's Crown (top) is used to crown the monarch. It is flanked by the sceptres. Also in this picture are the crown and diadem of Mary of Modena (wife of James II of England), the blunt Sword of Mercy, the eagle-shaped ampulla, the armills, and the orbs.
Overview
Country	United Kingdom
Location	On public display in the Jewel House and the Martin Tower at the Tower of London, and the debating chambers at the Palace of Westminster
No. of objects	141: 35 secular plate 32 altar plate 16 trumpets 13 maces 7 sovereign crowns 6 consort crowns 6 swords 5 sceptres 3 robes 3 rings 3 christening fonts 2 Prince of Wales coronets 2 orbs 2 pairs of armills 1 pair of spurs 1 ampulla 1 spoon 1 walking stick 1 armlet 1 monde
Oldest	Coronation Spoon (12th century)
Newest	Queen Elizabeth II's Armills (1953)
Precious stones	23,578
Owner	Queen Elizabeth II in right of the Crown
Managers	Martin Swift (Crown Jeweller) Royal Collection Trust Historic Royal Palaces
Website	www.hrp.org.uk

141:

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are 141 historic ceremonial objects, including the regalia and vestments worn by kings and queens of the country at their coronations, as well as processional and anointing objects, plate, and christening fonts.

A symbol of 800 years of monarchy, the sovereign's coronation regalia is the only working collection in Europe – other present-day monarchies have abandoned coronations in favour of inauguration or enthronement ceremonies – and is the largest set of regalia in the world. Objects used to invest and crown the monarch variously denote his or her roles as Head of State, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces. Wives of kings are crowned as queen consort with a plainer set of regalia. Since 1831, a new crown has been made specially for each queen consort.

The use of regalia by monarchs in Britain can be traced back to its early history. Most of the present collection as a whole dates from around 350 years ago when King Charles II ascended the throne. The medieval coronation regalia and Tudor state regalia had been either sold or melted down by Oliver Cromwell, a republican who overthrew the monarchy in 1649, during the English Civil War. Notable among the precious stones which adorn the regalia are Cullinan I (the largest clear cut diamond in the world), Cullinan II (second-largest of the Cullinan diamonds), the Koh-i-Noor diamond with a history going back to the 13th century, the Stuart Sapphire, St Edward's Sapphire, and the Black Prince's Ruby – a large spinel worn by King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt.