Historic Crown Modified for King Charles III
January 12, 23
(IDEX Online) - The crown that will used at the coronation of King Charles III has been removed from the Tower of London for the first time in 60 years for "modification work".
It was last worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II when she was crowned in 1953.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the crown had been moved to an undisclosed location, ahead of the coronation on Saturday 6 May, but gave no details of the modifications.
St Edward's Crown, the historic centerpiece of the Crown Jewels, is made from solid gold and weighs an uncomfortable 2.23 kilograms (4.9lb).
It is decorated with a total of 444 precious and semi-precious stones, among them sapphires, rubies, amethysts, topaz, garnets, tourmaline, a velvet cap, an ermine band.
It was made for Charles II in 1661, as a replacement for the medieval crown, which was melted down in 1649.
Pic shows St Edward's Crown, courtesy Buckingham Palace, and King Charles III.