Coronation Regalia – The W&W Edit

May is here and signs of King Charles’ coronation can be seen on every corner. Although our team loves a national celebration, one thing in particular has our bespoke jewellery senses tingling – the Royal Regalia of course!

For hundreds of years the Regalia has played a key part in coronation services. Imbued with history and steeped in tradition, the collection is a mix of sacred and secular objects which form the heart of the Crown Jewels. Interestingly, many of the original articles were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell following the English Civil War and the execution of Charles I in 1649. The lost pieces were recreated by Sir Robert Vyner for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 and form the Regalia as we know it today.

In addition to the incredible history attached to each piece in the collection, the symbolism behind both jewels and design is fascinating. Usually housed in the Tower of London, the upcoming coronation is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Regalia fulfil its purpose. In honour of this historic event our team of bespoke jewellery experts couldn’t help but breakdown the items they find particularly compelling…

The Sovereign’s Orb

Representative of the power of the monarch, the Sovereign’s Orb is symbolic of Christian sovereignty on Earth, reminding the monarch that their power is derived from God.

The orb is divided into three sections by jewelled bands representing the three continents known during the medieval times. Each band is set with emeralds, rubies and sapphires surrounded by rose-cut diamonds and edged with pearls. The orb also features a large single amethyst which forms the base of a diamond and pearl encrusted cross centred by a large sapphire on one side and an emerald on the other.

The original orb was one of the items ordered to be melted down and made into coins following the Civil War. If you were to happen upon a coin minted in 1649 with the words “Commonwealth of England” written across it, it may indeed be one of the coins made from the original Regalia!

However, it is the craftsmanship of this incredible piece which truly caught our bespoke jeweller’s eye. Whilst obviously an ornate and beautiful decorated item, the orb itself is shaped to perfection, with an immaculate finish. An unusual shape for an ornament, especially one crafted in a precious metal like gold. The skill required to achieve that form and craft an orb to that level of perfection is simply extraordinary – that is true even with today’s technology, let alone somebody working hundreds of years ago.

The Armills

Described as ‘bracelets of sincerity and wisdom’ The Armills are thought to be an ancient symbol of the monarch’s link to the military.

The Armills King Charles III has chosen to wear for his Coronation are an unexpected choice as the King has opted to return to tradition and not wear the Armill’s used by his mother in 1953. Elizabeth II’s Armills – engraved 22ct gold and red velvet – were created for her as a coronation gift from the Commonwealth.

Charles will instead wear the Armills created in 1661 to replace those destroyed by Cromwell. Although the original set were jewelled, the replacements which have been used at every coronation – bar Queen Elizabeth II’s – since the 17th century, feature delicate enamel designs.

An important part of our work as bespoke jewellers, is weaving meaning and sentiment into our designs, which makes The Armills of particular personal interest. One of the only pieces of the Coronation Regalia to not feature a single gemstone, the bracelets rely instead on symbolism in the form of national emblems, including roses, thistles, fleurs-de-lis and harps. Each vibrant emblem employs different styles of enamelling, which mean the work was done by a master enameller.

Champlevé is a technique that has been used since ancient times. With this technique the bottoms of the recesses for the enamel are rough, and so only opaque enamel colours are suitable for use. We also see a technique called basse-taille used, here the recesses are modelled and decorative so detail can be shown, for example on the leaves of flowers, a translucent enamel is used for more subtle effects.

Sovereign’s Ring

Created in 1831 for the coronation of King William IV, the Sovereign’s Ring is known by some as the wedding ring of England, symbolising the marriage between monarch and people.

The ring houses a beautiful mixed cut octagonal sapphire overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut rubies, butted together in a gold strip setting to form a cross. The design nods to the Union Flag which became official in 1801 following the union of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland and is surrounded by a halo of fourteen diamonds plus a further two diamonds set into either shoulder and a gold hoop.

Typically part of a monarch’s personal collection, this particular ring was left by William IV to his wife Adelaide who passed it down to Queen Victoria along with her own Consort’s ring, which is expected to be worn by Camilla. For her own coronation Queen Victoria had a smaller version of the ring created which, due to miscommunication on sizing with Rundell, Bridge & Rundell had to be forced onto her hand during the ceremony, causing some damage. All three of these rings were left by Queen Victoria to the Crown in 1901 and now form part of the Crown Jewels.

The presentation of the ring forms part of the investiture of the coronation and is followed by the crowning.

Queen Mary’s Crown

Whilst the King’s Regalia for the coronation has been predominantly decided by tradition the Queen Consort’s choices are a little more open to interpretation.

Breaking from tradition, Camilla has chosen to re-use the crown made for Queen Mary by Garrad in 1911. Typically, Queen Consorts have commissioned exclusive tiaras, however with the current financial strain on many in the UK the palace has chosen to dip into the archives instead.

When selecting a crown, one may have expected Camilla to opt for her direct predecessor, the Queen Mother’s. However, this crown features the 105.6 carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, a stone which has been at the centre of ownership disputes since 1947. As a family keen to avoid further controversy, the Queen Consort has instead opted for Queen Mary’s Crown, although Camilla will be making a few changes to the piece.

In a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla will be removing four of the crown’s detachable arches and reinstating three of the Cullinan diamonds (III, IV and V) which originally featured. Cullinan III and IV are fondly known in the family as Granny’s Chips and together they formed a brooch famously loved by Queen Elizabeth.

We embrace a sustainable approach at W&W and feel that adapting and remodelling inherited jewellery to make the piece right for the current moment and owner is so important. Therefore, we think it is absolutely right that this incredible and historical piece of jewellery is being used again rather than Camilla commissioning a new piece for the coronation.

The Coronation Spoon

Possibly the most significant piece in the Coronation Regalia, this silver-gilt spoon is the oldest item in the Royal collection with records describing it as a spoon of ‘antique forme’ dating back to 1349. It is thought to have been made for Henry II or Richard I, who were crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1154 and 1189 respectively.

The Coronation Spoon is the only item to escape the fate of the other regalia at the hands of Cromwell. Instead of being destroyed it was sold off in 1649 to Mr Kynnersley, Yeoman of Charles I’s Wardrobe. Kynnersley then returned the spoon to Charles II for use at his coronation.

In addition to its notable age, the spoon is used during the most sacred moment of the coronation, to anoint the monarch with holy oil. The only part of the ceremony hidden from public view, the anointing takes place behind a canopy and is a moment for the monarch to reflect on their duties.

Having the opportunity to see the skills and techniques employed by a royal goldsmith such a long time ago is absolutely fascinating. As bespoke jewellers we aspire to create pieces that will become heirlooms and can only hope some of our W&W jewellery is still being enjoyed 800 years from now!

The whole team is looking forward to seeing King Charles’ coronation and witnessing first-hand the role these items play in this important slice of history.