CHAPTER 9
Crown Jewels

Gold and silver coins weren’t the only valuable things stored at the Tower. The Crown Jewels were also kept there. The Crown Jewels were used during the ceremony when a ruler was crowned. They included the crown itself, scepters and orbs that the king or queen would hold, and many other objects. Everything was made of gold and silver, and thickly covered with precious stones. So the Crown Jewels were not only very beautiful, they were very, very valuable.

For many years, the Crown Jewels were kept in Westminster Abbey, the church where English rulers were crowned. They belonged to England’s rulers, but only while they were reigning. They couldn’t sell them, and they weren’t allowed to take them out of Westminster Abbey. Only the jewels that the ruler owned personally were kept in the Tower.

Westminster Abbey

In the 1600s, England had a revolution. The king was overthrown, and for several years the country was ruled by Puritans. These were the same group of strict Protestants that would help settle North America. The Puritans didn’t believe in kings, or in fancy, expensive decorations. In 1649, they cut off the head of King Charles I. Then they had all the Crown Jewels broken up. The metal was melted and made into coins. Almost the only thing from the Crown Jewels that survives from before the English Civil War is one silver spoon, used for pouring sacred oil.

In 1660, King Charles II was restored to the throne. He had to have all new Crown Jewels made so he could be crowned. From then on, the Crown Jewels were kept in the Tower, where they would be safe . . . or so people thought.

In 1671, a man named Thomas Blood almost managed to steal the Crown Jewels. He made friends with the keeper of the jewels and got himself invited to dinner. He asked if he could see the jewels. Then he hit the keeper with a wooden mallet and knocked him out. He put some of the Crown Jewels in a bag, and even stuffed one piece down his pants. Fortunately, he was captured on his way out of the Tower, and put in prison. Later, when Thomas was taken before King Charles II, the king was so amused by his boldness and cleverness that he didn’t punish him. He even gave him his own estate in Ireland.

The Crown Jewels can be seen in the Tower today. They are on display in a special building. The largest clear-cut diamond in the world, the Cullinan I, is set into the scepter. It can also be removed and worn separately. The diamond is almost two and a half inches long—about the size of a chicken’s egg—and worth about $400 million. The Koh-i-Noor, one of the world’s most famous diamonds, is also in the collection, set into a crown. The Koh-i-Noor has a long history of being owned by various rulers. One legend says that whoever owns this diamond will rule the world. But only a woman can wear the diamond. It is bad luck for a man.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation

The last time the full set of Crown Jewels was used was in 1953, when Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England. She had the crown changed a little to fit her better. The head size was made smaller, and the arches on the crown were lowered. She thought this made it look more feminine. In between coronations, the crown is used once every year. The queen wears it when she opens Parliament, the group that governs England.