Queen Mary’s Crown

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Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Camilla will be crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown with the Cullinan III, IV and V Diamonds during the Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May. Queen Mary’s Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London for modification work ahead of the Coronation.

Imperial State Crown | George IV State Diadem | Queen Mary’s Crown | Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother | Cullinan Diamond

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Composed of a silver frame, lined with gold, and set with 2,200 diamonds, mainly brilliant-cut, with some rose-cut, the Crown has an openwork band, set at the front with a detachable rock crystal replica of the Cullinan IV Diamond and a frieze of quatrefoils and rosettes, each with a large brilliant in the centre, surrounded by smaller stones, between borders composed of single rows of brilliants. Above the band are four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis. The front cross is set with a detachable rock crystal replica of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, the other three crosses are set in the centre with a large diamond each. The eight detachable half-arches each taper towards the top, and terminate in scrolls, and contain six graduated brilliants, between borders of stones. The monde is pavé-set with diamonds and surmounted by another cross with a rock crystal replica of the pear-shaped Cullinan III Diamond in the centre. The crown is fitted with a purple velvet cap with an ermine band. The Crown was created by Garrard & Co ahead of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in June 1911, inspired by the Crown of Queen Alexandra from 1902, and using many of its diamonds.

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Queen Mary was crowned with her new Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the Coronation Ceremony at Westminster Abbey, afterwards wearing it for the Official Portraits, but it was never worn again in its full form, only ever portrayed on a cushion in portraits.  

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After the Coronation of 1911, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Cullinan III Diamond, and Cullinan IV Diamond were removed for separate use and replaced with quartz crystal replicas, and the Crown was only ever worn without the Arches for some Official Portraits and several State Openings of Parliament. 

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Unusually, Queen Mary decided to attend the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, and for the first time, her Crown remained intact and instead, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond and diamonds from Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet, were used to create the new Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Queen Mary wore her Crown for the Coronation in 1937, using the Cullinan V Diamond in place of the crystal replica of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

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Queen Mary’s Crown has been on permanent display with the other Crown Jewels in the Jewel House of the Tower of London, though it has now been removed from display at the Tower for modification work ahead of the Coronation.

Like it was originally, the Cullinan III Diamond and Cullinan IV Diamond will be added back into their original spots, while the Cullinan V Diamond will be used in place of the crystal replica of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, this resolving months of speculation. Additionally, four of the eight arches will be removed.

  

The Announcement from Buckingham Palace: 

Queen Mary’s Crown has been removed from display at the Tower of London for modification work ahead of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort on Saturday, 6th May 2023. Queen Mary’s Crown will be used for the Coronation of The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey.

The choice of Queen Mary’s Crown by Her Majesty is the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency. Some minor changes and additions will be undertaken by the Crown Jeweller, in keeping with the longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion, and reflects the Consort’s individual style.

These changes will in particular pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as the Crown will be reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds. The diamonds were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years and were often worn by Her late Majesty as brooches.

The Cullinan diamonds have been set into Queen Mary’s Crown on previous occasions. Cullinan III and IV were set temporarily in the Crown for the 1911 Coronation, and the Cullinan V was inserted when the Crown was worn as a regal circlet at King George VI’s Coronation in 1937.

In addition, four of the Crown’s eight detachable arches will be removed to create a different impression to when the Crown was worn by Queen Mary at the 1911 Coronation.

St Edward’s Crown, which will be used for the Coronation of His Majesty The King, has now returned to public display at the Tower of London following the completion of modification work.

Queen Mary’s Crown was made by Garrard’s for the 1911 coronation and was commissioned by Queen Mary, the consort of King George V.

The design was inspired by Queen Alexandra’s Crown of 1902. Like Queen Alexandra’s Crown, it can be worn without the arches in the form of a regal circlet, which Queen Mary wore for the Coronation of her son, King George VI, in 1937.

This is the first time a Queen Consort’s Crown has been re-used since the 18th century, when Queen Caroline, consort of George II, wore Mary of Modena’s crown.

Queen Camilla was Crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey with the Coronation Necklace and Earrings.

Imperial State Crown | George IV State Diadem | Queen Mary’s Crown | Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother | Cullinan Diamond

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