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| Crown of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Garrard & Co, 1937 Crown Copyright The Royal Collection Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
Garrard & Co made this crown in 1937 for the Coronation of King George VI and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother). The frame of the crown is constructed of platinum which is set with over 2,800 diamonds (these are mostly cushion-shaped, however, some are rose-cut and some are brilliants). The crown’s band is made of alternating mounts in the shape of crosses and rectangles. This band is bordered with rows of brilliant-cut diamonds.
At the front of the crown, a large diamond has been mounted. This diamond was given to Queen Victoria by the Sultan of Turkey in 1856. Four fluers-de-lis and four crosses- pattée surmount the bottom band. The central cross was created to hold the remarkable Koh-i-Noor diamond. This monumental gem was set in a detachable mount so that it could be removed after the Coronation for use elsewhere.
The half-arches are detachable as well so that the crown could be worn without them by the Queen upon the State Openings of Parliament. Her Majesty wore the crown without these arches, also, at the Coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. The arches are surmounted by a pavé-set monde and a cross which once held the Lahore Diamond which had been given to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1851. Presently, since the Lahore is in use elsewhere, a rock crystal replica is set into this cross.
The crown is fitted with an ermine band and purple velvet cap. In addition to the three major diamonds, the majority of the stones on this crown were removed from Queen Victoria’s Royal Circlet. It’s notable that the Koh-i-Noor has been set into the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.
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| Crown Copyright The Royal Collection Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
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