Queen Elizabeth II Reunited with St Edward’s Crown for First Time in 65 Years

For the first time since her coronation 65 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II has been reunited with the St Edward's Crown.

Although the Imperial State Crown is more commonly associated with the British monarch, the St Edward's Crown is used by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the actual moment of coronation.

It was made for Charles II in 1661 by Robert Viner, the Crown Jeweler, as a replacement for the original medieval crown, which had been melted down in 1649 by the Parliamentarians and was thought to date back to the 11th century.

The St Edward's Crown is composed of a solid gold frame, set with tourmalines, white and yellow topazes, rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, peridot, zircons, spinel, and aquamarines, mounted in enamelled gold collets, and has a velvet cap with an ermine band.

The present Queen's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, after 16 months of planning, and was watched by millions throughout the world for the first time on television.

At the moment the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the St Edward's Crown on the young Sovereign's head, a fanfare was played by the State Trumpeters, triggering a gun salute from the Tower of London and a peal of the Abbey bells.

Despite being the nation's longest reigning monarch, the Queen, who will celebrate her 92nd birthday in April, has never worn a St Edward's Crown again.

In fact, she hasn't even seen it in person, aside from a brief glimpse behind glass when she opened the jewel house at the Tower of London in 1994.

However, the Queen and Crown have now been reunited again for a stunning new collaboration between BBC One and the Royal Collection Trust, the charity responsible for one of the largest and most important art collections in the world.

Entitled The Coronation, the hour-long film will reveal the story behind the Crown jewels, which consists of 140 items and 23,000 precious stones, and the ceremony in which they are used for the first time.

The Queen will also personally share memories of the ceremony, as well as that of her father King George VI in 1937.

Viewing both private and official film footage, she recalls the day when the weight of both St Edward's Crown and the hopes and expectations of a country recovering from war were placed on her shoulders, saying, “I've seen one coronation and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.”

The film, part of a series of programmes across BBC television and radio revealing the treasures of the Royal Collection, also features eyewitness accounts of those who participated in the 1953 coronation, including a maid of honour who nearly fainted in the abbey, and a 12-year-old choir boy who was left to sing solo when his overwhelmed colleagues lost their voices.

Charlotte Moore, BBC director of content, said, “It is a real honour to have Her Majesty the Queen revealing her intimate knowledge of the crown jewels, and fond childhood memories from when her father was crowned King George VI in this very special film for BBC One.

In her own words, the Queen will bring to life the enduring symbolic importance of the coronation ceremonies for modern audiences to enjoy.”

The Coronation will be broadcast on BBC One on January 14, 2018, at 8 pm GMT.