St. Edwards Crown Keychain

Cast in fine english pewter, luxuriously plated in 22ct Gold and set with genuine austrian crystals.

Crown Size: 24x24x34mm

Display Box: 46x46x60mm

St. Edward’s Crown

O God the Crown of the faithful: Bless we beseech thee this Crown, and so sanctify thy ser-vant ELIZABETH upon whose head this day Over the last 900 years there have been two crowns commonly called St Edward's Crown; that which may have belonged to Edward the Confessor, and that which replaced it in 1661.

The original St Edward's Crown was kept at Westminster Abbey, and it was during the Commonwealth period that delegates of the Parliamentary Commission appointed in 1643 to remove all the 'monuments of superstition and idolatory' made their visit. The scene was described by Charles I's chaplain, Peter Eyelet; ‘the chest which contained St Edward's regalia was forced open and one of the visiting party, George Withers, donned the contents: 'Who being a stately garb, and afterwards with a thousand Apish and Ridiculous actions exposed those sacred ornaments to contempt and laughter'. In 1649 St Edward's Crown was brought to the Tower of London Mint to be melted down. There is no evidence that the metal was actually used for striking coins and it is thought that it may have been used to make the crown that Cromwell is said to have ordered in 1656 and which was displayed at his funeral two years later.

On the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, directions were given that a new coronation crown was required and that is was to be 'named St Edward's Crowne'. There is reason to believe that the same gold may have been used to make the new St Edward's Crown in 1661. Some gold from the Treasury supply was used, for in a list of the new regalia drawn up for Charles II in April 1684 there appears the remark 'For the addition of gold and workmanship, £350', where-as in the case of the State Crown and other orna-ments, the entry reads 'For the gold, jewels and workmanship'. Made by Robert Vyner, it is made with 4 LB 12 ounces of solid gold but was origi-nally not permanently set with jewels. From 1661 until the early 20th Century, the crown was set with hired stones, and then returned and replaced with paste. From 1702 until the early 19th Century, the Crown was not actually used for the Coronation, but was instead only carried in the procession as a symbolic object.

At Queen Victoria's Coronation in 1838, it did not even leave the Tower of London. Edward VII decided to revive the central role of the crown of his saint-ly namesake, and St Edward's Crown was refur-bished and prepared for his Coronation in 1902. However, he was recuperating after appendicitis and had to abandon his plans to wear the heavy St Edward's Crown. For the Coronation of King George V in 1911, Garrard carried out £375 worth of work, permanently resetting the crown with 444 precious and semi precious stones, and it has been used as the actual Crown of Coronation since then.