The Queen poses with crown that turned her from princess to queen 65 years ago
HER MAJESTY smiles as she’s reunited with the crown that turned her from a princess into a queen 65 years ago.
The 92-year-old was just 27 when the little-seen St Edward’s Crown was placed upon her head by the Archbishop of Canterbury during her coronation in 1953.
But she’s never worn the piece again and has only set eyes on it once, when she saw it behind a glass case during a visit to open the Jewel House at the Tower of London in 1994.
The crown was originally made for Charles II in 1661 by Crown Jeweller Robert Viner to replace a medieval crown which had been melted down in and was thought to date back to the 11th century royal saint, Edward the Confessor.
It is composed of a solid gold frame and stands 12 inches tall and weighs nearly 5lbs - is studded with 444 glittering jewels, including rubies, amethysts and sapphires, with a purple velvet cap and ermine band.
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The Queen and her crown were reunited as part of a collaboration between the BBC and the Royal Collection Trust charity for a documentary.
The hour-long programme, called The Coronation, will reveal the story behind the Crown Jewels and will be broadcast on BBC One at 8pm on January 14.