Crown of Queen Alexandra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crown of Queen Alexandra |
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Engraving of the crown. The European-style crown contained more half arches than was usual in British crowns, and had its cap placed lower, allowing a clear view through the crown.
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| Details | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Arches | Eight half-arches |
| Material | Platinum |
| Notable stones | Koh-i-Noor |
The Crown of Queen Alexandra was a special crown made for Queen Alexandra, who was the wife of King Edward VII of Britain. It was created for their coronation ceremony in 1902. This beautiful crown is now part of the royal collection.
Why a New Crown Was Needed
When Queen Victoria passed away in 1901, it had been 64 years since Britain had a crowned queen consort. A "consort" is the spouse of a ruling king or queen. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, was not crowned as a consort.
Traditionally, queens consort had been crowned with a very old crown from the 17th century, called the Crown of Mary of Modena. However, in 1831, a new, smaller crown was made for Queen Adelaide. This was because the old Modena crown was thought to be too old or not suitable anymore.
For the 1902 coronation, it was decided not to use either of these older crowns. Instead, a brand new crown was designed especially for Queen Alexandra. This new crown would be named after her.
What Made the Crown Special
The Crown of Queen Alexandra looked different from most British crowns. It was more like the crowns used by royal families in other parts of Europe.
It was made from platinum, a very strong and light metal. This made the crown lighter to wear. It was also designed to be less tall and more flat than other British crowns. It had eight half-arches, which was more than usual for British crowns.
At the front of the crown, where the arches met, there was a special cross made of jewels. Inside this cross was the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. This diamond is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world.
A cool feature of this crown was that its arches could be taken off. This meant the bottom part of the crown could be worn separately, like a simple jeweled band called a circlet.
Later queens, like Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, had their own new crowns made. They did not wear Queen Alexandra's crown. Today, the Crown of Queen Alexandra is on display at the Tower of London. For visitors to see, the real precious stones have been replaced with artificial ones.
Gallery
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Queen Alexandra wearing the crown in a formal coronation photograph, 1902
