Netflix’s The Crown showcases Queen Elizabeth’s life and times – but what are the crown jewels really worth?
According to the Tower of London, where parts of the collection are housed, no monetary value is placed on the crown jewels because they are officially priceless
Family drama, sibling rivalry and meltdowns make for interesting television; it’s especially intriguing when the family involved is royal. As the popularity of Netflix’s The Crown proves, we can’t help ourselves when it comes to indulging in the hardships, suffering, miseries and romances of the royal family.
A rich family legacy comes with plenty of perks, and for the queen of England that means access to an arsenal of royal jewels. One piece that marked a key moment on the show, and in Queen Elizabeth’s life, is St Edward’s Crown, the most important and sacred of all the crown jewels, which refers to the ceremonial regalia and other jewellery worn by the sovereign on certain state occasions.
We know that the value of royal jewels easily exceeds the cost of the actual gems. But exactly how much would St Edward's Crown be worth?
According to the Tower of London, where parts of the collection are housed, no monetary value is placed on the crown jewels because they are officially priceless. It’s why the collection has never been appraised to be insured. The pieces are part of the larger Royal Collection, which is a public asset; much like Buckingham Palace, and can only be passed down, not sold. The collection includes 140 ceremonial objects set with 23,578 gemstones, among them the famous Cullinan Diamonds and the Sovereign’s Orb.
There’s no consensus on the worth of the jewels; these historic artefacts have value beyond the price of the gems they’re adorned with. Nevertheless, Readers’ Digest has placed a US$4 billion estimate on the collection.
Queen Elizabeth discussed crowns in BBC’s documentary The Coronation, saying: “You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did [look down], your neck would break. So there are some disadvantages to the crowns.” However, she concedes: “Otherwise, they’re quite important things.”
Among the most prestigious pieces of the crown jewels are St Edward’s Crown, better known as the Coronation Crown. It is one of two crowns – the other being the Imperial State Crown – that the queen wore at her coronation. No one else has worn it since she was crowned queen 67 years ago.
