THE CROWN jewels are some of the most securely guarded treasures in Britain and are displayed behind bomb-proof glass and over 100 hidden security cameras.
Despite these strong measures today, they were once stored in a very different and surprising location: a biscuit tin.
We last saw the glittering Imperial State Crown as King Charles attended the State Opening of Parliament on November 7, which was the first of his new reign.
During World War Two, the jewels were moved to a new location so they could be prevented from falling into enemy hands.
Royal expert Alistair Bruce said he’d found an “electric set of letters” written by royal librarian Sir Owen Morshead to Queen Mary.
Her son, King George VI, ordered a “deep hole” to be dug at Windsor Castle for them to be stored in.
They were to be kept “beneath a sally port, one of the secure entries to the castle, and two chambers constructed with steel doors.”
Alistair added: “They dug out this fresh, very virgin white chalk and they had to hide it with tarpaulins so when the aircraft flew over at night no clue was given to the German Luftwaffe that anything was going on.”
The Black Prince‘s Ruby and St Edward’s Sapphire were extracted from the Imperial State Crown and remarkably were kept in the biscuit tin “in case of emergency.”
One common misconception is that the Crown Jewels refers only to a few crowns in possession of the Royal family.
However, the term is actually used to describe the collection of more than 100 ceremonial objects which boast a spectacular 23,578 precious gemstones, like sapphires, emeralds and rubies as well as lesser known gems such as amethysts, garnets, peridots and aquamarines.
It includes the Imperial State Crown, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other regalia.
And at the heart of the collection are the Coronation Regalia – the “the sacred objects used during the coronation ceremony.”
There are strict rules surrounding the Crown Jewels and only three people in the world are allowed to touch the Imperial State Crown – the current monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown Jeweller.
Part of the wider Royal Collection, the jewels represent over 800 years of rich Royal history.
The crown jewels are not insured against loss and are unlikely to ever be sold.
These jewels are officially priceless but estimated to be worth anywhere between £1billion to £5billion.
The most iconic piece in the Crown Jewels collection is the Imperial State Crown.
For many of the late Queen’s formal occasions, such as the Opening of Parliament, she wore the striking Imperial State Crown, which is made from gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies.
It measures 31.5cm (12.4 in) and weighs 2.2lbs (1kg), and the late Queen previously revealed it is so heavy that she wasn’t able to look down in her speeches.
She once previously said: “You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up.
“Because if you did, your neck would break and it would fall off.”
There is no official record of how much the Imperial State Crown is worth by itself.
But according to Sam Mee, some experts have estimated its worth at up to an astonishing £5 billion, with the Cullinan II valued at around £400 million.
“It’s a moot point, though,” says Mee, “as the crown will never be broken up or sold.
“Selling the crown jewels’ is not something that will ever literally happen.”
