The British Crown Jewels were almost entirely destroyed during the English Civil War
Most of the historic regalia seen today is not medieval, but a 1660s reconstruction. After the monarchy was abolished in 1649, Parliament ordered the royal collection to be melted down and struck into coins, viewing the items as symbols of detestable rule and idolatry. Only four original pieces survived.
The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, housed at the Tower of London, represent the most historically complete set of royal regalia in the world. While their origins trace back to the Early Middle Ages, the collection underwent a radical transformation in the 17th century. During the English Civil War, King Charles I attempted to sell state jewels to fund his cause, but after his execution in 1649, the Rump Parliament ordered the destruction of the remaining items. Henry VIII’s crown, once valued at £1,100, was dismantled, its gemstones removed, and its gold melted down by the Mint.
The current collection is largely a product of the 1660 Restoration. When Charles II ascended the throne, he commissioned new regalia from the royal goldsmith Sir Robert Vyner, costing £12,184 7s 2d—a sum equivalent to the price of three warships. These replicas were intentionally fashioned to mirror the lost medieval objects, using the same names to maintain a sense of continuity. Only four items predate this period: a late 12th-century anointing spoon and three early 17th-century swords. Even the famous St Edward's Crown, long thought to be the original, was revealed by 2008 research to be a 1660 creation.
The collection’s survival has often been precarious. In 1671, the thief Thomas Blood attempted to steal the crown and orb, leading to the permanent use of armed guards. During the Second World War, the most valuable gemstones, including the Cullinan diamonds, were removed from their settings and hidden in a biscuit tin within a vault at Windsor Castle to protect them from potential Nazi invasion. Today, the collection comprises approximately 140 objects and 23,578 gemstones, serving as a powerful, if reconstructed, symbol of the British monarchy's enduring institutional authority.
