The British royal family’s crown jewels were secured in place for Monday’s funeral forQueen Elizabeth— but that hasn’t always been the case at royal events.
The Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s Sceptre and the Sovereign’s Orb were eachplaced atop the Queen’s coffinfor the State Funeral, which featured services at both Westminster Abbey in London and St. George’s chapel at Windsor Castle.
Each item was expertly fastened to Her Majesty’s coffin to prevent the crown jewels from moving as they proceeded between locations during the event.
The practice prevented the crown jewels from being damaged, as they have been in the past.
BBC America
The Queen later wrote in her diary that the crown was “all crushed and squashed like a pudding that had sat down” after it took a tumble. She claimed it “was too heavy” for the Duke to carry.
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In 1936, the orb and the cross that sits atop the crown broke off and fell into a gutter as the coffin forQueen Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V, was being moved from London’s King’s Cross station, perThe Guardian.
Many viewed the incident as bad luck, as King George lay in state beneath a broken crown, per the report. George’s successor, King Edward VIII, abdicated eleven months after taking the throne.
The Queen was first presented with the Orb during her June 1953 coronation, which also took place at Westminster Abbey.
The Orb — a gold globe featuring a cross — is intended to symbolize that the monarch’s power comes from God, and dates back to 1661.
The Sceptre, created for Charles II, has been used at every coronation since 1661 as well.
source: people.com
