Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Dress and Crown
No One Noticed Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Malfunction During Her Coronation
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On top of her diamond necklace, earrings, brooch, and other priceless pieces of regalia, Queen Elizabeth got to wear quite a few jewels on the day of her coronation. On her way to Westminster Abbey, she wore the George IV State Diadem, which is now depicted on stamps in the UK. Made in 1820, it features roses, shamrocks, and thistles, and is made with 1,333 diamonds and 169 pearls.
During the coronation service, the St. Edward's Crown was placed on her head. Made of solid gold in 1661, it weighs 4 pounds and 12 ounces, and is so precious that it can only be held by the queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the crown jeweler. Although, despite its value, Queen Elizabeth doesn't seem to be too precious about it.
Finally, the Queen wore the diamond encrusted Imperial State Crown on her journey back to Buckingham Palace. Despite its beauty (I mean, it is adorned with 2,901 precious stones) Queen Elizabeth doesn't seem too fond of the historical object. "Once you've put it on, it stays," she told the BBC. "And you can't look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did your neck would break, it would fall off. So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they're quite important things."