At the Tower of London
The working coronation regalia of the British monarchy — set with 23,578 gemstones and guarded at the Tower for over 350 years.
The Crown Jewels are the most visited sight at the Tower of London, and unlike most museum collections they are not relics but working regalia, still used in the ceremonies of the British monarchy. Set with 23,578 gemstones, the collection is held in the Jewel House and guarded around the clock. Seeing it is included in every admission ticket.
The regalia includes the crowns, orbs, sceptres, swords and robes used at coronations. The St Edward's Crown, made in 1661, is the crown used at the moment of crowning itself. The Imperial State Crown, worn at the close of a coronation and at state occasions, is set with famous stones including the Black Prince's Ruby and a large historic diamond. The Sovereign's Sceptre holds Cullinan I, the Great Star of Africa, the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. Alongside them sit the Sovereign's Orb, the coronation spoon — the oldest object in the collection — and a great deal of gold plate.
Most of the medieval regalia no longer exists. After the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell's government broke up and melted down the old crown jewels, selling the stones. When the monarchy was restored in 1660, an entirely new set of regalia had to be made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, and it is that Restoration collection, added to over the centuries, that visitors see today. The regalia remains in active use: it was last central to the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.
Several of the world's most storied gemstones sit within the regalia. The Cullinan diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, was cut into stones that include Cullinan I in the Sovereign's Sceptre and Cullinan II in the Imperial State Crown. The Koh-i-Noor, one of the most famous and most disputed diamonds in the world, is set into the crown made for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Imperial State Crown alone carries thousands of stones, among them the Black Prince's Ruby, worn by English kings for centuries, and the Stuart Sapphire.
The Crown Jewels have been kept at the Tower since the Middle Ages, and the one serious attempt to steal them is part of the legend. In 1671 an adventurer named Colonel Thomas Blood talked his way into the Jewel House, flattened the St Edward's Crown to hide it under his cloak, and was caught only at the gate. He was, remarkably, pardoned by Charles II. Today the regalia is watched around the clock, and the Jewel House is one of the most secure rooms in the country.
The Jewel House uses a moving walkway to keep visitors flowing past the most famous pieces, with room to linger over the rest. Photography is not permitted inside, so this is a sight to watch rather than photograph. The one thing worth planning is timing: the queue for the Jewel House builds through the late morning, so it pays to head there first. Visitors who want to avoid the line entirely often choose an early-access tour that enters before the public. For how the Jewel House sits within the fortress, see the layout of the Tower, and for the wider story, the history of the Tower.