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More or Less: Behind the Stats

How much is the Coronation crown worth?

More or Less: Behind the Stats

BBC

Business, Mathematics, Science, News Commentary, News

4.63.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2023

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Consisting of 2 kilograms of gold and 444 gemstones, the iconic St Edward’s Crown will play a central role in the coronation of King Charles III, as it has for many of his predecessors. There has been much speculation as to what the value of the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels really is. Charlotte McDonald talks to Dr Anna Kaye, historian and author of The Crown Jewels - the Official History, and Alan Hart, CEO of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Together they break down what we know about the crown’s cost to make in the 17th century and what it might be worth today.

Transcript

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0:00.0

In 2008, 23-year-old Norwegian student Martina Vic Magnussen was killed in an apartment near Mayfair.

0:08.2

Hours after her death, the only suspect in the case fled the UK to Yemen.

0:13.4

He's never been questioned by the police.

0:15.8

I'm Noel El-Makafi and I made a promise to Martina's family 15 years ago to find out what happened.

0:22.6

Murder in Mayfair.

0:24.4

Part of the documentary, find it wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

0:30.6

Thank you for downloading the more or less podcast.

0:33.2

We're your weekly guide to the numbers and the news and in life.

0:37.0

I'm Charlotte McDonald.

0:41.4

The congregation rose to witness the supreme climax to the ancient ritual.

0:45.6

With St. Edward's crown, the Archbishop of Canterbury performed the simple yet the most significant ceremony of the Queen's coronation.

1:01.0

That was 70 years ago, 1953, and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

1:07.6

The moment St. Edward's crown was placed on the new Queen's head and she was anointed monarch.

1:13.6

The same ritual will be performed once again for King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.

1:21.0

It's the pinnacle of a ceremony full of tradition, pageantry and religious significance.

1:27.2

When the Archbishop of Canterbury just in Wellby, the most senior bishop in the Church of England,

1:33.0

will place the crown on Charles's head, before Trump hits sound and gun salutes are fired across the UK.

1:41.0

In the run up to the coronation, there's been a lot of speculation about how much this famous crown costs.

1:47.0

Figures have ranged from £3.5 million or £4 million to as much as £45 million or £57 million.

1:56.0

So in this week's episode, we are consulting the experts to try and understand what goes into putting a price on a piece of history.

2:04.0

Just so you know, this is not the crown that contains the controversial Koei Nord Diamond, which other countries have laid claim to.

2:10.0

The crown containing that will not feature in the ceremony.

...

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