On display for the first time is a group of four brooches belonging to Her Majesty, each representing a nation of the United Kingdom, with a sprig of shamrock for Northern Ireland,

Sprays of daffodils for Wales,

Thistles for Scotland

and roses for England.

The brooches are made of gold, set with white, pink and yellow diamonds and, for the shamrock, emeralds.

The Queen has worn these brooches on numerous occasions, often while visiting the nation represented by the emblem.

Queen Elizabeth II | Daffodil Diamond Spray Brooch Gift of The Sheik of Oman |Royal Jewels Great Britain and Ireland

Queen Elizabeth II | Thistle Diamond Brooch Gift of The Sultan of Oman | Three Scotland Thistle in Diamonds|Royal Jewels Great Britain and Ireland

Queen Elizabeth II | Shamrock Diamond Brooch Gift of The Sultan of Oman | Three Leaf Clovers in Diamonds|Royal Jewels Great Britain and Ireland

Queen Elizabeth II | Two Roses with Bud Diamond Brooch Gift of The Sultan of Oman | Rose Spray in white and pink Diamonds|Royal Jewels Great Britain and Ireland

Special Coronation display opens at Windsor Castle to
celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Windsor Castle 7 July – 26 September 202

Special Coronation display opens at Windsor Castle to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Continuing the celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, a special display at Windsor Castle will
open to visitors on Thursday, 7 July .

Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation explores
the Coronation through portraiture, photographs and items of Her Majesty’s dress and jewellery,
including the Coronation Dress, Robe of Estate and the Coronation Necklace and Earrings.
The Queen’s Coronation, which took place at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, was one of the
most significant occasions of the 20th century. The event was a source of national celebration, seen to
usher in a new age of progress and a spirit of optimism in post-war Britain. Three million people lined
the processional route in London and many more took part in church services and street parties
across the country. An estimated 27 million people – over half of the UK population – watched the
Coronation service on television, while a further 11 million listened to the radio broadcast.
Her Majesty’s Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate are on display in the spectacular setting of
St George’s Hall, the largest room in the Castle. Designed by the British couturier Sir Norman
Hartnell, the Coronation Dress was created in the finest white duchesse satin, richly embroidered in a
lattice-work effect with an iconographic scheme of floral emblems in gold and silver thread and pastel-
coloured silks, encrusted with seed pearls, sequins and crystals. Hartnell, who had previously designed
The Queen’s wedding dress in 1947, submitted eight designs for consideration. Her Majesty selected
the eighth design but requested that the emblems of the seven independent states of which she was
monarch be incorporated, together with those of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. A colourful
sketch of Hartnell’s ninth and final design is on display alongside original embroidery samples, giving
visitors an insight into the process of designing the dress.
Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate was made by the royal robe-makers Ede & Ravenscroft of purple silk
velvet woven by the firm of Warner & Sons, and was embroidered at the Royal School of
Needlework. The goldwork embroidery design features wheat ears and olive branches, symbolising
prosperity and peace, surrounding the crowned EIIR cipher. It took 12 embroideresses, using 18
different types of gold thread, more than 3,500 hours to complete the work between March and May
1953.
Her Majesty’s Coronation Necklace and Earrings are on display in the Lantern Lobby. Originally made
for Queen Victoria in 1858 and comprising of 28 diamonds, the necklace was subsequently worn by
Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) at their coronations in
1902, 1911 and 1937 respectively. The Coronation Earrings had also been worn by Queen Mary and
Queen Elizabeth on their coronation days.

Also on display are brooches representing the emblems of some Commonwealth countries. These
include the Canadian Maple-leaf Brooch, worn by Her Majesty (then Princess Elizabeth) on her first
visit to Canada in 1951; the Flame-Lily Brooch, the emblem of Zimbabwe, which was pinned to
Queen’s mourning clothes when she returned to Britain from Kenya after the death of her father in
1952; the New Zealand Silver Fern Brooch, the Australian Wattle Brooch, and the Sri Lanka Brooch.
A highlight of the display will be a 2.5-metre-tall portrait of The Queen by Sir Herbert James Gunn.
Commissioned to commemorate the Coronation, it continues a long tradition of formal portraiture of
new monarchs in their Coronation clothes, often referred to as ‘State Portraits’. Her Majesty is
depicted in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace wearing the Coronation Dress, Robe of Estate,
Coronation Necklace and Earrings, Diamond Diadem and the Collar and Badge of the Most Noble
Order of the Garter. This badge, known as the Marlborough George, is also part of the display.
Originally made for George IV in 1828, the gold figure of St. George on a rearing horse slaying the
dragon, the emblem of the Order, is mounted in enamel and diamonds. The Collar and Badge are
worn by The Queen for the annual Garter Day service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and
for the State Opening of Parliament.
The leading British fashion and portrait photographer Cecil Beaton was chosen to take the official
photographs of the Coronation. These were taken inside Buckingham Palace after The Queen had
returned from Westminster Abbey. A three-quarter length portrait, on display in the Lantern Lobby,
shows Her Majesty wearing the Imperial State Crown and holding the sceptre and orb. Breaking with
tradition, Beaton added an air of theatricality and glamour by photographing the young Queen against
a painted backdrop of Henry VII’s Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. The use of the profile pose
provides a sense of tradition and continuity, as monarchs have been depicted in profile on coins,
medals, and stamps though the ages.
A digital event Royal Jewels: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration will take place at 19:00 on Thursday,
28 July. Caroline de Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen’s Works of Art and curator of the
Platinum Jubilee display, will be in conversation with Carol Woolton, former Jewellery Editor of Vogue
to discuss items of The Queen’s jewellery on display at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace this
summer. Tickets can be booked at www.rct.uk

Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation will be part of a visit to Windsor Castle from 7 July – 26
September 2022 and is included in the price of a general admission ticket. Windsor Castle is open to
visitors Thursday to Monday, remaining closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For tickets and visitor
information: www.rct.uk, T. +44 (0)303 123 7304