Heavy is the head that wears the crown and when that crown was the Imperial State Crown - which weighs just over a kilogram (2.3 pounds) - Shakespeare’s famous line has never rung more true. Traditionally worn at the State Opening of Parliament, Queen Elizabeth II wore the crown for all but three of the state openings throughout her historic 70-year reign.
So how did she handle wearing such a heavy crown, especially in her later years? Well, in keeping with her straightforward nature, Her Majesty kept things practical, giving herself plenty of time to prepare before she would need to wear this magnificent headpiece.
As per the Daily Mail, royal biographer Robert Hardman reportedly claimed in his book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, that the late Queen would request that the Imperial State Crown be delivered to her the day before opening.
If this is correct, then this would have given Her Majesty plenty of time to practise wearing the exquisite, weighty crown before she had to don it and give a speech in front of Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth had previously opened up about just what it felt like wearing the bulky crown in the 2018 BBC documentary, The Coronation. She explained, "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," she added.
Queen Elizabeth's expert understanding of her role and the significance of historic items like the Imperial State Crown to it was a sign of her work ethic and dedication to service. Indeed, she only missed three State Openings of Parliament throughout her 70-year reign and two of these were because she was pregnant.
There were also only a few of times she didn't wear the Imperial State Crown to the State Openings. The crown was absent from Queen Elizabeth's outfit in 1974, following then-Prime Minister Ted Heath's decision to call a snap election. She didn't wear the crown in 2017 or in 2021 either.
In 2021, the State Opening of Parliament was scaled back during the pandemic and the crown was carried in on a ceremonial cushion and displayed nearby.
The Imperial State Crown is made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies. It features some of the most famous and rare gems, including the Cullinan II Diamond, the Black Prince’s Ruby and St Edward’s Sapphire.
"Even though it is a seriously heavy headpiece, it's one that's so synonymous with British royalty that I'm not surprised Queen Elizabeth wore it so much," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "She was a stickler for tradition and when she wore it, she couldn't have looked more regal and dignified."
It was originally made for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937 and was based on a crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838. Despite its heft, the Imperial State Crown isn’t the heaviest in the collection.
This dubious honor goes to St Edward’s Crown, which is only used during the crowning of a new monarch, and weighs a daunting 2.23kg (just short of 5lb). The current St Edward's Crown dates back to 1661, when it was made for Charles II.
Its weight comes from the 22-carat solid gold frame and semi-precious gemstones on it. St Edward's Crown was worn by King Charles at his Coronation in 2023.
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