The Crown Jewels

A single jewel in the Tower of London has seen the rise and fall of more empires, caused more bad luck and been more prized than any other precious stone on Earth. The Kohinoor is the most famous – and infamous – diamond in the world, but it’s only one of tens of thousands of jewels and numerous crowns that make up Britain’s most valuable treasure, the Crown Jewels. Now, to mark the Queen’s historic platinum jubilee – 70 years on the throne – Clive Myrie explores the objects that symbolize her authority. Collected over centuries by British kings and queens, these objects are now used on ceremonial occasions including the coronation, where they announce the arrival of every new monarch. With unprecedented access and the latest technology, Clive reveals the magnificent, astonishing, complicated thousand-year history buried within the Crown Jewels. These jewels – some of the most beautiful objects ever crafted – reveal the complicated story of our island over the last millennium.