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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Crown Jewels
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The phrase is normally used of the British crown jewels, kept in the *Tower of London. Apart from one or two of the lesser items these go back no further than the 17C, the previous royal insignia having been destroyed during the *Commonwealth. Two crowns are used during a *coronation, the heavy St Edward's crown made for *Charles II, followed by the lighter imperial state crown, made for Queen *Victoria, which is also used for the *state opening of parliament. The most famous stones in the crown jewels are the *Kohinoor and the Star of Africa (cut from the *Cullinan diamond).
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There is another far older set of crown jewels in Britain, the so-called Honours of Scotland – now in Edinburgh Castle. Among these Scottish regalia, the oldest in Europe, is the crown refashioned for *James V in 1540; it is believed to contain within it a circlet with which *Robert the Bruce was crowned at Scone in 1306.
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