The Crown Jewels

The coronation of King Charles III will be the first time a King of England has his coronation televised and only the second-ever British monarch to do so after Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It’s a ceremony full of pomp and circumstance, cloaked in mystery and steeped in centuries-old traditions…that comes from a healthy dose of historical pettiness and happenstance. During the ceremony, the monarch will be presented with the crown jewels, almost all of which were destroyed, altered, or lost to time over the often-tumultuous centuries of British history. While the crown is the centrepiece of the regalia – what do sceptres, swords and a Scottish stone have to do with being anointed to the British throne?

Animations by Janet Cordahi, Andrew Miller, Kenny Badejo, Fasai Sivieng and Ata Mutahar.