What Is the Prince Philip Crown
The Prince Philip Crown is a ceremonial helmet-style crown made for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for his coronation alongside Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It is part of the broader set of British Crown Jewels and royal regalia, though it is not stored with the main Crown Jewels collection at the Tower of London. The crown features a gold frame with a cross pattée at the top, a purple velvet cap, and a gold circlet set with diamonds and other gemstones. It was designed to reflect Prince Philip's role as consort rather than a sovereign monarch. The piece is documented by the Royal Collection Trust as part of the official royal regalia used in state ceremonies Royal Collection Trust.
Unlike the crowns worn by sovereigns, the Prince Philip Crown follows the tradition of consort crowns, which are typically less elaborate than sovereign crowns but still carry significant historical and symbolic weight. The design emphasizes heraldic motifs associated with the British monarchy, including crosses and arches, while avoiding the full imperial crown form used by the sovereign. The crown has been referenced in official royal inventories and exhibition records as part of the wider collection of objects used in coronations and other major state occasions.
Value, Ownership, and Public Display
The Prince Philip Crown is held as part of the Royal Collection, which is owned by the sovereign in right of the Crown and managed for preservation and public display. The Royal Collection Trust lists the crown among objects held in trust for the nation, and it has been included in exhibitions at venues such as the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace when relevant displays of coronation regalia are staged. The collection itself is not formally insured in the public domain in the same way as commercial assets, but independent estimates of the total value of the Crown Jewels and associated regalia often run into the billions of pounds when gemstones and historical provenance are considered Forbes.
Public access to the Prince Philip Crown is typically through organized exhibitions and official royal events rather than routine daily display. The Tower of London remains the primary public home for the main Crown Jewels collection, while selected pieces of coronation regalia, including consort items, may appear in curated exhibitions or state processions. The Royal Collection Trust provides official documentation and images of the crown through its online catalog, supporting transparency about the objects held in trust Royal Collection Trust Collection. Financial valuation of individual pieces is not formally published, but the broader Crown Jewels collection is frequently cited in media and financial commentary as an invaluable national asset.
Role in Coronations and Modern Ceremonies
The Prince Philip Crown was placed on the Duke of Edinburgh's head during the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, alongside the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptres. The coronation liturgy and regalia were designed to underscore the constitutional and symbolic role of the monarchy, with the consort crown marking Philip's specific function during the ceremony. Official records from the ceremony note the use of the crown, the robes, and the other elements of the coronation regalia as part of a carefully scripted religious and state event Westminster Abbey.
In modern practice, the Prince Philip Crown remains part of the ceremonial vocabulary of the British monarchy, even though Prince Philip died in 2021 and the crown is no longer worn. The object continues to be referenced in discussions of royal heritage, historical preservation, and the logistics of managing large collections of state regalia. The Royal Collection Trust and related institutions use the crown as an example of mid-20th-century coronation craftsmanship, linking it to broader narratives about the continuity of the monarchy