The Crown Jewels tells the story of the most spectacular and complete collection of royal regalia in the world, held in the Tower of London and used at every coronation since 1661. Their history is that of the English monarchy itself, from dramatic events such as the execution of Charles I in 1649, which led to the sale and melting down of almost every piece of the medieval regalia, to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, which brought pageantry to austerity Britain and was the first such ceremony most people were able to watch on television in their own homes.

This book, written by an acknowledged authority on English courty history, provides a highly readable introduction to the story of the Crown Jewels, from the beginnings of the collection in the medieval period - of which the 12th-century Coronation Spoon is a remarkable survivor - to the present day. Since the remaking of the principal items of the regalia for Charles II in 1660-61, the collection has evolved and now incorporates gems such as Cullinan I and II, cut from the largest diamond ever found, and the legendary Koh-i-nur diamond, given to Queen Victoria and set in the platinum crown created for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1937.

Published in association with the Royal Collection and Historic Royal Palaces, the book features specially commissioned new photography, including many detail shots, allowing individual pieces, the famous gems and carefully selected groups of objects to be viewed as never before. Unlike most of their European counterparts, these magnificent objects are still used in royal ceremony today, hundreds of years after many of them were originally created.