The Great Crown of Victory or Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut (Thai

Thai alphabet

Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....

: พระมหาพิชัยมงกุฏ) is one of the Royal Regalia of Thailand. Made of gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

 in the reign of King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chakri Borommanat Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke , posthumously titled "the Great", or Rama I , was the founder and the first monarch of the reigning House of Chakri of Siam . He ascended the throne in 1782, after defeating a rebellion which had deposed King...

 or Rama I in 1782, it is 66 centimeters high and weighs 7.3 kg, and enamelled in red and green. Thanks to King Mongkut

Mongkut

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...

 or Rama IV, the Great Crown of Victory is also set in diamonds. The King added a large cut diamond from India to decorate the top of the royal crown

Crown (headgear)

A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...

, called Phra Maha Wichian Mani. The crown is of a distinctive Thai design, being a multi-tiered conical diadem, terminating in a tapering spire.

The King only wears the crown during his coronation

Coronation

A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...

 ceremony, where the King places the crown on his own head. The shape of the crown, represents the concept of "dhevaraja", the tall spire represents divine authority and right to rule over the people.

Currently, the Great Crown of Victory is the most important of the five Royal Regalia, yet once the crown possessed the same importance as any other Royal Regalia. However it was under the influence of western culture in that the king would accede to the throne when crowned in the reign of King Rama V.