Jewel House
Encyclopedia
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
is both a building and an institution. Until 1782 it was the Department of the Jewel Office, under the Master of the Jewel Office
Master of the Jewel Office
The Master of the Jewel Office is a position in the British Royal Household. The holders are responsible for running the Jewel Office, which holds the Sovereign's jewellry.-Masters of the Jewel Office:*1445–1448: John Merston*1465–1483: Thomas Vaughan...
, who was generally a senior politician.
History
A Keeper of the Crown JewelsCrown Jewels of the United Kingdom
The collective term Crown Jewels denotes the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at other state functions...
was appointed in 1207. Over the subsequent centuries his title varied, from Keeper of the King's Jewels, Master of the Jewel House, Master and Treasurer of the King's Jewels and Plate, or Keeper of the Jewel House. He was also Treasurer of the Chamber
Treasurer of the Chamber
The Treasurer of the Chamber was a position in the British royal household, separated in 1485 from that of the Master of the Jewel Office, situated within the Privy Chamber department of the Lord Steward...
, a division of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
of the Sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
. In this position he was also called Keeper of the Court Wardrobe, Keeper of the Privy Wardrobe, or Receiver of the Chamber. In this capacity he represented the Lord Treasurer's interests in the regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
, and the wardrobe and privy wardrobe. Because of this the Receiver of the Chamber exercised delegated authority over the Crown Jewels, especially those kept at the Tower of London. These two positions were separated in 1485.
In 1378 the Keeper gained control over at least a part of the royal jewels, and had a box in which he kept them, with two keys, one for himself and the other for the Lord Treasurer. This was the beginning of the Jewel House Department.
The royal treasure was usually kept in the Tower of London, and at the Great Treasury, Westminster. Additionally, 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...
regalia was over the centuries kept in the Chamber of the Pyx in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. From the foundation of the Abbey in c. 1050 until 1303 the Chamber of the Pyx also held the general royal treasury. Most crowns
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...
were kept in the Tower of London from the time of King Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, as were coronation regalia from 1643, except for some items which were in the Abbey during the time of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
.
The first Keeper (however styled) after the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of the monarchy in 1660, Sir Gilbert Talbot, was the last to exercise day-to-day control over the Jewel House. At that time he was styled Master and Treasurer of the Jewels and Plate. Spare plate was at this time kept at Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, and later, probably, at St James's Palace. Very large quantities of spare plate were melted down and sold in 1680, and thereafter the Jewel House held comparatively little besides that which was held at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
- though much was out on loan.
In 1782, as part of a wider rationalisation of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
, the Jewel House Department was abolished, the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
's Office taking over the accounting functions, with an official called the "Officer of the Jewels and Plate".
Although a treasury had been found in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
from the earliest times (as in the sub-crypt of St. John's Chapel
St John's Chapel, London
St. John's Chapel is located in the Tower of London. Dating from 1080, this complete 11th-century church is the oldest church in London.A Romanesque chapel, St. John's is on the second floor of the White Tower, which was built in 1077–97 as a keep or citadel, the oldest part of William the...
in the White Tower), from 1255 there was a separate Jewel House for state crowns and regalia, though not older crowns and regalia, which remained at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. This Jewel House stood by the (now demolished) Wardrobe Tower.
Following Richard de Podnecott's attempted robbery of the Chamber of the Pyx in 1303 the coronation regalia (such as St. Edward's Crown
St. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
) were moved to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
for safekeeping. A new Jewel House was built near the White Tower
White Tower (Tower of London)
The White Tower is a central tower, the old keep, at the Tower of London.-History:The castle which later became known as the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1066. It began as a timber fortification enclosed by a palisade. In the next decade work began on the White Tower, the...
in 1378, and by the 1530s the reserve of jewels and plate was brought together in the rebuilt Jewel House, on the south side of the White Tower
White Tower (Tower of London)
The White Tower is a central tower, the old keep, at the Tower of London.-History:The castle which later became known as the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1066. It began as a timber fortification enclosed by a palisade. In the next decade work began on the White Tower, the...
. The upper floor was for the regalia, and the lower for the plate.
From 1660, as the Privy Wardrobe no longer remained at the Tower of London, a caretaker was appointed as watchman for the Master of the Jewel House. He later became known as the Keeper of the Regalia or Keeper of the Jewel Office at the Tower. From this appointment a separate branch of the Jewel House Department developed. When the latter was closed down the Tower of London Jewel House alone remained. From 1665 the regalia were on show to the public, and over time this activity of the Jewel House became increasingly important.
From 1782 until 1814 there was only the resident caretaker to guard the regalia and other jewels at the Tower of London. In 1814 a Keeper of the Jewel House was appointed. He had a servant as "exhibitor" - renamed Curator in 1921 - who was responsible for the day-to-day custody of the jewels.
The Keeper of the Jewel House gradually grew in standing, to approximate that of the pre-1782 Keeper. In 1852 he was recognised as a member of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
, though this ended in 1990 when the Tower of London became the responsibility of the new Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity created in 1998 to manage Britain's unoccupied royal palaces. These are:* The Tower of London* Hampton Court Palace* Kensington Palace - the state rooms only.* Banqueting House* Kew Palace...
Agency. The post was combined with that of Resident Governor of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
in 1968, and a Deputy Governor (Security) assumed much of his responsibilities.
An assistant curator was appointed in 1963, and a second in 1968, when a new independent body of wardens and senior wardens was created to replace the former detail of Yeomen Warders
Yeomen Warders
The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London...
of the Tower of London who had been responsible for the outward protection of the jewels.
The wardens, who wear royal livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, numbered 20 in 1990.
Removal of the Regalia
The regalia are removed from the Jewel House on the authority of the Lord ChamberlainLord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
, head of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
, exercised by his deputy the Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. He signs a chit
Chit
Chit can refer to:*Chit , a type of wargame counter*Chit fund, a savings scheme practiced in India*Voucher, a certificate with monetary value*Chitting, a method of preparing potatoes for planting...
on receipt of the items from the Deputy Governor (Security). Only the Crown Jeweller can handle the regalia and it is customary for a team of armed policemen to be present. The Curator, now renamed Chief Exhibitor, reports directly to the Deputy Governor, who is responsible to the Resident Governor and Keeper of the Jewel House. The Constable and Governor of the Tower of London, and his Lieutenant, are senior retired officers, who have some element of oversight, though no specific authority over the Jewel House.
In 1917 some items were removed for safekeeping away from German bombing, and in 1939-47 a similar precaution was taken.
In 1669 the regalia were moved into a new chamber in the Martin Tower, where they remained until the construction of a new structure adjacent to the Martin Tower in 1842. Unfortunately the new Jewel House, although designed for the now-primary purpose of showing the regalia, was not suitable, and a new chamber was constructed in the upper floor of the Wakefield Tower in 1869. Apart from their temporary removal during war, or for ceremonial use, the Crown Jewels
Crown jewels
Crown jewels are jewels or artifacts of the reigning royal family of their respective country. They belong to monarchs and are passed to the next sovereign to symbolize the right to rule. They may include crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other objects...
remained there until 1967.
Current structure
The 1967 Jewel House was built in the west wing of the Waterloo Barracks. It contained a combined strongroom/display area in the basement extending out into the Broad Walk (parade ground) in front of the Barracks, and an upper floor displaying plate. The entrance was in the west front of the barracks, with the basement chamber entered through the ground floor chamber, down 49 steps, past untreated concrete walls, and through a massive ChubbChubb Locks
Chubb Locks is a brand name of the Mul-T-Lock subsidiary of the Assa Abloy Group, which manufactures high security locking systems for residential, secure confinement and commercial applications.-History:...
strongroom door. The vault was said to be nuclear bomb proof, and to contain electronic beams and steel shutters for security. The items were displayed in a series of glass cases arranged in a circle, around which visitors proceeded clockwise, under the supervision of the wardens. There was a raised gallery at a distance of 2-3 yards from the cases, for viewing at a more leisurely pace.
The Jewel House was built 1966-67 and designed to cater for one million visitors annually. However, as by the 1980s the Jewel House was regularly visited by twice that number of people, a new Jewel House was planned. This was constructed 1992-94, also in the Waterloo Barracks, which was fortunately large enough, having been built to accommodate 1,000 men. The new Jewel House is single-level, on the ground floor of the barracks - doubtless the threat of nuclear attack having receded the need for a subterranean vault was less. The Jewel House was funded from the visitor receipts, and cost £10m. The display area is three times the size of the old Jewel House, and more efficient crowd management techniques meant that it is capable of handling four times the number of visitors, at 2,500 an hour. This is achieved largely through the use of a moving pavement.
New security and display technology was also incorporated, including fibre optics to light the displays, and the jewels are protected by 2 inches (50.8 mm) shatter-proof glass. The cases are of brass and contain inert materials, and filtered air. The jewels rest on French velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
.
A dedicated control room was constructed in the barracks, from which soldiers monitored the Jewel House and the wider Tower of London. Improvements to the Tower of London, especially covering fire safety and security, cost an additional £4.5m, and took three years to complete.
The Jewel House and control room occupy the whole ground floor of the Waterloo Barracks. The jewels were moved 9 January 1994, and the new Jewel House was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
24 March 1994.
The current Keeper of the Jewel House is Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Richard Harrold, OBE, who was appointed in 2011. The Chief Exhibitor of the Jewel House is Keith Hanson, and the Deputy Chief Exhibitor Lyn Jones, RVM
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
Queen's Guard
The Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
at the time. The Guard has been based in Waterloo Barracks since 1845, and is 22 strong, under an officer. The Tower Guard mounts sentries throughout the Tower of London.
The Yeomen Warders
Yeomen Warders
The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London...
of the Tower of London also provide security, though their day-time role is more concerned with the management of the large number of visitors to the Tower of London. Unlike the soldiers of the Tower Guard, who rotate, the Yeomen Warders are permanent, and live in the Tower of London. The present body dates from 1485, and they wear very similar uniforms to the Sovereign's bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard
Yeomen of the Guard
The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As a token of this venerability, the Yeomen still wear red and gold uniforms of Tudor...
, of which they have been extraordinary members since 1550. There are currently about 38 Yeomen Warders.