The Sceptre with the Cross, also known as the St Edward's Sceptre, the Sovereign's Sceptre or the Royal Sceptre, is a sceptre

Sceptre

A sceptre is a symbolic ornamental rod or wand borne in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia.-Antiquity:...

 of the British Crown Jewels

Crown 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...

. It was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II

Charles II of England

Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...

 in 1661. In 1905, it was redesigned after the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond

Cullinan Diamond

The Cullinan diamond is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at .The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond, , also from the...

. Now, the Sceptre with the Cross includes one of the largest diamonds in the world, the Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa, which weighs over 530 carats (106 g). The Cullinan I can be removed from the sceptre to be worn as a brooch. Cullinan diamond was the largest diamond ever found in the world. It was cut into 9 different piece and Cullinan I was the largest among them.

The Sceptre symbolises the temporal authority of the Monarch under the Cross. The Sceptre with the Dove

Sceptre with the Dove

The Sceptre with the Dove, also known as the Rod with the Dove or the Rod of Equity and Mercy, is a sceptre of the British Crown Jewels. It was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661...

, another sceptre in the Crown Jewels, represents spiritual authority. During the coronation

Coronation of the British monarch

The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...

, the Monarch holds the Sceptre with the Cross in the right hand and the Sceptre with the Dove in the left while the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

 places St Edward's Crown on his or her head.

The Sceptre with the Cross, and the other Crown Jewels, may be found on display at the Jewel House

Jewel House

The Jewel House in the Tower of London is both a building and an institution. Until 1782 it was the Department of the Jewel Office, under the Master of the Jewel Office, who was generally a senior politician.-History:...

 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...

.

External links

• Image of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross at the Official Website of the British Monarchy
• Image of the Orb and Sceptre held by Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation, 2 June 1953