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George IV State Diadem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part of the British Crown Jewels, the George IV State Diadem or Diamond Diadem was made in 1820 by the firm Rundell, Bridge and Rundell for the coronation of King George IV. It was designed to encircle the King's velvet Cap of Estate that he wore in the procession to Westminster Abbey. The diadem includes 1333 diamonds weighing 325.75 carats (65.15 g), and 169 pearls along its base. Its design features roses, thistles and shamrocks, the symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland respectively.
The diadem was also worn during the coronation procession of Queen Victoria, and later Queen Elizabeth II. It is also worn by Queen Elizabeth II in the procession to the State Opening of Parliament. It has featured in many portraits of the Queen, including one by Raphael Maklouf that appears on Commonwealth coinage and on British stamps. It has also featured on the banknotes of England, Canada, Australia, Bermuda, Hong Kong, British Honduras, the British Caribbean Territories currency board (consisting of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Anguilla, Saba, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, St Lucia, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, British Guyana and the British Virgin Islands), Mauritius, Southern Rhodesia, Cyprus, Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Fiji, Belize, the Bahamas, Malta, Malaya and North Borneo, and Jamaica.