The Crown Jewels are the most complete collection of royal regalia in the world
The Spurs
1661 with 1820 additionsRCIN 31725
Each of the gold spurs features a Tudor rose and a velvet-covered strap with gold embroidery.
Gold spurs were first included among the English coronation ornaments in 1189, at the coronation of Richard I (the Lionheart). They symbolised knighthood, and their use in the coronation ritual derives directly from the ceremony of creating a knight. These spurs were made in 1661 for Charles II but were altered in 1820 for George IV, when new textiles replaced the earlier buckles and straps.
The spurs form part of the coronation ceremony in which the sovereign is invested with the ornaments or symbols of royalty. Traditionally the spurs were fastened to the sovereign's feet, but since the Restoration they have simply been held to the ankles of kings, or in the case of queens regnant, presented and then placed on the altar. After the investiture the sovereign is crowned.
