'my crown is so heavy it could break my neck,' reveals queen

THE CORONATION SEES THE QUEEN REFLECT ON HER OWN CEREMONY The crown, made for her father’s coronation, is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and hundreds of pearls, including

four originally worn as earrings by Elizabeth I.  Her Majesty has spoken about one of her heaviest burdens of state for a BBC One show exploring the role and symbolic meaning of the Crown

Jewels to mark the 65th anniversary of her coronation.  In a conversation recorded with royal commentator Alastair Bruce, the 91-year-old monarch recalled her memories of the 1953 ceremony

and also of watching her father George VI’s coronation in 1937. Examining the Imperial State Crown, which is used at the end of the coronation ceremony and for the State Opening of

Parliament, the Queen gave new meaning to the phrase used by William Shakespeare in Henry IV Part II: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”  RELATED ARTICLES PA The Imperial State Crown

(L) is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, and 11 emeralds > You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the > speech up, because if you did your neck would break, it 

would fall > off >  > Queen Elizabeth II When Mr Bruce suggested that she had to keep her head very still to wear the 2.2lbs headdress, the Queen said: “Yes. And you can’t look down

to read the speech, you have to take the speech up.  “Because if you did your neck would break, it would fall off.  “So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they’re quite

important things.”  The crown also features a gem known as the Black Prince’s Ruby which is believed to have been worn by Henry V in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.  Although

much lighter than the 4.9lbs gold St Edward’s Crown, used for the moment of crowning, it is still rather difficult to wear, despite being shortened by an inch for her coronation. PA The

Queen examines St Edward's Crown, which is heavier at 4.9lbs and used for the moment of crowning “Fortunately, my father and I have about the same sort of shaped head. But once you put

it on, it stays. I mean, it just remains on,” she said. In the hour-long programme, part of a season of BBC documentaries about treasures in the royal collection, the Queen is seen viewing

both private and official film footage of her ceremony.  She described how in her long, heavy embroidered gown she got stuck in the carpet at Westminster Abbey and was unable to move. 

“Well, I remember one moment when I was going against the pile of the carpet and I couldn’t move at all,” she said.  “Really?” Mr Bruce replied.  BBC The Queen pictured with her maids of

honour on the day of her coronation PA The Queen was interviewed by royal commentator Alastair Bruce “Yes, they hadn’t thought of that,” the Queen said.  Displaying a dry sense of humour,

she also appeared to take a dim view of famous footage of her then small children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.  The siblings were captured playing under her gown’s 21ft train when the

royal party returned to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony. “Such fun for the children,” Mr Bruce said.  “Not what they’re meant to do,” the Queen replied. Mr Bruce was told not to ask

questions but to introduce conversational topics, to maintain the illusion that the Queen, whose thoughts on her life have been recorded at various stages of her reign, has never given a

media interview. The Queen could be seen prodding the crown and tapping the pearl earrings worn by Elizabeth I. “They don’t look very happy now,” she said. “Most pearls like to be sort of

living creatures, so they’ve just been out, hanging out here for years. It’s rather sad.” _The Coronation airs on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday._