Saint Edward’s Staff

The Sceptre with the Cross

Also known as the St Edward's Sceptre, the Sovereign's Sceptre or the Royal Sceptre, is a sceptre of the British Crown Jewels . It was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 . In 1905, it was redesigned after the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond . 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 and be worn as a brooch.

The Sceptre symbolises the temporal authority of the Monarch under the Cross. The Sceptre with the Dove , another sceptre in the Crown Jewels, represents spiritual authority. During the coronation , 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 places St Edward's Crown on his or her head.

The staff of Edward the Confessor (Rod of Justice and Equity) is the symbol of the Sovereign rights of Britain and carried before the king, is transferred to the monarch at his Coronation. The staff was transferred to William the Conqueror, by the Peers of the Realm after the defeat of King Harold at the battle of Senlac. Further, the transfer of this sceptre from Edward to William witnessed the hereditary right and established the monarch’s authority under Divine covenant.

Coronation Regalia

Saint Edward’s Staff , made of beaten gold, 4'7" long and surmounted by an orb, was said to have contained a piece of the true Cross.

Saint Edward’s Staff

See Also