Things to make and do

Design your own royal crown

Download our templates and get creative to design your very own crown fit for royalty.

CROWNED WITH GLORY

Rulers have long worn special headgear as a symbol of their status, from the Ancient Egyptians to the Romans and Greeks. Crowns are still worn by kings and queens all over the world to demonstrate their position. 

The word crown comes from the Latin word corona, meaning wreath. A crown is usually made of precious metals such as gold and decorated with jewels to symbolise the power, wealth and glory of the monarch.

WEARING A PIECE OF HISTORY

There are a number of famous crowns used by the British monarchy, which are kept as part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. 

These include the Imperial State Crown (pictured left), which Queen Elizabeth II used at her coronation in 1953. This elaborate crown weighs over 1kg, has a purple velvet cap, white silk lining and ermine fur border. It is decorated with over 2,500 diamonds and the Black Prince’s Ruby, a large red-coloured stone from the 1300s. 

This crown is used at the state opening of Parliament, and is worn by the monarch when they give a speech to the Members of Parliament.  The crown travels from the Tower of London in its own carriage with an armed guard!

DESIGN YOUR OWN CROWN

Download our template to create your own crown and decorate it as regally as you can.  We’ve provided templates for three different crowns from history for you to choose from – the State Imperial Crown, which we’ve mentioned above, plus Henry II’s Crown and St Edward’s Crown.

Follow the instructions below on how to make your own.

DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATES

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

YOU WILL NEED:

  • Coloured card
  • Printed templates
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Embellishments to make your crown your own.  You could use gems, coloured tissue, coloured tape, pearls, buttons and sweet wrappers
  • Step 1

    Print the downloadable template for the crown of your choice from the website.

  • Step 2

    Cut out your templates and either stick them onto card, or draw round them onto the card.

  • Step 3

    Cut out all the sections of your crown.

  • Step 4

    Stick the crown together, adding on an extra strip of card at the back of the crown so that it’s the right size to fit around your head.

  • Step 5

    Embellish your crown with jewels, coloured paper, tape, or anything else you like.

  • Step 6

    Wear your crown like a king or queen, and don't forget to wave to your royal subjects! 

'step into englands story