Sovereign's Orb

The Sovereign's Orb is a hollow gold sphere of the British Crown Jewels weighing 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb) and measuring about 16.5 centimetres (6.5 in) in diameter. It is a type of a globus cruciger made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, and has been used at all subsequent coronations. The orb cost £1,150 (£145,349 as of 2016). A band of pearls and gemstones runs along its equator, with a similar half-band running across the top hemisphere. Atop the orb is an amethyst surmounted by a cross.

The orb is a religious symbol representing the monarch's role as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. At the coronation of George IV in 1821, the Archbishop of Canterbury handed the orb to the king, exhorting:

The monarch briefly holds the orb in his or her right hand, and it is then placed on the altar, where it remains for the rest of the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, the monarch holds the orb in the left hand, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross in the right, and wears the Imperial State Crown as he or she leaves Westminster Abbey.