London, March 29 (IANS) A collection of British Crown Jewels will be displayed Thursday at the Tower of London to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The exhibition will focus on the tradition of the coronation ceremony in England as its central theme, Xinhua reported.
Newly restored film footages of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 will be shown at the exhibition to introduce a historical context, with the regalia arranged in the order in which it was used in the ceremony.
"With all eyes on London in 2012 for the Queen's diamond jubilee and the Olympic Games, this display will enable us to showcase Britain's most prized treasures in all their glory," said Michael Day, chief executive of Historic Royal Palaces.
Several tactile three-dimensional models of the crowns will also be introduced for visually impaired visitors, and for those curious too.
The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London are a unique working collection of royal regalia and are still regularly used by the Queen in important national ceremonies.
Asked about the security of the display, Keith Hanson, chief exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, said "If I tell you, then I would have to kill you."
Nevertheless he acknowledged that the Metropolitan Police will be among the forces responsible for the safety of the jewels.
However, security for the Crown Jewels was not always so tight. Visitors used to be able to touch them after making a small donation to the Jewel House Keeper.
Later they were kept in slightly more secure surroundings -- behind bars. But this arrangement also changed after 1815 when a woman reached through the grille and seized the Imperial State Crown of George I and wrenched it out of shape.
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