England’s long-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth completes 60 years on the throne this year and Harrods, the British department store is pulling out all stops to mark the occasion. The world’s most ‘luxurious corner shop’, has commissioned 31 designers from the world of fashion, beauty, jewellery and cuisine to each create an elaborate crown in Her Majesty’s honour. The resulting crowns from the likes of Valentino, Boucheron, Sir Paul Smith, Lanvin, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Prada, Roberto Cavalli to name a few, have been put on display in the store’s Brompton road windows for over a week now, and will stay there till June 15th. Indian jeweller Amrapali has also collaborated with Harrods Exclusive Tea to create a crown for the occasion.
The crown is symbolic of the ancient tradition of tea. A tradition which has become an intrinsic part of British culture and identity, stemming from centuries old trade links between India and Great Britain. In the 1820s the British East India Company began transporting tea from Assam, India to the British Isles, spurring a national obsession. Amrapali therefore decided that the crown should reflect India and the UK’s long standing and intertwined relationship & influence on each other. The crown’s design inadvertently carries a hints at the British Raj architecture – colonial Indian buildings built in Indian-Victorian gothic style.
The crown has been plated in gold and is adorned with gemstones and enamelling. The two main symbols used in the crown are Elephants and a tea pot. While the elephant stands for all things regal, majestic, noble, and royal; the tea pot is symbolises a great Indian export that has quintessentially become British as well.