A crown made from 319 Scrabble pieces as a “labour of love” is to pay homage to both the upcoming Coronation and the popular word game’s 75th anniversary. The crown – made by British milliner Justin Smith of J Smith Esquire – drew inspiration from the St Edward’s Crown, which is to be used by King Charles during his Coronation. It took more than 153 hours to put together.
Ensuring the majestic nature of the crown was reflected, sparkling jewels, crystals and gold beading have been added to the black and white tiles.
Mr Smith said that the construction of the crown was a “labour of love” and he went as far as sourcing the crown’s purple velvet fabric from Joel & Sons – the same couture fabric supplier used by the Royal family.
He added: “It was a labour of love to reimagine this most iconic of headwear, the St Edward’s Crown, with its rich, royal heritage, utilising Scrabble tiles creatively alongside traditional millinery techniques, to celebrate Scrabble’s 75th anniversary, as well as honouring the King’s Coronation.”
The Scrabble replica closely follows the look of the St Edward’s Crown, which has four crosses-pattees, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches.
The crown was made using traditional artisan methods including leather cutting, sculpting and hand-sewing gems, as well as more innovative measures such as brass sewing.
Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel, said: “After 75 years, Scrabble continues to be one of the most iconic games in the world by fostering meaningful connections across generations, harnessing the power of words, and celebrating the benefits of positive expression.
“An ethos brought vividly to life by players enjoying the simple fun of building words together on a shared game board.”
Scrabble has previously been associated with paying homage to royal events, with a Scrabble portrait of Charles being commissioned to mark both his 60th birthday, and the game’s 60th anniversary.
Meanwhile, a crowned portrait of the King will for the first time feature on a new range of commemorative coins created to celebrate the coronation.
The collection, which includes a 50p and £5 coin, will be released later this month ahead of the historic May 6 celebration.
The effigy, which was designed by artist and sculptor Martin Jennings and is emblazoned on the highly collectible coins, depicts King Charles III wearing the Tudor crown.
The Tudor Crown was personally selected by the King for the portrait despite it no longer existing, having been destroyed in the 1640s.
It continues in the tradition of the crown being used in portraits of previous kings from the 20th century, including that of his great grandfather King George VI.
Mr Jennings said he was “proud” to have created the portrait, which he said was “both dignified and celebratory for this historic occasion”.
The 50p coin will also feature a drawing of Westminster Abbey by The Royal Mint’s resident designer Natasha Jenkins. The image also includes King Charles‘s cypher and crown to symbolise him being inside the abbey where he is to be crowned.
The £5 coin features a design by Timothy Noad of the sacred and symbolic objects used in the coronation ceremony, known as the Coronation Regalia, and the St Edward’s Crown.
The range also contains a number of ounce coins, which are available in several editions and sizes, each featuring the crowned portrait of the King on one side and an intricate design by John Bergdahl on the other.
The 50p coins will be available to buy from 9am on April 24 for between £11 and £1,220, while the £5 coins are priced between £14.50 and £2,995.
A 1kg solid gold proof coin featuring the designs of Mr Jennings and Mr Bergdahl will also go on sale for £77,565.
Five million 50ps are also set to enter circulation later in 2023 featuring the original, uncrowned effigy of Charles by Mr Jennings and the commemorative Westminster Abbey drawing by Ms Jenkins.
This follows the five million memorial 50ps that entered circulation after the King ascended the throne.
