The crown which will be placed on top of the Queen Mother's coffin for the procession to Westminster Hall was made for her to wear at the coronation of her husband, King George VI, in 1937.

The priceless crown - which is usually on display behind armoured glass at the Tower of London, contains the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond - a stone with a long and bloody history.

The diamond, whose name means Mountain of Light, carries with it a tradition that its owner rules the world.

The 105.60 carat oval cut stone, set in the Maltese Cross in the crown, has a history which is said to date back to 1304 and involves murder, brothers blinding brothers and such terrible cruelty that the stone acquired a reputation for bringing bad luck to male owners.

It came to the UK from India in 1849 and was presented to Queen Victoria.

It was re-cut after going on display at the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition, because visitors were disappointed by its lack of fiery sparkle.

Several countries, including Pakistan, Iran and India, have all laid claim to the jewel, and two years ago the Taliban regime in Afghanistan demanded it.

The diamond came into the hands of the British after they defeated the Sikh king, Ranjit Singh, in the 19th Century.

He in turn had taken it from an Afghan king who had sought sanctuary in India.

For the previous 100 years, the diamond had been an heirloom of the Afghan monarchy.

Before then it was in Persian royal hands and before that Indian, but its true origins are subject to debate.