A SPECTACULAR replica of the Crown Jewels is going on show as part of the celebrations marking the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Castle Howard’s replica set will go on display in the famous stately home near Malton house from May 28.

Commissioned for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and made by Robert White & Co of London, the collection includes the Sovereign’s Orb, the Coronation Ring and the Imperial State Crown as well as smaller pieces such as armills, spurs and anointing spoon.

Castle Howard curator Christopher Ridgway said: “The tradition of the English monarch wearing special robes and being ceremonially presented with regalia dates back to medieval times.

“The replicas which we’re putting on display in the house showcase some of the finest items from the collection, which many of our visitors will associate with the Queen who has been presented with them throughout her reign.”

The replica set is based on the originals made for the coronation of Charles II, under the direction of the royal goldsmith Sir Robert Vyner, in 1661.

It was Charles II who bestowed the first Earldom of Carlisle on Charles Howard in the year of his coronation, and from whom Lady Cecilia Fitzroy, the current Nicholas Howard’s mother, was descended.

Visit castlehoward.co.uk for more information.