A crown made from 319 Scrabble pieces has been created 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 the King during his coronation, and took more than 153 hours to put together.
Ensuring that 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.
“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,” he added.
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.
Instead of ermine fur, a faux-fur trim bedecked with miniature Scrabble tiles from the Travel Scrabble Edition has been included and encircles the base, with Scrabble tiles from the Deluxe and Original editions completing the jewelled crown.
The Scrabble Crown weighs 2.2kg and has a circumference of 75cm, compared to the 2.23kg Crown Jewels.
Words including ‘king’, ‘coronation’ and ‘royal’ have also been added, for those with a keen eye for detail.
It is to go on display in Westfield White City at The Entertainer Toy Store before the coronation.
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, added: “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.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
