CROWN JEWELS, TOWER OF LONDON

Project context

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) sought to re-interpret the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, creating a spectacular new experience in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics.

The purpose of the project was to enable visitors to understand more of the significance of the Crown Jewels within the history of the British monarchy, their relationship to the Tower and their continued role today.

Role

I led the content development for the project from concept to completion, including the exhibit scriptwriting, on behalf of exhibition designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA).

The Tower of London is the top charging visitor attraction in London, welcoming over 2.5 million visitors per year, many of whom come primarily to see the Crown Jewels. Due to these large audience numbers, approximately 80% of whom are international visitors, a strong interpretive strategy was developed - to distill the project's many stories down to key messages which are delivered through highly visual means and minimal text.

Visitors move through the secure vault in the order of the coronation ceremony in order to understand the symbolism of the Jewels in the context of their use. 

Impact

The redevelopment was well received by HRP, visitors and the press. It was enjoyed by large audiences for over a decade, until a further refresh in 2023 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and coronation of King Charles III.

Client: Historic Royal Palaces
Exhibition designer: Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
Content development & scriptwriting: Devorah Moritz for RAA
AV design: Centrescreen
Illustrations: Geoff Grandfield