There is again great interest in the crown jewels, the waiting time was four hours
Update: 18/01/2023 18:17
Issued by: 18/01/2023, 17:42
Prague – Today, the exhibition of the crown jewels was once again accompanied by high interest from visitors, people stood in line for about four hours. Therefore, the organizers had to end the queue before 14:00, because people would not have time to view the jewels before closing time. In total, over 4,400 people came to see them today. Prague Castle announced that on Thursday morning it will announce the decision of President Miloš Zeman, which responds to the extraordinary interest in the crown jewels. ČTK was told by the spokesperson of the Office of the President of the Republic, Vít Novák. According to the original plan, the jewels together with the skull of St. Wenceslas were to be on display in the cathedral until Saturday, on Sunday they will be part of the mass, and on Monday they are expected to be deposited back in the Crown Chamber. They are exhibited on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Czech Republic.
There was already a lot of interest in viewing the jewels on Tuesday, when the exhibition was opened. Nearly 4,200 people saw it on the first day, and organizers had to keep the cathedral open about 20 minutes longer than planned. Even on Tuesday, the custodians stopped letting more visitors into the queue after the capacity was filled. According to Novák, a total of 4,415 people came on Wednesday. ČTK also said that if people want to be sure that they will get their turn, they should join the queue already in the morning. The wait time today was about four hours, he added.
Later, ČTK reported that an extraordinary briefing was being held at Prague Castle on Thursday for the display of the crown jewels. “It will respond to the enormous and record-breaking interest in the exhibition. The decision of the President of the Republic regarding the exhibition of the Czech crown jewels and organizational recommendations for visitors will be communicated,” he said.
The crown of St. Wenceslas, the royal scepter, the royal apple, the golden relic cross and the coronation sword are displayed in the central part of the main nave of the temple. Interested parties can view the coronation cloak in a separate display case. The skull of St. Wenceslas can be seen directly in the chapel where his remains are kept.
The exhibition is accompanied by extraordinary security measures. Two members of the castle guard are standing right next to the display case with the jewels, others are guarding the whole temple together with soldiers and policemen. The newspaper Právo, citing a reliable source, said that about four dozen police officers and members of the castle guard were deployed to protect the jewels.
As in the past, entry to the exhibition is free and priority is given to visitors in wheelchairs with a ZTP or ZTP/P card. The tour route leads through the southern gardens from Opyš via the Bull Stairs to the third courtyard to the main entrance to the cathedral.
The crown chamber in the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle, where the Czech crown jewels are kept, was opened on Monday by seven key holders. The jewelers then took the jewels out of it together with the preservationists and unpacked them from their box.
The Czech crown jewels served as badges of the rule and power of the Czech kings. The St. Wenceslas crown was made in 1346 by Charles IV. for his coronation as Czech king the following year.