The Czech crown jewels, consisting of St. Wenceslas’ crown, the royal orb
and scepter, are stored in a special chamber at Prague Castle. The seven
keys to this protective chamber are in the holding of seven keepers: high
state dignitaries including the president, the prime minister and the
archbishop of Prague. As the country’s biggest national treasure they are
only shown to the public on special occasions, on the orders of the Czech
president, and they must not leave the grounds of Prague Castle. The crown
jewels were only displayed nine times in the course of the 20th century.
The last time they were shown to the public was on the occasion of the 90th
anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
