The gold coronet, placed on Prince Charles's head at Caernarfon Castle by his mother in 1969, will be displayed at the celebration attended by all senior members of the royal family today.
But the coronet, designed by celebrated goldsmith Louis Osman, hides an astonishing secret which makes it rather unique among the monarch's crown jewels.
The orb in its centre is actually made from a ping pong ball.
Now, for the first time, David Mason, a 74-year-old retired chemical research manager from Warwickshire who made the striking gold circlet, tells the true story of the so-called 'imposter coronet' – including how the original design was smashed with just days to go, forcing him to drive with a hastily made replacement in the back of his unguarded Mini van.
Mr Mason was just 28 when he received a call in March 1969 from Mr Osman at his office at Engelhard Industries in Cinderford, then the world's largest refiner of precious metals.
He wanted to discuss a revolutionary new field Mr Mason was working in - gold electroforming - and revealed he had been asked to produce a headpiece for Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales.
Game of wiff waff? Prince Charles receives the crown from the Queen during his investiture as the Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle back in 1969 https://imgur.com/a/m81v5rL
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letsdothis3 ago
Urban dictionary: wiff waff https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wiff%20Waff