The discovery was made on December 16, 2024, after a secret hiding place in the crypts was opened.

The artifacts, hidden during the outbreak of World War II in 1939, include the funeral crown of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander Jagiellon, and the funeral crown, chain, medallion, ring and coffin plaque of Elisabeth of Austria (Elżbieta Habsburżanka), the first wife of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus.

The items also include the funeral crown, scepter, royal orb, three rings, chain and two coffin plaques of Barbara Radziwiłł, the second wife of Sigismund II Augustus.

Gintaras Grušas, the Archbishop Metropolitan of Vilnius, told reporters on Monday: “On December 16, 2024, a secret hiding place was opened in the crypts, where the royal regalia was hidden at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

“Insignia for the tombs of Lithuanian and Polish rulers Alexander, Elisabeth, and Barbara were found in the hiding place.”

He added: “These crowns were not worn while the rulers were alive but were made after their deaths and were intended to be part of their tombs.

“The discovered insignia are priceless historical treasures, symbols of Lithuania’s long tradition of statehood, symbols of Vilnius as the capital city, and magnificent works of goldsmithing and jewelry.”

The artifacts will now undergo restoration before being presented to the public.

The search for the relics, initially inspired by interwar accounts and sketches of the cathedral’s dungeons, began decades ago.

Mykolas Juozapavičius, the economist of the Vilnius Archdiocese, said that the hiding place where the relics were found was initially discovered in 1985.

However, the presence of the artifacts was only confirmed in October 2024, after specialists from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum conducted an endoscopic camera survey of the crypts.

Juozapavičius said: “Since Lithuania regained its independence, several attempts have been made to carry out various searches. [...] The main focus has always been on the search for the burial site of Vytautas the Great [Grand Duke of Lithuania], but these searches have not yet been successful.”