From: nusbache@epas.utoronto.ca (Aryk Nusbacher)
Subject: Re: Crown designs
Organization: University of Toronto - Office of the Provost
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 21:34:27 GMT

In article <42454@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> brockman@euclid.ucsd.edu (Will Brockman) writes:
>I'm wondering about what would seem to me to be a closely related
>topic: What can we say about the other regalia that appear in
>depictions of enthroned monarchs?  I'm thinking particularly of
>the orb and sceptre which seem to appear regularly, at least
>for the English kings.

>So I would ask: Are these unique to the English monarchs?  In what
>periods are they used?

The orb and arched crown are ensigns of sovereignty.  Some kingdoms
made a point of using them.  When Henry VIII was looking for justification
for breaking from Rome, he justified himself as an emperor partly on
the basis of the arched crown worn by English kings.  Scottish kings
also wore arched crowns (Scotland was a papal fief -- in theory).
Illustrations do not, however, consistently show mediaeval English
kings wearing arched crowns.  The _Liber Regalis_ shows Richard II being
crowned with an un-arched crown (as do many other English coronation illumin-
ations, but the connection is rendered problematic by the fact that in
Gothic International illuminations, crowns are much of a muchness.
The crown worn by Henry IV in his funeral effigy, for instance, is
quite different from the one depicted in illuminations of his coronation.

The St Edward's Crown (the coronation model) had arches on it when
Richard II wore it, while the State Crown (worn after the coronation)
was not arched until the reign of Henry V.

I have in my lap a pamphlet about the Crown Jewels published by Pitkin
Pictorials (11 Wyfold Road London SW6 6SG) called "The Crown Jewels
and Coronation Ritual", filled with boffo pix including the ones I
mentioned above, and lots of beautiful colour pictures of the current
crown jewels.  Some interesting points:

St Edward's Crown

The mediaeval original (ascribed to St. Edward the Confessor) "of gold
wyerworke sett with slight stones and two little bells" was destroyed
in 1649.  The current form of the crown was set by its reconstruction
for King Charles II's coronation.  It has since been used for all
coronations of English monarchs except for George IV, William IV,
George V, Edward VII, and possibly Victoria.  It is possible that the
new crown, made by the jeweler Robert Vyner, was made from pieces of
the old Crown Jewels (Oliver Cromwell retained a set of his own crown
jewels, including orb and sceptre).  Predecessor crowns which might
have gone into the current St. Edward's Crown include the old St.
Edward's Crown, the German Crown (made for King John, remade for
Richard II).  The St. Edward's Crown is distinguished from it's cousin
the Imperial State Crown by the fact that the arches are depressed
where they meet at the orb, while the Imperial State Crown's arches
are not.  Since the coronation of her present Majesty, all royal
badges have depicted the St. Edward's crown.  Prior to that, the
Imperial State Crown was used.

The Imperial State Crown

The current Imperial State Crown was built for Queen Victoria in 1838.
It includes the Black Prince's Ruby, a spinel worn by the Black
Prince, by Henry V at Agincourt, and so on.  It includes St. Edward's
Sapphire (worn on a ring given by St. Edward to a beggar who was
actually St. John).  Most famous of this crown's stones is the Second
or Lesser Star of Africa, the 317.4 carat diamond cut from the
Cullinan Diamond.  When the manager of the mine in which the Cullinan
was found brought it to Sir Thomas Cullinan, president of De Beers,
Cullinan said "Wells, either that is the largest diamond in the world
or you are fired."

Of all the current Crown Jewels, the only pieces which date from
before the Commonwealth are the Ampulla and Anointing Spoon, which
date from the 12th century.

Aryk Nusbacher

From: Diane.Pilkington@f4229.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Diane Pilkington)
Sender: FredGate@ocitor.fidonet