Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-07-08
QUEEN WcToRIA's CROWNS.
Has Worn the State Crown of Great
britain But Once I'm Her Life.

britain But once IN Her Life.
The only crown that is likely to be
used during the stately functions of
the commemoration is the tiara which
is familiar to this generation in
sketches of the queen when holding a
drawing-room. This was manufac-
tured by the state jewelers. in 1862 at
the personal cost of her majesty, and.
in general terms, may be said to weigh
eight troy ounces. 1t is light shell
OF gold, entirely incrusted with dia-
monds, and comprises 2,673 brilliants,
besides 523 rose diamonds, making an
aggregate of 3,196 stones. 1t is re-
tanned in the charge of the sovereign,
of whom it is a personal possession,
and to all intents and purposes never
requires any attention. 1t was spe-
officially devised for use in conjunction
with a veil, and, apart from the draw
ing-rooms, has scarcely been used at
all.
This crown was preceded in point
of time by a diadem or circlet of gold,
choicely bejeweled, which was made
for the queen in 1858. The stones used
on this occasion, which are wholly dia-
monds, were in the main crown jew
els, and the diadem will therefore re-
main the property of the crown, al
though the cost of mounting them for
the use of her majesty was borne out
of the privy purse. The diadem is
technically known as a circlet, sur
mounted by the cross patee whereof
the Maltese cross is decoration vari-
anti and the fleur-de-lis.
The general effect of this crown is
excellently shown in the current coin
age, in which it is half-concealed by
a veil, which was not worn in the
earlier years of the reign, when this
form of circlet was in ordinary use;
and, indeed, there would seem to be
some doubt as to whether the particu-
lar form of coronet depicted on the
present coin issues has ever been
adopted by the queen in actual use at
all. 1t was this diadem and another
of like shape that preceded it which
were used when her majesty opened
OF prorogued parliament, and also on
such occasions as the marriage of the
princess royal.
On every occasion on which the
queen visited the house of lords the
state crown was taken out of the re-
gala room in the Tower of London and
was borne before her on a cushion.
Except for this purpose the crown has
only left the tower on two occasions
duKing the reign-Once for repair
(some part Of the setting having be-
come loosened) and once in order to
modify the ermine. The crown has
never been actually worn by the queen
at any function whatever since the act
of coronation 60 years ago, and there is
nothing in the episodes of the forth
coming commemoration that will re-
quire its removal from the tower. The
state crown was made for the queen
by Messrs. RundeIl & Bridge 1.-THE pred
ecessors of Garrards, the present hold
ers of the appointment), and its con-
struction is familiar history. 1t may,
however, be interesting at this juno
ture to say that the estimated value
at that time of it's stones-comprisinS
s,TS3 diamonds, 277 pearls, 10 sap
phires, II emeralds and rubies-was
112. 76O, apart from the priceless ruby
which belonged to Edward the Black
Prince, and the large sapphire pur-
chased by George ". In the opinion of
competent critics the stones still have
an intrinsic worth of a like sum, even
it no account be taken of the value that
would attach to their ilIustrious asso
ciations.-Chicago Tribune.