The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-01-13
RICH DIADEMS OF ROYALTY.
Gorgeous Crowns Worn by Rulers OF
European Countries.

Gorgeous Crowns Worn by Rulers of
European Countries.
The crown that adorned the brow of
| Holla nd's youthful Queen is said to have
! cost f120OOO, and has had a most TO
| mantle history. In 1929 it was stolen by
| burglars and remained in their posses
sion for nearly two years. Eventually
part of the stones composing it were
found near Brooklyn, U. S. A., and the
| rcma inder were ultimately discovered in
Belgium.
| Strange stories cluster around many
other royal diadems. Some time ago
Prince Del Drago, grandnephew of the
ex-Queen Isabella of Spain, paid a visit
to America, the object Of which was to
sell the crown which his relative carried
off to exile with the rest Of her jewels
The crown, which is set with very fine
diamonds, emeralds and sapphirps, was
eventually bought for the late Jay
Gou!d's daughter, the Countess Castel-
| lane, for f25,OOO. At the time Queen
Isabella was wearing the bauble Jay
Gould was struggling to make living
| as a book canyasser.
| The coronation crown Of her gracious
majesty weighs 80 ounces and is worth
about 500 times it's weight in soyereigns
1t is set with $500 diamonds, 2723 pearls,
a famous ruby, an immense sapphire
and divers other gems. Its value is esti-
mated at a sum which would yield, if in
vested at Az per cent, the snug income
of f15,OOO year.
Richard II. could raise only f2OOO on
his crown and regalia when, in 1886, he
pledged them to the city of London.
| The King of Portugars crown is esti-
mated by different authorities at fabu-
lous value, being, according to some
equal to forty and one-half miles of Be- nix
|
others. seven tons sixteen hundredweight
Of sovere;gns, but if we take happy
mean ana say column of sovereigne
! mile $50 yards high, or the sum of e.
100000, we shall proba bly, be about right
| Whether the Cars crown is not more
valuable than that of Portugal is a moot
point. The principal feature Of the Russia n
five superb diamonds, resting on an I'M
cut but polished ruby of great size and
wonderful luster.
| The crown worn by the King of Italy
| is known as ''the iron crown of the LON
bards," so-called because of the legend
that u small circlet of iron forming part
of it was originally a nail from the cross
on which Christ wac crucifed.
| The Hungarian crown, belonging to the
bereaved Emperor of Austria, was made
for Stephen II. 800 years ago, and it
weighs about fourteen pounds. 1t is
adorned with So sapphires. so rubies. /
emerald and 1888 pearls. but no diamonds
appear in it. owing to some superstition
entertained by Stephen that such gems
would bring bad luck to his family This
crown has passed through many vicissi-
tudes. 1t was once sewn up in cushion
and carried off by Queen. who eventu-
ally pawned it for $500 ducats. After
it had been redeemed from the pawn
broker it was hidden away and lay buried
in forest for FIVE decades.
| The crown of the sovereign of Rouma-
MIA is quite unique. in so far as it forms
a genuine badge of the nations freedom
from Turkish tyranny. 1t ia made from
the metal of Turkish cannon captured at
Plevna by the Roumanians in 1877.
| European morarchs arc quite eclipsed
by the splendor of Eastern crowns and
regalia. The Sultan of Johore. when
rugged out in his state garments, presents
one mass of glittering diamonds and 9th
er gems. Vailed at over f2.4OO.OOO. or
ton y pounds and 8 outlces of Bank
of England IS notes-london Mail