The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-10
STRANGE RUMORS ABOUT CROWN
JEWELS.

1t is persistently stated in England at
the present moment that the ruby, which
ngIreS on the crown with which King
Edward is to be crowned next June, is
base imitation of that original stone
which formerly belonged to Edward the
Black Prince. Neither the government
nor the principal court officials will ad-
init or deny the story. But it is thor
oughly believed, not only in London So
ciety and in court circles, but also by all
those experts in precious stones and jew
elers who have had an opportunity of
examining the crown.
This naturally, has served to give rise
to speculation as to what may have be-
come of this historic crown jewel, and
to revive the stories about the matter
which were current during the reign of
King William ". and during the early
years of the Victorian era.
1t was no secret then that King George
~. had either loaned or given to the cell
ebrated Marchioness of Conyngham many
of the crown jewels. In Charles Gre
ville's diary he refers, in an entry dated
June "A, 1921, to the fact that Lady
Conyngham had worn on her head at a
dinner given at Devonshire house on the
preceding evening the great sapphire
which is today one of the principal gems
Of the crown.
At the time of King Georges death it
was found that the marchIoness had in
her possession a large number of the
most valuable crown jewels, which she
declared that the king had given her.
Many of these including the great sap
phire, she was compelled to surrender,
though not until the law had been in
voked against her, but if there is any
truth in the story, according to which
the great ruby on the British crown is
a clever imitation, then it is probable
in the extreme that she managed to
retain the Edward the Black Prince ruby,
which had been confided to her by the
dIssolute King George
1t will naturally be asked why no effort
has been made to recover this stone
during the reign of Queen Victoria. But
Lady Churchill. the Jane Churchill
who figures so frequently and always
with such expressions of affection and
regard in the pages of the various books
written by Queen Victoria, as the latter's
principal companion and amanuenSis, was
a member Of the Conyngham family,
and it is doubtful under the circumstances
whether Queen Victoria would have done
anything to annoy or pain one 50 COM
pletely devoted to her as Lady Churchill.
Lady Churchill is dead now, however
she was the grandaunt of the present
Marquis of Conyngham-and if there is
any truth in the story, according to which
some member of the Conyngham family
has the ruby in his or her possession,
or can indicate the method of it's dispos-
al, King Edward may be trusted to re-
cover it.
The famous, or rather Infamous, Mar
chioness of Conyngham, who induced
King George to confide to her the crown
Jewels figured in much the same position
in regard to that monarch as Nine. de
Pompadour occupied at the court of King
Louis XIV. of France. Charles Grevllle
in his published diaries, speaks of heI
as follows:
1.-THE wealth she had accumulated by
savings and presents must be enormous
The king continues to heap all kinds OF
things upon her, and she, as well as hel
husband and sons, lives at his expense.
A more desp:cable scene cannot be exhib-
tied than that which our court presents. "
Nor is Charles Greyille the only writer
who speaks thus of her. Bagehot, in his
standard work entieled English Consti-
tuition" writes of her in a similar fash
ion, while there is hardly a historian
of modern Europe nor an author OF
memoirs dealing with political and court
life, in the early portion of the nine
tenth century, who does not hold up to