The Washington herald., 1910-12-11
"STAROFAFRICA" FORCROWN
Worlds Biggest Diamond Weighing 500 Carats to Adorn
George Y of England at His Coronation.

to be defaced. broken up. and sold for
mere song. Some of the jewels were
subsequently recovered; among them
the famous ruby given to Edward the
Black Prince by Dom Pedro. King OF
CASTLE, after the battle OF Nagera. and
worn in the helmet of Henry V Of Eng
land at the battle of Agincourt. 1t now
figures on the imperial state crown.
along with the Kohinoor. and the
CuIlinan. that is to say. the sister stone
of the Star of Africa some 200 carats
smaller than the latter, but still three
times the size of the Kohinoor.
Sapphire with Healing Virtue.
There also is the 10 sapphire of Ed
ward the Confessor, which. according
TO legends, endowed that King with a
healing virtue for the cure OF the cramps,
and of what is known as the Kings evil "
To avoid confusion, il must be explained
that although st. Edwards crown is the
one which will be used for the actual
coronation, every Englush ruler having
been crowned Herewith since the days
Of Charles II. yet it is the imperial state
crown that is worn by the monarch
throughout the subsequent ceremony, and
which is invariably carried before him
on state occasions, such as the opening
OF Parliament, &c.
Perhaps the most interesting of all the
regalia of King George. is what Is known
as the ring of St Edward. and some
times, too, as the wedding ring of Eng
land. In consists of a large table ruby,
on which the cross of ST. George is en-
graved. set In plain gold. the stone being
reset for each successive sovereign, so
as TO III his or her fourth finger Accord
ing 10 is history, Edward the Confessor
was one day asked for aims by a ''fayre
oide manne," and having no money, drew
his ring from his finger. and bestowed
II upon the mendicant Some years after
ward two English pilgrims. travelling in
the Holy Land. were met by a '-fayre
ancient name. with whyte heer for age. y
who asked them what they were, and
whence they came
On learning that they we're English pill
grimS, he talked 10 them of the ''welfare
and hoIyness' of their King Edward, and
when leaving them he told them who he
was. and said. Il am St. John the evan
gelist and say ye unto Edward your
King that / greet him well By the token
which he gave me. this ring with MS
own hands which ring We shall deliver
10 him again." ami when he had de-
livered TO them the ring he departed
from them suddenly"
This ring OF Edward the ConfeSsor, what
ever its origin, was preserved in his
shrine al Westminster, as a sacred relic,
being used at the coronation of a success
sOr. II disappeared at the time OF the
commonW ealth, but was recovered sub
sequently. and is, of all the royal In
sigma, held the most sacred
Queens Awkward Contretemps.
There has always been a certain amount
OF speculation as TO what was meant BY
the fourth finger and this uncertainty
about the matter led 10 an awkward con
tretemps at the ooronation Of Queen Vie
toria The authorities of the Royal Col
lege OF HeraIds assumed that the fourth
finger was the smallest and last OF the
hand and had made the coronation ring
10 ut the Queens little finger. The Arch
bishop OF Canterbury. however. declared
that the thumb counted as the first finger
and. consequently. insisted, at the proper
moment during the coronation, in placing
the ring by main force upon the third
finger of the Queens hand He took the
ground that any departure from the ritua
might impair the validity OF the ceremony
Of coronation
The putting of the ring on the third
finger of the Queen only was accom-