SCEPTRE AND CROWN.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13936, 9 January 1911, Page 7

SCEPTRE AND CROWN.

ALTERATIONS FOR THE CORONATION.

USING THE CULLINAN DIAMOND.

United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received January 7th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 7. For the Coronation the larger part of the Cullinan diamond, now called the "Star ol Africa," will ho set in the sceptre, making it the most magnificent sceptre iai the world. The smaller portion will be set in hout of tho crown and below the Black Prince's ruby, instead of tho great obi_ng sapphire, which will bo transferred to the back of the crown. The deposed sapphire, which makes way for the lesser half of tho Cullman diamond, was believed to have belonged 1o Edward the Confessor, and to impart U its wearer the power of being immune from cramp. After remaining lor years with the Crown jewels it followed James 11. into exile, and was in the possession of the Stuarts until the Cardinal of York bequeathed it to George 111., by whom it was probably sold, since George i» ~ on his accession, purchased it for £-0,000. A far more romantic history attaches to the great rnbv. presented to Edward tho Black Prince, by his father-in-law, Pedro the Cruel, King of Castille, in return for [services which the Prince had rendered ihim. Pedro obtained it by treachery. !Ho murdered his guest, the Red King jot Grenada, for this and other jewels in the possession of the Moorish Prince. I A portrait of the Black Prince represents him wearing the ruby in his hat, and Henry V. gave it a similar promii nonce when he rode to the battlefield of Agincourt, the ruby and other precious stones being set in his helmet. Queen Elizabeth was so fond of the gem that she always kept it by her, and did not have it set in her crown. Melville, to whom Queen Elizabeth showed most of her valued possessions, says: "She showed mc a fair ruby, great like a racket ball." Afterwards the ruby was pierced with a small hole to enable it to be worn suspended from the neck, but later the hole was filled up by a small ruby set in gold.