KING EDWARD’S BEST CROWN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12536, 25 June 1901, Page 10

KING EDWARD’S BEST CROWN

At the coronation of King Edward YII. and Queen Alexandra four crowns will be used. The chief one, known as Queen Victoria’s crown, will' be the one actually used in the ceremony of crowning the King; the second one will be used in crowning the Queen-Consort, and the other two will be worn by their Majesties during the services following the actual crowning. These, together with the sword of State, the sceptres and coronation ring, all token from the Tower by , order of the Earl Marshal of England, are in the custody of the Dean of Westminster during the coronation services.

' The Queen Victoria crown, also called the State crown, is a dazzling mass of precious stones, 3093 in all, and many of them

have interesting histories. There is a magnificent sapphire which is said to have come from the ring of Edward the Confessor. Then there are sixteen small sapphires, eleven emeralds, four rubies, of which one belonged to the Black Prince; four dropshaped pearls, 273 other pearls, 1363 brilliant diamonds, 147 table diamonds and 1274 rose diamonds. With all this mass of jewels the whole crown weighs only thirty-nine ounces. -It was made in 1838 for Queen Victoria’s coronation from jewels taken from old crowns, and is valued at £360,000. The cap is of crimson velvet, lined with white silk, and has an ermine border. It is not the most costly crown in Europe; that distinction is asserted for the crown belonging to Portugal, which is valued at £1,600,000. The crown which re- . presents the smallest outlay is that of Emimania. It Is made out of a bit of common old cannon, captured at Plevna. the most beautiful chown is that of the King of Denmark. It is simple in design, but of , artistic workmanship, the leaves by which the circlet is surmounted being curved and veined by precious stones, and each leaf ornamented «y ai magnificent jewel. The oldest crown in Europe, which is «lso the smallest, measuring only six inches in diameter, is the iron crown of Lombardy. The one crown which is distinguished as the sacred crown is that of Hungary. It ia revered by the people, being regarded os a palladium. Two nobles of ancient lineage, and a troop of halberdiers, guard it 1 night and day in the Castle of Buda, where it is kept. In olden times no King could reign in Hungary unless the sacred crown had , rested on his brow, and if ho died bel fore he had been crowned his, name was 1 stricken from the record of kings. Even a pretender acquired a quasi title to the kingdom if, by forde of stratagem, he could possess himself of it. Twice the crown has disappeared, but how or where it was found the first time is unknown to this day. The last tune it was fonnd bnried in the ground. A magnificent sapphire is its bright particular ornament. ’ This is surmounted by four beautiful green stones of some unknown kind, lapidaries disagreeing as to what the gems are. A sapphire of matchless beauty also adorns the Imperial crown of Austria, . The crown most decorated with emblems that of the Gorman Emperor. It has the Igure of an eagle, four diamond crosses, jpur hoops supporting a globe, and this jßrmounted by another cross. THE POTENTATE WHO POSSESSES MOST CROWNS je the Pope, eight at least being stored It the Vatican. Many of them are simply gifts and have no apodal significance. Napoleon L was the donor of one to Pius VH. This is the handsomest one of all, having a beautiful emerald. A Queen of Spain was the donor of another. The principal papal crown is a triple one. In Spain and Belgium the crown does nob figure in the coronation services. The feature of the ceremony in both countries . consists in the King’s swearing to preserve 4 the Constitution and laws of the country. Nor is it a'matter of course that a Czar should be crowned, though Nicholas and bis consort were crowned with great pomp at. Moscow. The Czar being a religious as well as a temporal lord, the crown, in shape, Is modelled after a bishop’s mitre. Again, in this case, a sapphire is the most beautiful stone in the crown. There are five diamonds resting on a magnificent ruby, which forma the cross surmounting the crown. Outside ol Europe the crown becomes a rarity. The Sultan, for example, possesses no crown, coronation being unknown In Turkey. In place of this is substituted the investiture of the monarch with the sword of Othman. The sabre is girt around the Sultan with the words, “Take it with faith, fox ye have received it from God.” The Shah of Persia has a crown, if such it can be called, which is variously described as resembling a, flower-pot and a bonnet. The small end is open, the other closed. It Is made of cloth of gold, with strings of hanging precious stones, with here °and there tufts of feathers, ornamented by diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls. At the top is set what is, perhaps, the greatest ruby in the world, an uncut, absolutely flawless stone, as large ■s a hen’s egg.