THE FATE OF CROWNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE FATE OF CROWNS.

Tiik crown with which Peter Karagcorgcvitch ceremonially assumed his position as King of Serviii was made in the faiwus Falize workshops at Paris from an old bronze cannon which was used in the insurrection against Turkish rule in 1804, when the first Karageorge secured the independence of Servia. Round the base of the crown is an inscription recording this fact, which, in a minor way, must rank among the ironies of history. The Roumanian crown has, says the Globe, the same dramatic origin, only even more accentuated. It is made of Turkish cannon captured by the Roumanians at Plevna in 18/7, and. unlike the Servian crown, it is not covered with a thin layer of gold and enamel, but with its unadorned circlet of steel it is the example par- excellence of hoisting an enemy with his own petard. These are the newest crowns of Europe, and legend invests the oldest of Royal diadems with an even more dramatic origin. This is the crown of the King of Italy, which is none other than the famous Iron Crown of Lombardy. It lakes its name from the narrow iron Gaud, about three-eighths of an inch broad and one-tenth of an inch thick, which forms the base of the circlet. According to tradition this was beaten out of one of the lufila used in the Crucifixion, and discovered with the Holy Cross by the Kinpress Helena. Two centuries later one of these sacred nails was welded by Pope Gregory the Great into the crown with which he enthroned Agilnfus in 591 A.I). Even stronger vicissitudes stud the chdit centuries' history of tin: Hungarian crown of the Emperor Francis Joseph. Once it was stolen by a queen, sewn up in a cushion, and with oilier baggage earned across the. frozen Danube to be pawned for 2800 ducats. Redeemed and recovered it was lodged mi a fortress, and guarded day and night by two noblemen. It has been 'lost in a ditch, and the prize of innumerable bloody foravs, for to possess it was the best title to the'throne of Hungary. For (illy years it was hidden in it forest to prevent ii falling into the hands of the Austrian.-'.

In the Treasury at Vienna there is likewise the original Imperial crown of Deinianv, worn by Charlemagne, and removed thither from Auclicn in 1798. This may yet lie the object of a tierce struggle, for,' as a direct descendant of Charlemagne, and ay ruling over the realm which mostly nearly coincided with his ancient empire. theKaixei Wilhelm is said to regard the crown as his, and on the principle of " mil (.'icsar aut nulIns" lie lias dispensed with or postponed lib coronation as Herman I'impcror. Hven as Kino; of Prussia he has not been crowned. indeed, the gorgeous, almost- tawdry, diadem with which Frederick 111.. Klc'ctor of Brandenburg, elevated hini.-elf to Poyal rani; in 1701 has been worn only twice in the intervening two hundred years. Its existence is the must uninteresting of all baubles; no attampt even has been made to si,mi it. For <piito a number of crowns have had adventures of the meaner sort thrust upon them by the audacity of thieves. In 1829 the Dutch crown, which i- valued at £120.00;), was stolen by burglars, and remained in their possession for nearly two years. Eventually some of the penis' were discovered buried near Brussels, and the remainder near Now York, after the arrest ol the thieves in Ivigland. Colonel Blood's almost successful attempt to steal the Hriti.di crown, and his actual escape from the Tower as far as .St. Katherine's Hate, where; he was overtake:), and threw the booty into the gutter, is historic. There is „ little known story also that the Knglish crown was actu■t!ly robbeuofa black pearl, which, reaching Hungary, was sold ui Count llathyanyi, and. alter many adventures, was recovered by the liritisli (hiveniineiit.

l\ut since its theft eighteen years ago nothing ha* ever been heard of the gorgeous regalia of King Theeb.i.w of Burundi. The night that th- British force entered ilandalay two soldiers of the I.ivcip.iol Kegiineiit. as they xubsctitiently confessed, broke into lite deserted palace and annexed the crown, blazing with rubies.' the Golden L'mhrella, a. jewelled fan, and many other article.}. These thev buried within'tin; palace compound, and some days later, when the olheiitl seaVch for the regalia, had ceased, they dug up the hole, to lind it empty, Who were the second-hand robbers, whether Burmese or English, has never been discovered, nor*an trace found of the priceless gems of the regalia. In » similar unaccountable way the Golden Stool of Ashauli disappeared after the capture of Kannasi six years ago.