HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1953-05-21, Page 9MAY, 1958
CORONATION loUPPLEMENT
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Priceless Treasures
Gown Jewels Housed In Tower Of London
In the Wakefield Tower, a vaulted chamber of the Tower
of London where Henry VI was imprisoned and murdered,
are housed the Crown Jewels which will figure in the Coro-
nation ceremony.
Visitors gaze spellbound at the lustrous gold orbs, the
Royal Sceptre containing the largest cut diamond in the world
and the fabulous Imperial' State Crown which contains 2,783
diamonds, 277 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.
These however are only a few of the items constituting
the Royal Regalia, which include St. Edward's Staff, the
Spoon and Ampulla, the Golden Spurs, the State Swords, the
Orb, Ring, Sceptres and the Crowns.
Their value cannot be stated because obviously they
would never be put up for 'sale, but certainly they are worth,
intrinsically, many millions of dollars. A fine haul for a
burglar, if he was rash enough to risk electrocution or de-
capitation—two .penalties which,. it is rumored, would have
to be faced by a prospective thief. , ry
The Crown Jewels have had their vicissitudes. Once the
Regalia were housed in Westminster Abbey, but bits and
pieces had a habit of disappearing. Following an attempt to
rob the Abbey in the reign of '0'
Henry III the jewels were remov-
ed to the Tower of London, the Im-
pregnable stronghold by the River
Thames, which took nearly 200
years to build (between 1078 and
1272). -
Thief Rewarded
Even at the Tower of London the
jewels were still a temptation. An
Irish adventurer, Colonel Blood,
wheedled his way into the confi-
dence of the assistant- keeper, over-
powered him with the help of two
accomplices and nearly got away
with the State Crown and Orb:
The sequel was strange, for in-
stead of being executed the thief
was rewarded by King Charles II Gold -Encased Eword
with a pension of £500 a year—a This sword was made for the
large sum in those days. Coronation of 'George IV in 1821
Most people assume that all the at a cost of £6,000. Its gold scab -
regalia are of great antiquity. bard is coveted with emblems of
'.Chis, however, is not the case. Dur- the United Kingdom—the Rose of
ing the Commonwealth regime of England, the Thistle of Scotland,
Oliver Cromwell, from 1649 to the Shamrock of Ireland, beauti-
the Sovereign after the anointing,
as an emblem of chivalry, but since
the Coronation of Queen Anne it
has been the custom of the Lord
Great Chamberlain simply to touch
the Sovereign's heels with them.
The four swords of State are
among the most beautiful ex-
amples of workmanship in the
world. Each sword has a separate
symbolical significance. For in-
stance the Jewelled Sword of State,
which at State openings of Parlia-
ment is carried point upwards be-
fore the Sovereign, symbolises
office.
—British Travel Association photos
THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN THE CROWN OF ENGLAND
.After the Coronation Ceremony the Imperial State Crown is worn by
the Reigning Monarch on all State occasions such as the "Opening of
Parliament. The existing Crown was made for Queen Victoria in 1838
and embodies many historical gems, the Black Prince's ruby, sapphire
from the ring of Edward the Confessor, Queen Elizabeth's earrings and
many other ancient gems. In front is the Second Star of Africa, weigh-
ing 3091/2 carats, cut from the great Cullinan Diamond. In all the Crown
contains 2,783. diamonds, 277 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and five
rubies. St. Edward's Crown, copied in the time of Charles II from the
ancient Crown worn by Edward the Confessor, is the Crown of England
and is the Crown with which all our Monarchs since that time have been
crowned.
1660, the priceless relics which for
six centuries had figured in the
crowning of England's monarchs
were broken down. On the restor-
cvation ; of the Monarchy in 1660
strenuous efforts were made to
track down and re -assemble such
pieces as had not been broken or
defaced. A few gems were recover-
ed undamaged, including the Black
Prince's rugby and St. Edward's
Sapphire, which adorn the Imper-
ial Crown today.
Ancient Regalia
The only pieces of the present
regalia which have featured in the
crowning of English monarchs be-
fore 1660 are those two gems,
Queen Elizabeth's pearl ear -drops
and the Stuart Sapphire from the
Crown of Charles II. The Spoon
and Ampulla, which will be used
in the Coronation ceremony for the
solemn moment of anointing, date
from the pre -reformation days.
The spoon has been used, it is
thought, in Coronation ceremonies
for dearly 800 years, for its work-
manship is in\;the style of the late
12th or early 13th century. The
Ampulla is a gold vessel shaped
like an eagle, through whose beak
the sacramental oil is poured into
the spoon. The Archbishop of Can-•
terbury will dip two fingers into
this spoon and anoint the Sover-
eign with the sign of the Cress.
The Golden Spurs, of solid chile -
ed gold, used to be buckled on to
fully worked in. rubies, diamonds
and emeralds. The hilt and grip
are thickly studded with diamonds
and other gems.
Symbols of Justice
The' second and third swords
represent spiritual and temporal
justice and together with the
Curtana, which has a broken -off
point and symbolises mercy, are
carried on the ceremony before the
Sovereign. It has been the custom
to carry three swords of this type
ever since the time of Richard 1st
in 1189.
The Orb of State, delivered into
the Queen's hands during the
Coronation, represents independent
sovereignty under the cross. The
Orb used today was made for King
Charles II, and consists of a globe
of gold heavilyencrusted with
gems. The Archbishop, placing it
in the Queen's right hand, will
remind her of the significance of
the cross surmounting it: "When
you see this Orb. remember
that. the whole world is subject to
the power and Empire of Christ
our Redeemer"
Coronation Ring
When the Orb has been handed
over, the Keeper of the Jewel
House then hands the coronation
Ring to the Archbishop, who slips
it on to the third finger of the
Sovereign's right hand.
Next comes the Sceptre, the
"Ensign of Kingly Power and
The Crown Jewels are housed in the Tower of
London, the great medieval fortress on the banks of
the Thames which has been the scene of more
—British Travel Association Photo
dramatic and stirring episodes in England's history
than any other single building.
Justice," sometimes called the
Baculum. As a symbol of sover-
eignty it is older than the Crown
itself. As a work of art, it is of
breathtaking beauty. Originally
made for Charles II and since
added to and improved, it is nearly
three feet long and heavily studded
with jewels though the centre is
of plain gold to form a grip. Its
pear-shaped stone, the largest cut
diamond in the world, weighs
5161/2 carats and was cut from the
Cullinan diamond presented to
King „Edward VII by • the Trans-
vaal Government in 1907. The ori-
ginal diamond weighed 11/2 pounds.
King Edward's Crown
The final act in the Coronation
is the placing of King Edward's
crown upon the Queen's head. It
is so large and heavy, consisting
of over 7 pounds in weight of pure
gold and gems,that it is doubtful
if the Queen will wear it for more
than a few minutes before ex-
changing it for the lighter Im-
perial Crown of State. King
George VI, with characteristic
patience, suffered it for 30 minutes
of the coronation service, though
his father, King George V found
—British Travel Association Photo
THE THREE STATE SWORDS
The Sword of State (in the centre)
is a two-handed sword, the length
of blade being 32 inches. The
handle is of gilt metal, the cross-
pieces representing the lion and
the unicorn. The scabbard is dec-
orated with diamonds, rubies and
emeralds in designs of the Rose,
the Thistle and the Shamrock. At'
the Coronation the Peer who car-
ries the Sword of State delivers it
up to the Lord Chamberlain who,
in exchange, gives him the Jewel-
led Sword. The second sword is
known as the Sword of Jestice to
the Spirituality, and the third
sword as the Sword of Justice to
the Temporality,
—British Travel Association Photo
THE ORBS
There are two Orbs, one for the King and the other for the Queen. The
Queen Orb owes its origin to Mary, wife of William of Orange, who
insisted on a joint occupation of the Throne. The King's Orb is the
larger, and is of polished gold' studded with large pearls, rubies,
sapphires and emeralds. It is placed in the King's right hand im-
mediately after the King has put on the Royal Robe.
a few minutes quite enough. King
Edward VII, who was in a poor
state of health at the time of his
coronation, was actually crowned
with the lighter version and did not
wear the heavy Crown at, all.
Murdered For Jewel
The great glowing ruby in the
larger crown has a bloody and
interesting history. Two inches by
one and a half in size, in 1367 it
was owned by a King of Granada
in Spain who was murdered by a
neighbouring prince who wanted to
possess the stone. In turn he gave
it to the Black Prince, who wore,
it in battle. Later, it saw the
tumult and slaughter of Agincourt
when carried by Henry V, and the
carnage of Bosworth field, when
carried by Richard III.
When Richard was killed the
crown was found in a bush: Crom-
well's vandals, when breaking up
the Crown jewels, valued this
fabulous gem at a mere £4. How
it was recovered after the restor-
ation of the Monarchy in 1660 it
is not known, but even then its
adntures were not at an end. For
when Colonel Blood tried to steal
the Crown jetivels the ruby fell
from its setting and was found in
the pocket of one of his accom-
plices.
Stolen Gem Returned
The sapphire in the cross sur-
mounting the Crown is said to have
come from the ring worn by
Edward the Confessor at his
coronation in 1042, which would
make it over 900 years old. It was
buried with him in Westminster
Abbey, lost when his tomb was
desecrated and, in a mysterious
way, found its way back to the
Royal Regalia. Perhaps a priest
who connived at its theft, and had
hidden it, was litter stricken with
remorse and restored it to its
proper place. .
--Britlah Travel Association Photo
The head' of the Royal Sceptre
containing the Great Star of
Africa, cut from the CNlinan
Diamond.