HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1953-05-28, Page 21MAY, 1958
Priceless Treasures
CORONATION SUPPLEMENT PAGS fBVBM
Crown 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.
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 —.......................................................
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
with a pension of £500 a year—a
large sum in those days.
Most people assume that all the
regalia are of great antiquity.
This, however*, is not the case. Dur
ing the Commonwealth regime of
Oliver Cromwell, from 1649 to
—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 309/2. 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
ation 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 nearly 800 years, for its work
manship is in the style of the late
12th oi’ .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 spoqji and anoint the Sover
eign witn the sigh of the Cross.
The Golden Spurs, of solid chas
ed gold, used to be buckled on to
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 mo'ht 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.
Gold-Encased Eword
This sword was made for the
Coronation of George IV in 1821
at a cost of £6,000. Its gold scab
bard is covered with emblems of
the United Kingdom—the Rose of
England, the Thistle of Scotland,
the Shamrock of Ireland, beauti
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 heavily encrusted 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 I —British Travel Association Photo
London, th<5 great medieval fortress on the banks of dramatic and stirring episodes in England’s history
the Thames which has been the scene of more I 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
516% carats and was cut from the
Gullinan diamond presented to
King Edward VII by the Trans
vaal Government in 1907. The ori
ginal diamond weighed 1% 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
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 thet 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
adventures were not at an end. For
when Colonel Blood tried to steal
the Crown jewels the ruby fell
from its setting and was found in
the pocket of one of his accom
plices.
Stolen Genl 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 later stricken with
remorse and restored it to its
proper place.
—British Travel Association Photo
The head of the* Royal Sceptre,
containing the Great Stai\ of
Africa, cut from th® Cullinan
Diamond,