League Members,
Monarchies use many different items and symbols to differentiate the function and status of those in the realm, some examples being:
[list]
[*]Crown<>
[*]Sceptre<>
[*]Robes<>
[st]
The one that intrigues me the most is the Crown. It seems to be an almost universal among humanity. Cultures the world over have used crowns of various types and materials. Even cultures that were in isolation from the rest of the world often used crowns.
What is the origin of the Crown, and what interesting messages do they conveigh?
What features of a Crown do you find most appealing?
Regards,
HM Alexander of Hanover
Sorry to be off-topic (and intruding) but I just have to say that "conveigh" definitely wins the Creative Spelling Award for this weekend!
I'm sure I could look-up "crown" in the encyclopedia and discover its origins but I'll offer my thoughts and research it later.
We know, of course, that athletes at the olympics were crowned with laurel wreaths for their victories and that later we see the Emperors of Rome adopting the wreath as an imperial symbol, although I don't believe there were any coronation ceremonies for the emperor.
In Egypt, the pharaohs and caliphs always wore elaborate headdresses to signify their sovereignty and authority and I can only imagine that the same was true of the potentates reigning over so many other nations and civilisations of the Ancient World. I think of Native American Indian Chiefs and their elaborate feathered headdresses, as well.
In Europe, the crown which we know today began as a low-lying circlet, that much I know. This style may have originated with the Byzantine Emperors, but I can't be sure of that. When you see them represented in iconography, however, they're often depicted wearing those simple, golden circlets.
Was the Crown of Charlemagne the first to sport an arch? I don't know when the arches began to appear, but I'm glad they did because they really make a very impressive looking headdress out of a circlet which was almost casual in its simplicity. My thoughts go to Hollywood and Peter O'Toole and other actors portraying medieval kings who seemed to walk around everywhere with their circlet crowns on, ringing them around chair posts or tossing them on to their thrones, and so forth.
The crowns we know today are large, heavy, bejeweled affairs, usually sporting two or four arches topped with an orb and a cross. The circlets have become the headgear of the nobility, although George IV did design a diadem for his own use which was worn by Victoria and continues to be worn by Elizabeth II. Various queen-consorts have also worn circlets similar to the George IV diadem in place of a tiara.
The British have made their own crowns and coronets look all the more regal, still, by finishing them off with velvet inner caps trimmed with ermine. I believe these have their origins in the caps of estate once worn by landlords.
Similar to the caps of estate, the British regalia includes something called the "Cap of Maintenance". It looks like one of the ermine-trimmed velvet caps inserted inside of a crown, only larger. No one seems to know why it's called the "Cap of Maintenance".
Of the royal crowns of the West in existence today, my favorite amongst them is one which, sadly, will never be used again: The British Imperial Crown of India. It is, to me, the most beautiful of all the British crown jewels. It's unique amongst the British crowns in that it sports four arches rather than two, giving it a continental European look.
One of the more interesting crowns in existence is the miniature state crown designed for Queen Victoria's use. The Imperial State Crown used to give her migrains when she wore it at the State Opening of Parliament, so they designed a tiny, lightweight version which she could simply perch on top of her head and pin to her hair.
In stark contrast to Victoria's mini-crowns are the behive-shaped behemoths once worn by the Popes. The "triple tiara" began as a soft, behive-shaped cap which later gained a circlet crown at its base. It then became a tall, rigid behive and, as time went by, two more circlet crowns were added. Julius II made it a dazzlingly bejewelled headdress to rival or surpass any of the crown jewels in Europe.
When Napoleon invaded Rome, he stole all of the Papal tiaras from the Vatican and absconded with them to Paris, leaving poor Pope Pius VII to be crowned with a paper-mache tiara of no value whatsoever, although it looked convincing enough. John XXIII was the last to wear the richly-jewelled tiaras. Paul VI was crowned with a much simpler tiara in 1963: he sold it to raise money for the poor some years later. Both John Paul I and John Paul II have refused to be crowned with the tiara. It's re-emergence is unlikely.
Napoleon had a crown designed for his coronation. In shape and size it was similar to the Crown of Louis XV although much more simply decorated. He never wore it, having decided at the last minute to use a golden laurel wreath instead.
The crown of Eric of Sweden is interesting in that it has two arches whereas the heraldic Crown of Sweden shows four. I figured in that case I could get away with doing the same with regard to my own crown. The crown jewels of the Kingdom of Varennes will be making an appearance on the website in due course. It's amazing what you can do with things you find on eBay or at Target when you have a little imagination. Look for the Marchmain State Crown, the "ermine"-trimmed blue velvet coronation robes, ampulla, sceptre &c, to make an appearance sometime this fall.
THE ORB IN GREAT BRITAIN:
The Sovereign's Orb (representing Christian sovereignty, the Sovereign being the head of the Church of England) is placed in the Sovereign's right hand. The Orb was made for Charles II's coronation, set with precious stones and pearls.
http://www.pharo.com/treasure/jewellery/im.../trje03_orb.jpg
The Orb is in fact one of my favorite symbols.
Duke,
You know what angers me about that?
I went to the trouble to spell check that with MS-Word, and it says it's fine. I just did it a second time, fine. You can't argue with Bill.
Regards,
Alexander
I like the crown, myself...