WEST VIRGNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The English Crown Jewels History 305

Emily Snodgrass

5/2/2015

A brief overview of the role, status, and history of the English-British Monarch Crown Jewels and Regalia as part of a requirement for Dr. Workman’s HST 305 English History course.

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The idea of power has concurrently been represented by the strength and wealth one has

over others – one is seen as elite among the rest. Historically, strength has been displayed by

victorious military action and battles that date back to ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia

(4500 BC) who often fell victim to foreign invaders. It is through this conquering trend that

civilizations developed strength in numbers and economic prosperity as new territories were

absorbed into the pre-existing one, and with growing provincial gains attracting more aggressors,

the need for an exclusive leader to serve as a representative of the entire collective became a

matter of necessity and resulted in the development a government. Typically leaders in a culture

have been known to retain certain privileges and special titles, however, they are also known for

being easily identified with certain physical attributes they alone can possess in order to establish

their prominence in the community. Though many tribal cultures may use markings on the body

or hair styles, many cultures use dress and accessories, like headdress, to distinguish their

leaders. This tradition can be seen with the growth of the monarchy throughout Europe in the

Common Era where kings contained titles, such as “the Conqueror” or “the Lionheart”, in order

to convey their reputations and wore specially designed regalia to show their wealth. After the

victory over the Vikings, the English monarchy adopted such a style of respect and image with

Alfred the Great setting his successors on the path to a long rule that lasts even to this day.

Money is power; and it is said that ‘money is a language all nations can understand’. It is

no surprise that the tradition of royal ceremonial objects and ornaments became so prevalent

throughout the Middle Ages monarchies as each tried to ‘show off’ to the other. One popular

way to parade wealth is with a country’s ‘Crown Jewels’, a collection of metalwork or jewelry as

part of the insignia symbolizing the country and her ruler. Pieces included in such collections

include crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, and rings a king or queen would wear or be seen with to

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represent their sovereignty over their subjects. Countries all over the world including Egypt, Iran

(formerly Persia), Thailand, France, Hungary, and Brazil all possess various symbols of office

from their rulers’ time in power, but none are so prevalent and widely known as are the English

Crown Jewels.

He wore his crown three times a year as often as he was in England… On these occasions the great men of England were assembled about him… He was so stern and relentless a man that no-one dared do anything against his will. - Anglo Saxon Chronicle1

Although the English monarchy had existed since Egbert attained supremacy from

Mercia in 825 BC2, the first to actually gather all regalia is said to be Edward the Confessor,

(1042-1066) who left his Royal possessions in Westminster Abbey for ‘safe-keeping’.3 Once

inside the coronation church, the jewels were not permitted to leave, meaning successors had to

fashion new crowns and ornaments to use during their time as king or queen.4 The Regalia were

moved in 1303 to the Tower of London, which had served as the nation’s stronghold since the

1100’s5, but Westminster remained the site of all coronation ceremonies even to this day.

6 It was

in 1337 during Richard II’s coronation that the 300 year long tradition of a procession from the

Tower of London to Westminster began when the soon to be crowned ten year-old put on an

extravagant parade. 7 Ritual of altering or substituting Regalia continued and the symbolism of

such items in relation to the monarchs and their reign grew, becoming a problem that led to the

beginnings of the English Civil Wars.

1 Nelson, 'The Rites of a Conqueror', in Anglo-Norman Studies IV, pp. 117 – 32

2 Roberts, Clayton, David Roberts, and Douglas R. Bisson. A History of England: Prehistory to 1714. 6th ed. Vol. I. A History of

England. Pearson Education. 3 The United Kingdom. Royal Household at Buckingham Palace. The Official Website of the British

Monarchy.http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/TheCrownJewels.aspx. 4 "The Crown Jewels." Discover The Breathtaking Crown Jewels At The Tower Of London. Accessed May 02, 2015.

5 Ibid.

6 "The Crown Jewels." The Crown Jewels. Accessed May 02, 2015. http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/crown_jewels.htm.

7 "The Crown Jewels." Discover The Breathtaking Crown Jewels At The Tower Of London.

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The English Civil Wars were brought on by the increasing unrest in Parliament in

response to the growing power of the English monarchy. Struggling financially, the country was

in a state of chaos as King Charles I waged war with Protestants and requested funds in attempts

to Anglecize the Scottish Church.8 Once Charles was forced to surrender to Oliver Cromwell and

his army, he was tried for treason and subsequently executed. Cromwell took the role of Lord

Protector of England and abolished the monarchy in favor of the new Commonwealth and while

attempting to solve the ongoing financial problems, his distaste for monarchism provided him an

opportunity to dispose of the last remaining symbols of the former royals – the Crown Jewels. 9

In 1649 the Royal regalia were ordered to “be totally broken’ as being symbolic of the

‘detestable rule of kings” and – after removing and selling all gems and stones – were melted

down to make coins.10

Upon Cromwell’s death and his son’s lack of governance, Parliament

invited Charles II to return to England in order claim his rightful place as king and restore the

monarchy. 11

Literally without a single crown to his name, Charles set forth to replace the

£12,185 ($18,446 U.S.) worth of regalia destroyed, recreating regalia used in coronation

practices before to use for his own.12

A few pieces such as the Coronation Chair survived intact

where scant others were sold whole and were fortunately returned to the monarchy after his

homecoming.13

8 Workman, Michael, Dr. "Early Stuart England: 1603-1640." Lecture, History 305, Wallace Hall, Institute, West Virginia, April 29,

2015. 9 "Oliver Cromwell." History.com. Accessed May 02, 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/oliver-cromwell.

10 The United Kingdom. Royal Household at Buckingham Palace.

11 Roberts, Clayton, David Roberts, and Douglas R. Bisson. A History of England: Prehistory to 1714.

12 The United Kingdom. Royal Household at Buckingham Palace.

13 Keay, Anna. "Latest History Articles:." Britain Magazine. June 10, 2014. Accessed May 02, 2015.

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Regalia involved in the English Coronation Ceremony as described in ‘The History of the Coronation of…King James II...and Queen Mary’. The first plate of the regalia: the Open Pall, the Supertunica of Cloth of Gold, an Armilla, the Colobium Sindonis, the Surcoat of Crimson Satin, a Buskin, a Sandall, the Spurrs, the Ampulla, the

Anointing Spoon, King Edwards Chair, Sword of Mercy, the Second Sword (of Temporal Justice), the third sword (of Spiritual Justice). The second plate of the regalia: St. Edward's Crown, The Crown of State, the Sovereign’s Orb, the Queens Circle, the ‘Crown wherwith the Queen was Crowned’, the Rich Crown, St Edward’s Staff, The Sceptre with

Dove, The Sceptre with Cross, the Queen’s Sceptre, the Queen’s Ivory Rod, the King’s Coronation Ring and the Queen’s Coronation Ring.

14

Many in the English monarch line have chosen to create new crowns either by melting

down pieces for new materials or performing simple alterations to change the weight and looks.

Only two of the ten crowns are considered official regalia in the collection, however, the

scepters, orbs, swords, maces and rings, account for all other Royal Regalia by means of their

symbolism to the monarchy. The most important of the regalia are those involved in the

Coronation Ceremony, but the oldest piece is the gold Anointing Spoon or ‘Coronation Spoon’.

First recorded in a 1349 inventory, the ceremonial object was among those sold during

Cromwell’s time as Protectorate and was purchased by a servant of Charles I’s wardrobe who

later returned it to the King’s son to be used during his coronation.15

This ancient tradition of

“anointing an honor” to someone reaches back to biblical times and at first emphasized the

14

His Majesties Special Command. "History of the Coronation...James II....and Queen Mary." NYPL Digital Collections. 15

The Crown Jewels. 1661. The Royal Collection Trust, Jewel House, Tower of London. In Royal Collection. London: HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015.

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sovereign being one who was “appointed directly by God”, however, it is now considered a

declaration of the monarch being recognized as the Head of the Church of England.16

The gold

Ampulla is a container shaped as an eagle with outstretched wings that holds the anointing oil

traditionally poured into the Spoon and together are used by the Archbishop of Canterbury, one

of the most important figures in the English Church, when placing the “holy oil” onto the head,

breast, and hands of the sovereign while they swear to uphold an oath to the monarchy.17

Other pieces involved in the Coronation Ceremony include the Sovereign’s Orb,

signifying Christ’s rule over the world, and the two sceptre’s, The Sovereign’s Sceptre with

Cross and Sceptre with Dove, indicating the monarch’s “temporal power under God” and the

“equity and mercy” of the sovereign respectfully. 18

A set of Spurs and Armills are not worn, but

are present as characteristics of knightly chivalry and wisdom of the ruler, and upon completion

of the Anointing, the Sovereign then places the Sovereign’s Orb and Jeweled Sword of Offering,

atop of the church’s altar.19

The Jeweled Sword was made for George IV’s coronation in 1821

and is among six swords in the Crown Jewels, three of which – the Sword of Spiritual Justice,

Temporal Justice and Mercy, were made for Charles I in 1600 and sold during the

Commonwealth.20

George IV also suggested the National Emblems, rose, thistle, harp, fleur-de-

lis and portcullis, be placed on items invested after anointment to the Sovereign to represent the

monarch’s devotion to country and God.21

16

The Crown Jewels. 1661. The Royal Collection Trust, Jewel House, Tower of London. 17

The United Kingdom. Royal Household at Buckingham Palace. 18

Ibid. 19

Ibid. 20

The Crown Jewels. 1661. The Royal Collection Trust, Jewel House, Tower of London. 21

Ibid.

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Queen Elizabeth I in her coronation robes holding the Sovereign’s Sceptre and Orb as a

testament to the sovereign’s power over a Christian world represented by a cross mounted on the globe. The Queen’s crown is suspected to be that of the Tudor’s.

22

The marriage of James II to his second wife Mary of Modena in 1673 required a set of

regalia be made for the first Queen Consort after the restoration due to the law stating “if a

sovereign is married at the time of his coronation, the queen consort is usually crowned with

him.”23

The Queen’s Consort Crown of State, Diadem, Ivory rod with Dove and Sceptre with

Cross were all made for the coronation and have been used for every queen consort after. A

similar situation was encountered when Mary II, daughter of James II, succeeded the throne after

her father’s deposition alongside her husband William III & II. The couple were coroneted as

joint-sovereign and a separate Sceptre with Dove and Orb were produced for Mary to use, and

due to the particular circumstances involved, it remains the only coronation that required a

second set of regalia.24

The collection is most famous for the use of the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond

ever discovered (1 and ½ lb), that was cut into several large pieces and later into smaller ones.

22

"Queen Elizabeth I." Digital image. National Portrait Gallery. 23

Ibid. 24

Ibid.

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The largest of these is the “Star of Africa” (Cullinan I) and is mounted on the Sceptre with Cross

that is seen in the right hand of the sovereign. The second largest, the “Second Star of Africa”

(Cullinan II) is set into the band of the Imperial State Crown alongside other famous gems such

as St. Edwards’ Saphire and the Black Prince’s Ruby.25

The ‘Lesser Stars of Africa’ or the

Cullinan III and IV, were set into Queen Mary’s personal crown and designed to be easily

removed in order to become a brooch or drop pendant for a necklace, while remaining pieces

became various pieces of jewelry including Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite ring. 26

The continued use of such regalia is what sets the English Monarchy apart from that of

other countries who possess such jewels. For example, the earlier mentioned, Coronation Spoon

along with St. Edward’s Crown and Staff are both used in Coronation ceremonies and are

temporarily removed from the Jewel House.27

Due to the fact the United Kingdom is a

constitutional monarchy, the State Opening of Parliament each year requires two maces from the

collection along with the Sword of State (1678) to be used in traditional processions leading up

to the opening procedures.28

It is during this event that The Imperial State Crown is also worn

by the Queen as she delivers a prepared speech to the members of Parliament outlining the

schedule of legislation; a custom that began with Queen Victoria.29

Other special events include

Royal Baptisms that make use of ‘The Lily Font’ (1840), Maundy Thursday where the reigning

monarch distributes specially minted coins to a group of men and women during church service

the Thursday before Easter Sunday, and Royal Funerals such as the 2002 funeral procession of

25

The Royal Jewels. Directed by Alan Scales. Performed by Kate Courtenay. London: Imagicians, 2015 26

Rebecca English for the Daily Mail. "Queen of Diamonds: Together for the First Time, the Royal Gems All Cut from One Legendary Stone." Mail Online. May 16, 2012. 27

"The Crown Jewels." Discover The Breathtaking Crown Jewels At The Tower Of London 28

Ibid. 29

The Royal Jewels. Directed by Alan Scales. Performed by Kate Courtenay.

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the Queen Mother where her coronation crown (‘The Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen

Mother’, 1937) was placed atop her coffin.30

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s, funeral on April 9

th 2002. Atop the

Queen’s coffin lies the queen’s own personal standard along with her coronation crown containing the legendary Koh-i-Nûr diamond.

31

The Crown Jewels are rumored to have been appraised for insurance purposes; however,

a real estimate has never been publically released. Due to a few pieces being quoted separately

based on their jewels for amounts of 150,000 pounds, 1.5 million pounds, and even 12 million

pounds, some estimate the overall collection to be worth somewhere in between 3 to 5 billion

pounds (4.5 to 7.5 billion in US dollars).32

Such a collection requires unquestionable protection

and was moved to the Tower of London in 1303 where they remain in the Jewel House,

alongside numerous other valuable items produced for the royal family, where a keeper was

assigned to oversee their safety. After his coronation in 1661, Charles allowed the newly made

Crown Jewels to be displayed to members of the public for a fee in the Martin Tower at the

Tower of London. It was only ten years later that Colonel Thomas Blood developed a plot to

befriend the keeper of the jewels in order to attain access to the jewels.33

Although his

30

"The Crown Jewels." Discover The Breathtaking Crown Jewels At The Tower Of London 31

Queen Mother's Funeral: Crown Carried the Koh-i-Noor. April 9, 2002. London. In BBC Network. By Dominic Casciani. 32

The Royal Jewels. Directed by Alan Scales. Performed by Kate Courtenay. 33

"The King, the Crown, and the Colonel." National Archives. Accessed May 2, 2015.

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accomplice was quickly subdued, the Colonel was able to make it out of the tower with a couple

pieces only to be stopped at the gate and taken to Charles who laughed at the man’s sheer

audacity to pull off such a scheme. 34

Blood remains the first and only person to have attempted

to steal the jewels.

The Tower is officially guarded by Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and

Fortress the Tower of London and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman

Guard Extradoninary, ceremonial guardians who are responsible for the safety of the jewels

during tours of the grounds as well as the lock up at night. One of the most famously known

ceremonies involves the securing of the grounds every night and is known as the “Ceremony of

the Keys” The ceremony has not been canceled in the 700 years it’s been performed, and was

only delayed once during the Blitz Bombings of World War II when a bomb knocked some

soldiers off their feet35

, despite the fact the jewels are said to have been hidden at a still

undisclosed location during the war. 36

The Crown Jewels are not to be confused with the Royal Family’s personal jewel

collection, which consists of numerous personal crowns and gems, passed down for generations

including their Russian and Scottish ancestors, though these remain symbols of the monarchy in

their own right. Despite rumors and speculation concerning them such as King John being said to

have lost the Crown Jewels in quicksand in 1216, or even Edward III pawning them to pay his

troops for overseas campaigns37

; these jewels will remain symbols of the longest lasting line of

monarchy, with little doubt of changing.

34

Johnson, Ben. "The Theft of the Crown Jewels." Colonel Blood and the Theft of the Crown Jewels. 2013. 35

"Tower of London / Ceremony of the Keys." Tower of London / Ceremony of the Keys. 36

The United Kingdom. Royal Household at Buckingham Palace. 37

Ibid.

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Elizabeth II, 2015. Accessed May 3, 2015. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/.

"The Crown Jewels." The Crown Jewels. Accessed May 02, 2015. http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/crown_jewels.htm.

"The Crown Jewels." Discover The Breathtaking Crown Jewels At The Tower Of London. Accessed May 02, 2015.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/stories/palacehighlights/crownjewels.

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Rebecca English for the Daily Mail. "Queen of Diamonds: Together for the First Time, the Royal Gems All Cut from One

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