State Crown of Charles II

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State Crown of Charles II
State Crown of Charles II.jpg
The crown of state from a painting of the regalia of Charles II c.1670–1679
Details
Country Kingdom of England
Made1661
DestroyedReign of Queen Anne [1]
Arches2
CapPurple velvet trimmed with ermine [2]
Notable stonesDiamonds, pearls, an aquamarine monde, the Black Prince's Ruby and other precious stones (as set under James II) [2]
Predecessors
Successors State Crown of George I

The State Crown of Charles II was a state crown created for the coronation of Charles II of England in 1661. It was created to replace the Tudor Crown destroyed in the English Civil War. It was the subject of an attempted theft by Thomas Blood in 1671, and was broken up under the reign of Queen Anne.

Contents

History

Following the abolition of the monarchy and the execution of Charles I in 1649, both the imperial and state crown of England (now known as the Tudor Crown) and the coronation crown (known as St Edward's Crown) were broken up and their valuable components sold or melted down into coin. [3] With the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II ordered the creation of two new imperial crowns by Sir Robert Vyner to replace those lost. [4] [5]

On 13 May 1671, Colonel Thomas Blood made an unsuccessful attempt to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London, flattening the state crown with a mallet in the process. [6] Other accounts state that, in the struggle between Blood and his captor, Martin Beckman, 'the great pearl and a fair diamond fell off, and were lost for awhile with some other smaller stones ; but the pearl was found by Catharine Maddox, a poor sweeping woman to one of the warders, and the diamond by a barber's apprentice ; and both faithfully restored. Other smaller stones were by several persons picked up, and brought in... So that not any considerable thing was wanting, the crown only was bruised, and sent to be repaired.' [7]

A slight alteration to the crown was made for the coronation of James II in 1685, and some further alterations were made for William III. [8] [a] It was judged to be too heavy for Queen Anne and was dismantled and adjusted for her. [1] [7] [9] She prefered to wear the smaller State Crown of Mary of Modena. [10] Succeeding Hanoverian kings would wear the State Crown of George I, which some accounts claim is merely an altered State Crown of Charles II rather than a new crown. [7] [9]

Description

Sir Edward Walker, who was Garter King of Arms under Charles II, provided a sketch of the crown in his account of the 1661 coronation, though it was not published until 1820. [11] Cyril Davenport's The English Regalia, published in 1897, criticised Walker's illustration as 'of such an elementary character that little reliance can be placed on it'. [12] A more accurate depiction can be seen in a contemporary painting of the regalia of Charles II, c.1670–1679.

The Lord Chamberlain's books record that the crown was 'refreshed and repaired' by Sir Robert Vyner for the coronation of James II, but otherwise little changed. [8] Francis Sandford wrote The History of the Coronation of James II in 1687 which included a detailed drawing and description of the state crown under James II. He gave the following description: [2]

The Crown of State, so called, because it is worn by the King at all such times as He comes in State to the Parliament-House. This was also new made against the Coronation of His late Majesty King Charles the Second, and was worn by the King in His Return to Westminster-Hall: It is exceeding Rich, being Imbellished [sic] with divers large Rose, or Faucet, and Table Diamonds, and other Precious Stones, besides a great quantity of Pearl; but it is most remarkable for a Wonderful large Ruby, set in the midle [sic] of one of the four Crosses, esteemed worth Ten Thousand Pounds, as also for that the Mound is one Entire, Stone, of a Sea-Water-Green Colour, known by the Name of an Agmarine [aquamarine]. The Cap was also of Purple Velvet, lined and turned up...

The ruby set in one of the four crosses, valued at £10,000 at the time, was the Black Prince's Ruby. [9] The aquamarine monde survives in the emptied frame of George I's state crown and is on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. [13]

A new cross was made for the coronation of William III, [a] and the shape of the frame was altered from circular to oval. [8]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 William III wore the State Crown of Charles II while Mary II wore an entirely re-made State Crown of Mary of Modena [8]

References

  1. 1 2 A New and Compleat Survey of London In Ten Parts. Vol. 1. S. Lyne, at the Globe in Newgate-street; and J. Ilive, in Aldersgate-street. 1742. p. 176. Retrieved 2 October 2025. This Crown was taken to Pieces, being too weighty, in the Reign of Queen Anne, and made fit for her, and she then wore it when she went to Parliament.
  2. 1 2 3 Sandford, Francis (1687). The History of the Coronation of … James II … and of his Royal Consort, Queen Mary. Thomas Newcomb. p. 41. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Davenport, Cyril (1897). The English Regalia. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. pp. 4–5.
  4. ↑ Walker, Sir Edward (1820). A Circumstantial Account of the Preparations for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles the Second. T. Baker. pp. 29–30. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Twining, Edward Francis (1967). European Regalia. London: B T Batsford Ltd. p. 106. ISBN   9780713407075 . Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "The Crown Jewels". Historic Royal Palaces. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Planché, J.R. (1838). Regal Records: Or, A Chronicle of the Coronations of the Queens Regnant of England. London: Chapman and Hall. pp. 156–157. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Edward Alfred (1908). The Old Royal Plate in the Tower of London. Oxford: Fox, Jones & Co. pp. 63–67. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Jones, William (1883). Crowns and Coronations: a History of Regalia. London: Chatto & Windus. p. 43–44. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Twining 1967, p.62.
  11. 1 2 Walker 1820, p.21.
  12. ↑ Davenport 1897, pp.24–25.
  13. ↑ Anna Keay (2011). The Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History. Thames & Hudson. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-500-51575-4.
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