y" 11, 1931 -~ _ . lVlA [Hit LHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN PAGE THIRTY-ONE

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WOYUPS Costliest Jewels To Glitter At Coronation

Regalia Nearly 3 Centuries Old

EPLY enshrined in English tradition

111 the ilﬂiiiicnnce oi the golden. beiewelleil Royal Orb (below), carried by the King during the Coronation cere- mony. lt nYIIIDOIlZCS the world over which Ills Majesty rules in the spirit oi the Cross.

CALLED St. Edward's Crown,

41004-1066).

Queens of England."

Ordinarily many o! these things may be seen by the most casual visitor in the Tower oi London where, beh‘nd stout swel bars under searching electriot lights and the close scrutiny oi guards the crown jewels are on display.

KING'S ransom oi gems h worked into tho King's soeptre

(above) which V1 brieﬂy at the oolomttion. Th6 hoorioped gem in the lid i-l old 8hr of ‘Africa Diamond.

Will hold

the magniﬁcent jewel

above is THE crown that will be used in the corona- lion. It is not the orignnl, but one made ior the coronation of lling Charlcg II to replace that destroyed in the Crom- well revolution. llistorfc drawings served n; the mode] [or zhis replica o! the precious crown oi’ Edward the Coniessor

BY MILTON BRONNER

Eight thousand muchiy-favored guests, sitting in Westminster Abbey on May 12 for the coronation of King George VI, will see the greatest, richest and most costly ‘set of precious jewels in the

world-those adorning the coronation regalia oi the Kings and

The early crown jewels used to be kept in the Treasury cl England room in Westminister Anbbey, but in i303 a monk broke in and got away with some loot. So old Bluebeard Henry VIII of the many wives decreed that the Jewels should henceforth be kept in the Tower oi mndon and that edict holds good down to this day. In modern times it has been held to be utterly impossible tor anybody to get uway with the glitter- ing gems worth three or iour king's ran- soms. But this has not prevented several attempts at lip-and always in vain.

To the crown belongs what is prcb- a/bly the most famous diamond in the world-the Kohinoor. It came from the once world-celebrated mines of Golconda in southern India and was used in the crowning oi the Great Moguls, the Moslem rulers of a greater part oi In- dia, until 1739 when the Shah oi Persia. having conquered India, ultimately got his hands on the diamond, which had been hidden away. It eventually iound its wny book to India and when the British conquered the Punjab. they also bagged the diamond. The army sent it to Queen Victoria, who wore it in a brooch, but Queen Alexandra and later Queen Mary had it set in the crown which is placed on the Queen's head at

the cmonation. Queen Elizabeth, ior a

briei space on May 12, will be its possess- or.

Jlti-CARAT DIAMOND SET IN KING’S SCEPTRE

NOTHER similarly priceless gem is

me one known as the Black Prince}; ruby. It belonged to n King oi Granada. Don Pedro. Kins of 0118111“ wanted it. Finding no other moans to obtain: possession, Pedro killed 11110 owner and pocketed the ruby. Then he did g Quixotic thing in keeping Wll-ll Gastillan character, An EJ121191 B11113‘ under the famous Black Prince 11ml rendered him much-healed and in a battle near Vittoria. So D011 P§d1f° 81"“ the Block Prince the ruby wlnrh. alter many vicissitudes, now adorns the im- perial state crown.

The most recent of famous crown goons is the Star oi Mricn. It was 111111111 in 19m in a. mine nmr Preiorm, South Africa. The government oi that domm- {on purchased 1t and presented it to tho into King Edward VII to be “Hi1 R6 '1" uaiimm to the crown melon" R m‘

cut into a munber oi brilllnnts, the biggest being set in the Kings sceptre, It weight 516 1-2 parais and is 2 and 5-16 inches long.

iii * 7k ri" REGALIA IS ALMOST

MODERN IN ORIGIN

BRITISH monarchy and coronation go back very far in time, but the regalia now in use only dates Irom the reign of King Charles l1 in 1661. The ancient regalia disappeared, partly because some earlier king sold part o! it for cash which they needed. The balance was sold under Oromwclrs republican rule. The money was turned into the treasury of the commonwealth, the Puritans oi that day having no use for royal baubles. When Charles II cnmc to be crowned, an entire new set oi‘ regaiia was made, being modelled from aneent drawings o.‘ the things which 11nd (lisogxpenrcd.

St. Edward's Crovm. the one with which the King S crowned in West- minister Abbey, is a circlet oi gold, adorned with rosettes oi precious stones, in turn surrounded by diamonds. From the circlet rise (our crosses and iour fleur-de-lys alternately, all crusted with diamonds and other gems. From the tops oi the crosses there r‘se two com- pletely intertwined arches. Frrm their intersections there is an nrch on top of Whlvh is a golden cross, also set with colored gems as well as diamonds. At the very top of the cross is a very large pearl.

El? iii 4-1 Fir VICTORIAKS‘ CROWN ALSO TO BE USED other crown used in wremonles

I is the Imperial Stain Crown which was made [or Queen Vittoria in 1838. It» wc-‘ght is over 39 amass. It is s circlot o1 open work ‘in silver, having in front part oi‘ the famous star o1 Afr-ca (lili- mond previously mentlonul. On the iPVCISC side, it has a iamoils sapphire from the crown oi Charles Il. Tho rvs‘ an‘ the circlct is illl/Cfllillil)’ vlllemllls and sapphires enclosed in borders in which diamonds predominate. ‘The cmsM-s. which rise from the cirrlct. have each n fine emerald in the center except tir- mry front". one, which contains the Biol-I; Prince's ruby.

The sceptrc, which is placed in the right hrmd of the King at his ooronm non. is oi gold and throughou! its length oi three feet it is richly ornnmenird with diamonds, rubies nnd emeralds. The sccptrc with the dove. which is placed in the Kings lcit hand, is also

0i’ gold and ls three ieet- scvcn inches

MORE llllllflﬂlls» l! anything, than the crown used in 111E Wolmlw o! Enrlanos kings is the Imperial State Crown labove) which the King wears on all state occasions literward. Blazing out in front are the ill-starred Bias]: Prince's ruby and the Second Star oi Iiirca diamond, oi 309 l-4 carats. It contains 211 pearls, l7 sapphires, Ii emeralds and 5 rubies. '

long. Al; the top is a golden cross with a white enamelled (lovelts eyes, beak and feet are oi gold. ‘llhe rest is adorned with precious stones.

In addition to an orb and spurs which are 0i gold and precious‘ stain-s, there is the famous jewellcd sword oi state, the most costly 0i its kind in the world. l: was made for that. iamous rakegKnz George IV. and cost 530.000. Its vain-s today would be a great tlenl more. Th" sword i5 of dull gold set with a myr ad oi gems of all colors.

j\‘\\'i'il rririwl s . worn by llw 1mm. ‘iv . at n ro-i of 5.5171" '1 i‘? 1' George lV and la l ~‘.~2 i. ~1 mnnjv (inns that