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St Edward’s Crown
At the heart of the King’s Coronation will be ancient and invaluable jewel-encrusted regalia from swords to crowns – much of which have been used for more than 1,000 years.
But mystery surrounds the purpose of some of the objects, with royal experts admitting that despite their repeated use and historical significance, they have no idea what they were used for.
Most of the regalia was created during the reign of Charles II as replicas of medieval objects that were destroyed in the mid-17th century on the orders of Oliver Cromwell.
Among them is St Edward’s Staff, which was remade even though “no one was quite sure what it was for”.
The original purpose of the Coronation Spoon, which is used during the anointing – the most sacred part of the ceremony – is also unknown.
First recorded in 1349, preserved among St Edward’s Regalia in Westminster Abbey, it is the oldest object in the collection and has been hailed as the “one real great survivor” of the medieval regalia.
Yet Kathryn Jones, senior curator of decorative arts for the Royal Collection Trust, admitted: “We don’t know its original purpose.”
Meanwhile, royal aides confirmed that the Queen Consort’s Rod with Dove, which is made of ivory, will be used despite claims that it would be rejected due to environmental concerns.
One palace source noted that a collection of such size and age as the Royal Collection would be expected to contain items made of ivory “because of course it reflects the taste of the time”.
The Coronation Regalia are considered the heart of the Crown Jewels, held in trust by the monarch on behalf of the nation.
Housed in the Tower of London, where they are kept on public display, they are sacred objects which symbolise the powers and responsibilities of the monarch.
The event will be in 2 parts; the procession and then the Ceremony which is in three parts; the anointing,the crowning and the investiture.
For the Procession The ceremonial mace has been a symbol of royal authority for more than 1,000 years.
It will be carried by peers ahead of the monarch during the procession into Westminster Abbey.
The maces are also used during the State Opening of Parliament.
St Edward’s Staff
One of the objects that formed part of the early medieval regalia was known as St Edward’s Staff and is thought to have been associated with King Edward the Confessor, who died in 1066.
Charles Farris, a public historian for Historic Royal Palaces, said: “When the Crown Jewels were remade in 1660 and 1661, Charles II was being advised as to what he might need and what and what he might not need.
“When it came to St Edward’s Staff, no one was quite sure what it was for and they almost didn’t have one at all.
“But Charles II said: ‘No, I want the full set,’ and it was made, even though no one quite knew what it was for … and that is still carried in English coronations today.”
Sword of State
There are five swords in total being used during the Coronation ceremony.
The Sword of State is carried before the Sovereign on formal occasions, symbolising royal authority.
It has a steel blade with a silver-gilt hilt, enclosed in a wooden scabbard covered in velvet.
In 1660 and 1678, during the reign of King Charles II, two such swords were made. The latter will be used on Saturday after Mr Farris admitted: “We don’t quite know what happened to the first one.”
It was used by Queen Elizabeth on various ceremonial occasions, including the investiture of the then Prince of Wales in 1969 and the VE Day service in St Paul’s Cathedral in 1995.
Four further swords will be used during the Coronation.
Three will be carried before the monarch during the procession into the Abbey, in a tradition that dates back to at least the Coronation of Richard I in 1189.
Like then, they will be carried pointing upwards and unsheathed, representing the King’s various powers and duties.
The swords were made for the Coronation of Charles I in 1626, and then placed with the regalia in Westminster Abbey.
Together with the Coronation Spoon, they were the only pieces to survive the Civil War to the Restoration unscathed.
They are the Sword of Temporal Justice, signifying the monarch’s role as head of the Armed Forces; the Sword of Spiritual Justice, signifying the monarch as Defender of the Faith; and the Sword of Mercy or Curtana, which has a blunted tip, symbolising the sovereign’s mercy.
The fifth and final sword is the jewelled Sword of Offering.
It was made in 1820 and has a steel blade, mounted in gold and set with jewels, which form a rose, a thistle, a shamrock, oak leaves, acorns, and lion’s heads.
The sword is contained in a gold-covered leather scabbard. It was first used at the Coronation of King George IV.
Anointing
The Ampulla
The most sacred moment during the Coronation ceremony is the anointing, when the Archbishop of Canterbury will use holy oil from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem to mark a cross on the King’s hands, chest and forehead.
The oil is stored in the Ampulla, a gold vessel in the shape of an eagle supplied in 1661 by royal goldsmith Robert Vyner. The head of the eagle is removable and there is an opening in the beak for pouring the oil.
The design is based on an earlier, smaller vessel, which in turn is said to have been based on a 14th-century legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to Thomas Becket in a dream and presented him with a golden eagle and a vial of oil for anointing future kings of England.
The Coronation Spoon
The “humble” spoon is the oldest object in the collection, and the oldest surviving English royal goldsmith’s work.
Dating back to the 12th century, it is described as the “one real great survivor” of the medieval regalia.
Interestingly, like St Edward’s Staff, we don’t know its original purpose,” admitted Ms Jones.
“It was listed among the regalia in 1349 but stylistically it dates earlier than that and may have been supplied to either Henry II or Richard I.”
Clearly never intended for eating or stirring, its divided bowl and its length suggest that it had a ceremonial purpose, and its presence among the regalia means that it has always been associated with coronations.
The oil is poured from the Ampulla into the bowl of the spoon before the Archbishop dips in two fingers.
Investiture
During the investiture, the King will be presented with various symbolic objects that represent his powers and responsibilities.
The Spurs
The spurs represent the monarch’s “knightly values and virtues”, such as protecting the weak and protecting the church.
Made for Charles II in 1661, they were based on an earlier design, meaning that even then would have looked quite archaic, said Mr Farris.
“They were intentionally looking backwards when they designed these objects,” he added.
The Jewelled Sword of Offering.
The Jewelled Sword of Offering is carried during the procession and is then presented to the monarch as another symbol of royal power and knightly values.
The Archbishop will bless the sword and then give it to the King to be used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil.
It is then traditionally offered by the monarch at the high altar, before being returned for a symbolic 100 shillings and retrieved by the keeper of the jewel house.
The gesture was devised because, at earlier coronations, monarchs donated a sword that was kept by Westminster Abbey.
The gesture was referred to in Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 order of service.
The design of the sword was suggested by George IV and its £5,988 cost was funded by the King’s privy purse.
It was used during his Coronation ceremony in 1821 – one of the most opulent and expensive in history. It was next used in 1902 by Edward VII and has been used at every subsequent coronation.
Armills
These gold bracelets decorated with enamel symbols are placed on the Sovereign’s wrists during the Coronation service.
They are referred to as “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom” and are thought to relate to ancient symbols of knighthood and military leadership.
New armills were made for the late Queen’s Coronation in 1953 as a symbolic gift from the Commonwealth, replacing the previous pair that had been used since 1661.
However, the King will use the original pair last used by his grandfather, George VI.
Each is engraved with national symbols including a harp, a thistle and a rose. They are fitted with an invisible hinge with a Tudor rose clasp and have a red velvet lining.
The Orb
The hollow, 30cm-wide orb represents the globe. It is placed in the right hand of the monarch as they are invested, before being placed on the altar before the moment of crowning.
It is mounted with nine emeralds, 18 rubies, nine sapphires, 365 diamonds, 375 pearls, one amethyst and one glass stone.
Again, it was recreated in the 17th century after the Reformation and while the design is copied from previous versions, it is much larger The pearls divide the orb into three segments – representing the three continents known in medieval times.
It is symbolic of the Sovereign’s Christian power.
The Sovereign’s Ring
The Sovereign’s Ring is a symbol of his dignity and faith, and also a commitment to his people and to the Church.
Made for the Coronation of William IV in 1831, it has been used by every monarch since – aside from Queen Victoria, who had her own one made.
Comprising a sapphire overlaid with rubies in the form of a St George’s cross and surrounded by diamonds, it is placed on the fourth finger by the Archbishop as a symbol of “kingly dignity”.
To be continued
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Source: MidwestGist | Read More
