Coronation Symbols - Part Two

In part one of the Coronation Symbols, I presented information on King Edward's Chair, aka the Coronation Chair, The Stone of Scone, which lies beneath it, the Queen's beautiful gown, which paid tribute to the nations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, the Supertunica created for the Coronation of her grandfather, George V, her stole which was a gift from the nations of the Commonwealth, the Ampulla, often called the Golden Eagle due to its form, that is half of the Ampulla and Spoon and the Anointing Spoon making up the latter half of the combination that is used for the most sacred part of the coronation - the anointing with holy oil - and lastly the swords. These symbols of the Coronation Ceremony not only show the depth of the history that is embedded in the heritage of monarchy but the seriousness of the ceremony and the oaths that accompany it. Today I'd like to round it all out by mentioning some of the most famous pieces many of which are housed in the Jewell House at the Tower of London.

During the coronation, two armills are placed on the Sovereign to represent Sincerity and Wisdom. Queen Elizabeth II received a set that is engraved 'Presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ceylon and Southern Rhodesia'. These 22k gold bracelets are adorned with Tudor Rose clasps and lined in red velvet. The 'Crown' Jewellers Garrard & Co., Ltd of London created them. The set that was used previously was made in 1661 for Charles II, though it is not known if he used them at his coronation. It is known that the blue enamel that dominates the ornate bracelet was redone for the coronation of George IV. Also made of gold, these armills are further embellished with double roses, thistles, harps and fleurs-de-lis. 

The Golden Spurs, emblems of knighthood and chivalry, are also made of gold. Interestingly, though their creation is attributed to a seventeenth century smither of gold, Sir Robert Vyner, they have a single point design that was popular pre-thirteenth century. Apparently we are not the only generation who likes to recreate looks of the past as Sir Robert is believed to have designed them not as a replica but as an updated version of the then popular trend toward the pre-thirteenth century design - better that than that shag carpet we had in the 1960's and 1970's! Embellished with foliage and scrolls and weighing a mere five ounces, the Sovereign's feet are tapped with the Golden Spurs during the ceremony.

Often called 'The Wedding Ring of England', the Coronation Ring is placed on the fourth finger of the left hand, as is the traditional gold wedding band. It has a ruby with a cross of sapphires surmounting it. It was created in 1838 by another of history's Crown Jewellers, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. More fascinating than its name or design is what the Archbishop of Cantebury said when he slipped the ring on the finger of Queen Elizabeth II. "Receive the Ring of kingly dignity, and the seal of Catholic Faith: and as you are this day consecrated to be our Head and Prince, so may you continue stedfastly as the Defender of Christ's Religion; that being rich in faith and blessed in all good works, you may reign with him who is the King of Kings, to whom be the glory for ever and ever." This I quote from a copy of the Oxford University Press booklet, "The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: The Form and Order of the Service".

Probably the three most famous symbols of the coronation or of the British Monarchy are St. Edward's Crown, The Orb and Cross and the Sceptres. There is a famous picture of Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her Coronation wearing her coronation gown, the royal robe with ermine trim holding the Orb and Cross in one hand while balancing the Royal Scepter with the other and a crown upon her head. St. Edward's Crown was destroyed in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell and remade by Sir Robert Vyner in 1661 for Charles II's Coronation. The gold from the lower half of the crown is reputed to be the same gold used in Edward the Confessor's crown. Interestingly, this crown did not have permanent stones until the Coronation of George V at which time the Crown Jewellers Garrard & Co., Ltd set it with 444 semi-precious stones. Prior to that, jewels were rented. The crown is quite heavy weighing four pounds 12 ounces and contains the Cap of Estate (a velvet cap trimmed with ermine) that historically was worn separate from the crown. One thing I found fascinating when first seeing this crown was how the top looks as though it is a mini orb and cross.

As far as the Orbs, there are two. Sir Robert made the first for the Coronation of Charles II and the second was made for the Coronation of King William and Queen Mary as Mary was not crowned as regent since she and William ruled as Sovereigns Regnant - basically equals. The main Orb is 6�" in diameter and has been used at every Coronation since that of Charles II. Its sides are encrusted with pearls and a large amethyst rests between it and the cross. The Orb represents the power of the Sovereign while the cross represents Christianity - a recurring theme. In the old news reel I've seen of the Coronation of George VI the announcer said something about the merging of temporal and divine power, which these symbols certainly prove.

Lastly, there are the two scepters used in the ceremony. One is the Rod of Equity and Mercy more commonly referred to as the Dove Scepter. Atop this gold scepter sits a white enameled dove with outstretched wings representing the Holy Ghost that has been carried by Sovereigns since at least the twelfth century. The second is, I believe, the more famous - The Sovereign's Scepter with the Cross or the Royal Scepter. This piece also dates back to Charles II's 1661 Coronation. It is 36�" in length and contains diamonds, rubies sapphires and emeralds. In 1911 for the Coronation of George V, a 516� carat diamond (part of the Star of Africa diamond) was added to stem. This scepter also represents the Sovereigns temporal powers.

Though I'm looking forward to there being a long time until we get to witness another coronation, I certainly enjoyed researching all the items. I'm sure it will make seeing the coronation newsreels or visiting the jewels at the Tower of London all the more interesting to me in the future. Also, probably the biggest thing I learned is that the ceremony marks the merging in the Sovereign of temporal and divine power. To me, that sums up what all the pomp and circumstance are about and further, gives me a greater understanding of why Edward VIII felt so strongly about not being able to go through with the ceremony. He said he felt he couldn't do it with a lie on his lips as his love for Wallis Simpson was not accepted by the Church of England due to her two living husbands.