State crown of George I.
The State Crown of George I (Engl. State Crown of George I) was for King I. Georg made.
When George I became King of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714, it was decided to replace the previous state crown created for Charles II around 1660, ie the crown that was worn at the opening of Parliament, with a new one, as the old one was in a bad state Condition. Numerous elements (pearls, etc.) from the old crown were inserted into the new crown. As with its predecessor, however, it was not set with valuable gemstones, but with glass stones.
The crown itself consisted of a gold circlet decorated with lilies and paw crosses with four half bows and an aquamarine orb and the cross, which had been added to the state crown by King Charles II as early as 1685.
In 1727, the glass stones were replaced with rented diamonds valued at £ 109,200. After another change, it was used at the coronation of George II . The temples that ran down to the center of the crown were changed so that they were now straight.
The crown was also found at the coronations of George III. , Georgs IV. And Wilhelm IV. Use. After the crown was apparently also in very bad condition in 1820, it was reworked. The aquarium-colored globe of the imperial apple was replaced, whereby it became apparent that it consisted only of blue-green glass.
Wilhelm IV was the last to wear the crown. Queen Victoria replaced the crown with the Imperial State Crown and used many of the precious gemstones for the new crown. The carcass of the crown was sold to the crown jewelers together with the carcasses of the coronation crowns of George IV and Adelheid von Sachsen-Meiningen (wife of Wilhelm IV).
They were returned to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift in 1995 .
literature
- The Crown Jewels - Tower of London brochure