The Harry Crown reconstructed

I saw on the internet today that a reconstruction has been made and will go on show at Hampton Court the end of the month of the crown known to have been worn by King Henry VIII and his successors. The original was destroyed in 1649 by the Commonwealth. The article can be read at Henry VIII's "crowne of golde" to go on show in UK.

Looking further I found a much more detailed and informative article in the Guardian (intriguing in itself) about it which has more details and a video of the crown - all of which can be seen here.

 

The reconstructed Harry Crown

Image: Historic Royal Palaces - Hampton Court

This looks very interesting, but I wonder if the original crown, described in a 1521 inventory was not rather earlier in date than the article implies, and that the "Harry Crown" as it was also known dated from the time of King Henry V rather than King Henry VII as the Guardian article suggests. I will keep my powder dry on this one for a while, but will return to the topic.

I was interested to see that an Oriel friend, Kent Rawlinson, had a part in researching the inventories that have descriptions of the original crown.

I really must go and see this when I can - it is very many years since I visited Hampton Court, and this is an incentive.

The wrong crown?

Yesterday afternoon my eye was caught in Baker Street tube station by a rather handsome poster advertising visits to see the Crown Jewels. This stated that they were the largest display of such jewels in the world and added the throw away, but very heartening, line that they were "still in use today." The eye-catching picture was one of the White Tower at the Tower of London and, superimposed upon it, a splendid item from the regalia. Fine - except for the slightly curious fact that the piece chosen was the one that is, alas, not in use today - the Imperial Crown of India...

Image: mbell on Flickr

Was the ad-man beguiled by the "bling" of this wonderful crown from 1911 I wondered, or does he know something the rest of us don't?

For my idea, that the piece in question should find a new use as a travelling Imperial State Crown in Her Majesty's other dominions, read my post The Imperial Crown of India from last month.

Coronation Day 1661

Were it not Holy Saturday today would be the feast of St George, the patron saint of England. It was on that feast day 350 years ago that King Charles II was crowned as King of England in Westminster Abbey - he had been crowned as King of Scots in 1651 at Scone.

There is an eye-witness account of the day by the diarist Samuel Pepys which can be read here.

This was the first occasion on which the regalia made by the London goldsmith Sir Robert Vyner at a cost of £12,050 3s 5d to replace that destroyed in 1649 was used. Despite some alterations and replacements this set is at the heart of the present regalia held in the Tower of London.

Amongst the regalia St Edward's Crown, about whose design I wrote in St Edward and St Edward's Crown, and the Orb are unchanged since 1661, although since 1911 the Crown is permanently set with jewels, whereas previously they were hired for Coronations and then replaced with paste substitutes.

St Edward's Crown

The Orb

Image: The Internetforum/Royalforum

Both the Crown and the Orb assert that thr Sovereign's authority derives from and is under that of Christ and His Cross, which is a suitable thought for this most solemn and joyful weekend of Easter.