Crown of Mary of Modena
Encyclopedia
The Crown of Mary of Modena was the consort crown
of Mary of Modena
, queen consort
of England, Scotland and Ireland, wife of King King James VII and II
.
Traditionally, where a monarch is married, his queen consort is crowned with him at his coronation
. Under Oliver Cromwell
's rule, all of the ancient English
crown jewels
had been destroyed. When King Charles II
was crowned in 1661 he was not married, so there was no need to create a new consort crown
. When however his younger brother, the Duke of York
became King James II/VII, it was necessary to make a new crown for his queen, Mary of Modena.
In fact, three items of royal headgear were created; a
Mary of Modena's coronation crown no longer exists. However her state crown and diadem still are held in the Tower of London
.
s. 4 cross
es and 4 fleurs-de-lis, all made of diamonds, alternate above the upper row of pearls. It contains four half arches above the crosses: one row of pearls on each arch is framed on both sides by two rows of diamonds. A globe sits at the centre, on which sits a cross made of 5 diamonds and 3 pearls.
Mary II
and Anne
, Mary of Modena's stepdaughters.
In 1831, however the crown fell out of favour, and was replaced by the Crown of Queen Adelaide
for the latter's coronation alongside her husband, King William IV
. In 1838, as planning was in process for the coronation of Queen Victoria
, the Modena crown and diadem were described as "extremely small, and by reason of their age and disuse are in a State of upper decay." One official in the Lord Chamberlain
's office later wrote of the crown's "very tawdry and theatrical appearance".
Consort crown
A consort crown is a crown worn by the consort of a monarch for her coronation or on state occasions.Unlike with reigning monarchs, who may inherit one or more crowns for use, consorts sometimes had special crowns made uniquely for them and which were worn by no other later consort.All British...
of Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of King James II and VII. A devout Catholic, Mary became, in 1673, the second wife of James, Duke of York, who later succeeded his older brother Charles II as King James II...
, queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of England, Scotland and Ireland, wife of King King James VII and II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
.
Origins
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
. Under Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's rule, all of the ancient English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
crown jewels
Crown jewels
Crown jewels are jewels or artifacts of the reigning royal family of their respective country. They belong to monarchs and are passed to the next sovereign to symbolize the right to rule. They may include crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other objects...
had been destroyed. When King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
was crowned in 1661 he was not married, so there was no need to create a new consort crown
Consort crown
A consort crown is a crown worn by the consort of a monarch for her coronation or on state occasions.Unlike with reigning monarchs, who may inherit one or more crowns for use, consorts sometimes had special crowns made uniquely for them and which were worn by no other later consort.All British...
. When however his younger brother, the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
became King James II/VII, it was necessary to make a new crown for his queen, Mary of Modena.
In fact, three items of royal headgear were created; a
- coronation crownCoronation crownA coronation crown is a crown used by a monarch when being crowned. In some monarchies, monarchs did not wear the one crown but had a number of crowns for different occasions; a coronation crown for the moment of coronation, and a state crown for general usage in state ceremonial...
- state crownState crownA state crown is the working crown worn by a monarch on recurring state occasions such as State Openings of Parliament, as opposed to the coronation crown with which they would be formally crowned....
, and a - diademDiadem (personal wear)A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by Eastern monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. The word derives from the Greek "διάδημα" , "band" or "fillet", from "διαδέω" , "I bind round", or "I fasten"....
or headcovering.
Mary of Modena's coronation crown no longer exists. However her state crown and diadem still are held in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
Description of Mary's state crown
Mary of Modena's state crown, which was manufacted in 1685 by goldsmith Richard de Beauvoir, was, as was the norm, decorated with hired jewels: 38 very large diamonds, 523 great and small diamonds and 129 large pearls. The circlet of gold, set with pearls at both edges, is decorated with 20 large diamondDiamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s. 4 cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
es and 4 fleurs-de-lis, all made of diamonds, alternate above the upper row of pearls. It contains four half arches above the crosses: one row of pearls on each arch is framed on both sides by two rows of diamonds. A globe sits at the centre, on which sits a cross made of 5 diamonds and 3 pearls.
Usage
Though not the coronation crown of its original wearer, it was used for the coronation of all subsequent queens consort until 1831, and was worn on occasion by queens regnantQueen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Mary II
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
and Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, Mary of Modena's stepdaughters.
In 1831, however the crown fell out of favour, and was replaced by the Crown of Queen Adelaide
Crown of Queen Adelaide
The Crown of Queen Adelaide was the consort crown of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, wife and Queen consort of King William IV of the United Kingdom. It was used at the coronation of William and Adelaide in 1831...
for the latter's coronation alongside her husband, King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
. In 1838, as planning was in process for the coronation of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, the Modena crown and diadem were described as "extremely small, and by reason of their age and disuse are in a State of upper decay." One official in the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
's office later wrote of the crown's "very tawdry and theatrical appearance".
No longer used
It is no longer used in royal ceremonial, but in 1938-9 had its mock pearls replaced with cultured pearls.Footnote
- Anna Keay,'The Crown Jewels (Official handbook) Historic Royal Palaces, 2002, p27.