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Half-arch (crown)
Encyclopedia
A half-arch is the piece of gold
, silver
or platinum
, usually decorated with jewel
s, that links the circlet
(circular base) of a hoop crown
to the globe at the top of the crown.
(1938), there are four half-arches, reflecting the examples of St. Edward's Crown
, the State Crown of George I
, the Coronation Crown of George IV
and the Imperial State Crown
s of Queen Victoria
(1838) and George VI
(1937).
Similarly other consort crowns of queens consort Mary of Modena
and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
, the Crown of Mary of Modena
and the Crown of Queen Adelaide
, were made up of four half-arches, following British tradition.
The only example of a crown of a reign
ing British monarch possessing more than four half-arches is the Imperial Crown of India
, made for King George V
as Emperor of India
to wear at the Delhi Durbar
of 1911, and which had eight half-arches.
, the Heir Apparent
to the British
throne
, all have one full arch, with a globe centred on the single arch rather than being the element to which each arch separately is joined, following an instruction laid down by King Charles II
in 1677. Unlike the princely crowns of 1902 and 1969 however, where the single arch rises, in the Crown of Frederick, Prince of Wales
(1728) the single arch dips in the centre, with the globe located in the centre of the dip.
an crowns traditionally contained many more, as did some other British
consort crown
s. For example The crowns of two 20th century British Queens consort
, the Crown of Queen Alexandra
(1902) and the Crown of Queen Mary
(1911), reflecting their origins as European princesses from Denmark
and Germany
respectively, each had eight half-arches. In addition, the British Imperial Crown of India
was designed with eight half-arches to indicate the British monarch's claim to imperial title in India
.
The Crown of Louis XV of France
(1722), reflecting the European norm, has eight half-arches.
, the British coronation crown
, while in others, such as Queen Elizabeth's consort crown, all four half-arches rise at a somewhat right angle, with no central dip.
However, in the case of the State Crown of George I
, while the crown as originally designed had dipping arches, they were pulled up to a right angle for the coronation
of King George II
and have remained in that position.
In some crowns, such as the British Imperial State Crown
, the half-arches are detachable, allowing the crown to be worn as a circlet. Alexandra of Denmark
, Mary of Teck
and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
(British queens consort Alexandra, Mary and Elizabeth) all at various stages wore their own crowns as circlets, particularly after the deaths of the husbands, when one of their children was on the throne and they were the Queen Mother
.
The most widely used colours for cloth infils are purple
, as in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and in St. Edward's Crown, and dark red
, as in the Imperial Crown of Austria.
rises as one solid silver (or in one occasion gold) unit. Nor are arches to be found on the Iron Crown of Lombardy
, any of the Iranian Crown Jewels
. The Russia
n coronation crown possesses two central half arches, with most of the rest of the crown covered in. A same feature occurs on the mediaeval Crown of Rudolf II used by the Austrian Empire
in the 19th century.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
or platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, usually decorated with jewel
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s, that links the circlet
Circlet
A circlet is a crown with neither arches nor a cap ....
(circular base) of a hoop crown
Hoop crown
A hoop crown is a crown consisting of a "band around the temples and one or two bands over the head". First used by the Carolingian dynasty, hoop crowns became increasingly popular among royal dynasties in the Late Middle Ages, and the dominant type of crown in the Modern Era.-Origins:Hoop crowns...
to the globe at the top of the crown.
British tradition of 4 half-arches
In the image of the Crown of Queen ElizabethCrown of Queen Elizabeth
The Crown of the Queen Mother is the platinum crown manufactured for, and worn by, Queen Elizabeth, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the queen consort of King George VI of the United Kingdom at their coronation in Westminster Abbey in 1937...
(1938), there are four half-arches, reflecting the examples of St. Edward's Crown
St. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
, the State Crown of George I
State Crown of George I
The State Crown of George I was the state crown manufactured for King George I of Great Britain.When George I became King of Great Britain and King of Ireland in 1714 it was decided to replace the previous state crown , created for King Charles II in 1661, by a new crown, as the old one was judged...
, the Coronation Crown of George IV
Coronation Crown of George IV
The Coronation Crown of George IV was the coronation crown of King George IV of the United Kingdom. It was used in the coronation in 1821. It has remained unworn since 1823.-Origins:...
and the Imperial State Crown
Imperial State Crown
The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.- Design :The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap...
s 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....
(1838) and George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
(1937).
Similarly other consort crowns of queens consort 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...
and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
, the Crown of Mary of Modena
Crown of Mary of Modena
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.-Origins:...
and 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...
, were made up of four half-arches, following British tradition.
The only example of a crown of a reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing British monarch possessing more than four half-arches is the Imperial Crown of India
Imperial Crown of India
The Imperial Crown of India was the crown of the Sovereign as Emperor of India during the time of the British Raj. The crown is housed with, but is not part of, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, made for King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
as Emperor of India
Emperor of India
Emperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India....
to wear at the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1911, and which had eight half-arches.
Crown of the Prince of Wales's 1 arch
The three crowns in existence of the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, the Heir Apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
, all have one full arch, with a globe centred on the single arch rather than being the element to which each arch separately is joined, following an instruction laid down by 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...
in 1677. Unlike the princely crowns of 1902 and 1969 however, where the single arch rises, in the Crown of Frederick, Prince of Wales
Crown of Frederick, Prince of Wales
The Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales is a coronet manufactured in 1728 for Frederick, Prince of Wales, Heir Apparent of King George II of Great Britain. The solid gold single arched coronet was manufactured probably by royal goldsmith Samuel Shales at a cost of £140/5/- : Approximately £12,000...
(1728) the single arch dips in the centre, with the globe located in the centre of the dip.
European tradition of 8 half-arches
In contrast many EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an crowns traditionally contained many more, as did some other British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
s. For example The crowns of two 20th century British Queens 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...
, the Crown of Queen Alexandra
Crown of Queen Alexandra
The Crown of Queen Alexandra was the consort crown of Alexandra of Denmark, the queen consort of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. It was manufactured for the 1902 coronation.-Background:...
(1902) and the Crown of Queen Mary
Crown of Queen Mary
The Crown of Queen Mary was the consort crown of Mary of Teck, Queen Consort of King George V of the United Kingdom. It was manufactured for the coronation of George and Mary in 1911....
(1911), reflecting their origins as European princesses from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
respectively, each had eight half-arches. In addition, the British Imperial Crown of India
Imperial Crown of India
The Imperial Crown of India was the crown of the Sovereign as Emperor of India during the time of the British Raj. The crown is housed with, but is not part of, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.-History:...
was designed with eight half-arches to indicate the British monarch's claim to imperial title in India
Emperor of India
Emperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India....
.
The Crown of Louis XV of France
Crown of Louis XV
The Crown of Louis XV is the sole surviving crown from the French ancien regime among the French Crown Jewels.- History :Until the beginning of the 18th century French kings wore plain crowns unembellished with precious stones. This was changed by King Louis XV in 1722, when he had a new crown...
(1722), reflecting the European norm, has eight half-arches.
Shape of arch
Different crowns possess different shaped half arches. In some crowns, the half-arches dip down at the centre of the crown where they meet the globe. The most widely recognized example of this is St. Edward's CrownSt. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
, the British coronation crown
Coronation crown
A 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...
, while in others, such as Queen Elizabeth's consort crown, all four half-arches rise at a somewhat right angle, with no central dip.
However, in the case of the State Crown of George I
State Crown of George I
The State Crown of George I was the state crown manufactured for King George I of Great Britain.When George I became King of Great Britain and King of Ireland in 1714 it was decided to replace the previous state crown , created for King Charles II in 1661, by a new crown, as the old one was judged...
, while the crown as originally designed had dipping arches, they were pulled up to a right angle for the coronation
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...
of King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and have remained in that position.
Detachable arches
Imperial CrownImperial crown
An Imperial Crown is a crown used for the coronation of emperors.- Imperial Crowns with Mitre :-Legal usage:Throughout the Commonwealth Realms, The Crown is an abstract concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government...
In some crowns, such as the British Imperial State Crown
Imperial State Crown
The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.- Design :The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap...
, the half-arches are detachable, allowing the crown to be worn as a circlet. Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(British queens consort Alexandra, Mary and Elizabeth) all at various stages wore their own crowns as circlets, particularly after the deaths of the husbands, when one of their children was on the throne and they were the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
.
Velvet inlay
Where a crown possesses arches or half-arches, the circlet of the crown below the arches or half-arches are usually filled with velvet or other cloth, or with a jewelled metal cap. Different states and different crowns may possess different coloured cloth inlays.The most widely used colours for cloth infils are purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
, as in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and in St. Edward's Crown, and dark red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, as in the Imperial Crown of Austria.
No arches
However not all crowns possess arches. The Danish Crown of Christian IV that was used for the coronation of elected monarchs prior to the introduction of absolutism in 1660 has no covering at all but exists in circlet form, while the Papal TiaraPapal Tiara
The Papal Tiara, also known incorrectly as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, in Italian as the Triregno and as the Trirègne in French, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
rises as one solid silver (or in one occasion gold) unit. Nor are arches to be found on the Iron Crown of Lombardy
Iron Crown of Lombardy
The Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...
, any of the Iranian Crown Jewels
Iranian Crown Jewels
The Imperial crown jewels of Iran include several elaborate crowns and decorative thrones, thirty tiaras, and numerous aigrettes, a dozen bejewelled swords and shields, a vast number of unset precious gems, numerous plates and other dining services cast in precious metals and encrusted with gems,...
. The Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n coronation crown possesses two central half arches, with most of the rest of the crown covered in. A same feature occurs on the mediaeval Crown of Rudolf II used by the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
in the 19th century.
Sources
- Anna Keay, The Crown Jewels: Official Guidebook (Historic Royal Palaces, 2002) ISBN 1-873993-20-X