Queens Crown
Encyclopedia
The so-called Queens Crown was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels
. For the first time mentioned in the inventory of the Wawel
Royal Treasury in the 15th century.
The crown was stolen from the Wawel Castle by the Prussian troops in October 1795 and found its place in the collections of the Hohenzollerns
in Berlin. After 1809 it was destroyed and melted down just as the majority of Polish regalia.
The Queens Crown consisted of eight segments each crowned with heraldic fleur-de-lis
and interspersed with smaller pinnacles. It was made of pure gold
in the form of the rims covered with the globe and a cross on their intersection. The 18th century surveys of the Wawel Royal Treasury indicates that it was decorated with 40 rubies, 40 sapphires and 63 pearls. The 16th century inventory shows, however, that the crown has been much richer in precious stones for some time, and that their number was greater than those placed on the Crown of Bolesław I the Brave
. In the 18th century the crown was depicted in the portrait of Saint Queen Jadwiga of Poland
by Marcello Bacciarelli
, painted to embellish the Marble Room at the Royal Castle in Warsaw
.
Polish Crown Jewels
The only surviving original piece of the Polish Crown Jewels from the time of the Piast dynasty is the ceremonial sword - Szczerbiec. It is currently on display along with other preserved royal items in the Wawel Royal Castle Museum, Kraków....
. For the first time mentioned in the inventory of the Wawel
Wawel
Wawel is an architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula River in Kraków, Poland, at an altitude of 228 metres above the sea level. It is a place of great significance to the Polish people. The Royal Castle with an armoury and the...
Royal Treasury in the 15th century.
History
The Polish Queens coronation insignia were originally made for Jadwiga of Kalisz, wife of Władysław I the Elbow-high in 1320, intended for her coronation as a Queen consort of Poland. Since that time it served as the main insignium of the Polish Queens till the end of the 17th century.The crown was stolen from the Wawel Castle by the Prussian troops in October 1795 and found its place in the collections of the Hohenzollerns
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
in Berlin. After 1809 it was destroyed and melted down just as the majority of Polish regalia.
The Queens Crown consisted of eight segments each crowned with heraldic fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
and interspersed with smaller pinnacles. It was made of pure gold
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...
in the form of the rims covered with the globe and a cross on their intersection. The 18th century surveys of the Wawel Royal Treasury indicates that it was decorated with 40 rubies, 40 sapphires and 63 pearls. The 16th century inventory shows, however, that the crown has been much richer in precious stones for some time, and that their number was greater than those placed on the Crown of Bolesław I the Brave
Crown of Bolesław I the Brave
The Crown of Bolesław I the Brave was the coronation crown of the Polish monarchs.- History :The origins of the Polish crown are shrouded in mystery...
. In the 18th century the crown was depicted in the portrait of Saint Queen Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga was monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of...
by Marcello Bacciarelli
Marcello Bacciarelli
Marcello Bacciarelli was an Italian painter of the late-baroque and Neoclassic periods.He studied in Rome under Marco Benefial. In 1750 he was called to Dresden, Saxony, where he was employed by Elected King Augustus III of Poland; after whose death he went to Vienna, and thence to Warsaw...
, painted to embellish the Marble Room at the Royal Castle in Warsaw
Royal Castle, Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a castle residency and was the official residence of the Polish monarchs. It is located in the Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the Royal Court of Poland were located there from...
.
Further reading
- Jerzy Lileyko. Regalia Polskie. Warszawa 1987. ISBN 83-03-02021-8
- Janusz Miniewicz. Tajemnica polskich koron. Czy jest szansa ich odnalezienia?. Nowy Sącz 2006. ISBN 83-924034-2-8
- Michał Rożek. Polskie koronacje i korony. Kraków 1987. ISBN 83-03-01914-7