| Crowns of Mary of Modena | |
|---|---|
 The State Crown of Mary of Modena | |
| Details | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Made | 1685 |
| Owner | Charles III in right ofthe Crown |
| Weight | 700 g (1.5 lb) |
| Arches | 4 |
| Material | Gold |
| Cap | Purple velvet with an ermine band |
| Other elements | Silver, pearls, diamonds |
| Successors | Nuptial Crown of Queen Charlotte |
TheCrowns of Mary of Modena are twoconsort crowns and adiadem made in 1685 forMary of Modena, queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. They were used byqueens consort andqueens regnant until the end of the 18th century.
Thestate crown and the diadem are on display in theJewel House at theTower of London, while thecoronation crown is owned by theMuseum of London.
Traditionally, when a king is married, his wife is crowned as queen at their coronation ceremony.[1] In 1649, the monarchy was abolished after a long civil war betweenCharles I and his Parliament, and theCrown Jewels were either sold or turned into coins bythe Mint.[2] The coronation ofMary of Modena and her husband,James II and VII, marked the first time a queen was crowned after the restoration of the monarchy,Charles II having been unmarried when he took the throne in 1660.[3]
Three pieces of headgear were made for the queen: a diadem to wear in procession toWestminster Abbey, a coronation crown for the crowning, and a state crown to wear upon leaving the abbey.[4] Made by Richard de Beauvoir, the state crown was covered in diamonds valued at £35,000, and the bill for hiring them was £1,000.[5] She paid for the crowns and diadem out of her own pocket, and also commissioned two new sceptres and a coronation ring for the ceremony.[6]
The gold state crown originally had 523 small diamonds, 38 large diamonds, and 129 large pearls. These have been replaced with quartz crystals. It is 19 centimetres (7.5 in) tall and weighs 700 grams (1.5 lb).[4] The crown is decorated withcrosses pattée andfleurs-de-lis and has fourhalf-arches, surmounted with amonde and cross pattée.
Mary's diadem was set with 177 diamonds, 78 pearls, 1 sapphire, 1 emerald, and 1 ruby; it now contains artificial gemstones and cultured pearls.[3] It is 8 centimetres (3.1 in) tall and weighs 300 grams (0.66 lb).[4]
Originally, the coronation crown weighed 600 grams (1.3 lb) and was set with 419 diamonds, 46 large pearls, 7 rubies, 7 sapphires, and 2 emeralds.[7]
The coronation crown was subsequently used by queens regnantMary II andAnne; and by queens consortCaroline of Ansbach[9] andCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.[4]
The state crown was entirely remade for the coronation of Mary II, which included the addition of theBlack Prince's Ruby for the occasion,[10] while her husband,William III, wore theState Crown of Charles II.[11] It was subsequently worn by Anne, byGeorge I in preference to Charles II's state crown, perhaps because Mary of Modena's State Crown was easier to wear over a full-bottomed wig, and then by Caroline.[11] Although Queen Charlotte wore the coronation crown at her crowning, she used her own nuptial crown, given to her as a wedding gift byGeorge III, as her state crown.[11][a] In 1831, the state crown was judged to be too theatrical and in a poor state of repair, and soa new crown was made forQueen Adelaide.[12] However, it is possible that Adelaide was crowned using one of Mary of Modena's crowns at her coronation.[4]
The state crown and diadem are now on display at theJewel House at theTower of London. The empty coronation crown was acquired from a private dealer by theMuseum of London in 1956. It had been sent to theCrown Jewellers,Rundell & Bridge, for maintenance work in the 19th century, but was never returned to the royal family.[4]
