A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
"In 1661 the Scottish regalia were considered to be in danger from the
English, and were sent to Dunnottar Castle for safety. From 1707 until 1818
they were locked up in a strong chest in the Crown-Room of Edinburgh
Castle, and Sir Walter Scott, in whose presence the box was opened, wrote
an account of them in 1810. The crown consists of a fillet of gold bordered
with flat wire. Upon it are twenty-two large stones set at equal distances,
_i.e._ nine carbuncles, four jacinths, four amethysts, two white topazes,
two crystals with green foil behind them, and one topaz with yellow foil.
Behind each of these gems is a gold plate, with bands above and below of
white enamel with black spots, and between each stone is a pearl. Above the
band are ten jewelled rosettes and ten fleurs-de-lis alternately, and
between each a pearl. Under the rosettes and fleurs-de-lis are jewels of
blue enamel and pearls alternately. The arches have enamelled leaves of
French work in red and gold upon them, and the mount at the top is of blue
enamel studded with gold stars. The cross at the top is black enamel with
gold arabesque patterns; in the centre is an amethyst, and in this cross
and in the corners are Oriental pearls set in gold. At the back of the
cross are the letters I. R. V. in enamel-work. On the velvet cap are four
large pearls in settings of gold and enamel (Fig. 641).
"Generally, the Scottish work in gold is cast solid and chased, the foreign
work being thinner and _repoussé_. Several of the diamonds are undoubtedly
old, and are cut in the ancient Oriental fashion; and many of the pearls
are Scottish. It is kept in Edinburgh Castle with the rest of the Scottish
regalia. None of the other pieces at all equal it in interest, as with the
exception of the coronation ring of Charles I. {358} they are of foreign
workmanship, or, at all events, have been so altered that there is little
or no original work left upon them."
Very few people are aware, when they speak of the crown of England, that
there are two crowns. The one is the official crown, the sign and symbol of
the sovereigns of England. This is known by the name of St. Edward's Crown,
and is never altered or changed. As to this Mr. Cyril Davenport writes:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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