Prestigegems.org

Queen’s Crown

The Queen’s Crown was not made until 1731 and is generally of the same shape as the King’s without the large gems set in. Displayed with Her Majesty’s Crown is a collection of jewelry set in diamonds, emeralds, and pearls, which is still available for the use of the current Queen gemstone rings. The King may also use the jeweled stars and gold chains of the Orders of the Elephant and the Dannebrog. The gold objects traditionally used for the baptism of royal offspring are also pressed into service when needed. Actually, any of the Rosenborg collection should be available to custom wedding bands the present royal family, since it remained their property even with the end of the absolute monarchy.

There they sit and one can almost picture the moment when the crowns will be lifted from their cases, carried up the great spiral staircase to the enormous Knight’s Hall, past the three large silver lions to the ancient ivory throne to be placed on the heads of the new sovereigns. The collection of symbols of royalty in Denmark, even after the changes in government, suffered relatively few losses. By contrast, the collection accumulated to the south by the royal Hapsburgs has suffered grievous losses. And yet there is still such a treasure of the remnants to be seen in Vienna that, obviously, at its peak it must have been an overwhelming sight. The jewels and regalia of the House of Hapsburg were accumulated in part through historic accident and fortuitous marriages which brought the family various dignities and thrones. Responsible in part, too, was the strong urge of some members of the family to accumulate objects of art and craft for their collections.

Archduke Ferdinand, regent of the Tyrol, who produced an illustrated catalog of his collection in 1602, was first of the great Hapsburg collectors. He acquired a large collection of historic arms and armor, an enormous collection of painted portraits, and many objects of the decorative arts, including works of Cellini. Ferdinand’s nephew, Emperor Rudolph II, built a huge collection in Prague of paintings, sculptures, decorative objects in precious metals and gems unique wedding bands, animals, plants, minerals, and quantities of other objects best referred to as curiosities. Part of his collection went to Vienna, but most of it was dispersed during the sacking of Prague by the Swedes in 1648.