Whenever people say that history is irrelevant, I have to laugh to myself because it is often far more relevant than they ever realise. We have had more Coronation news released this week, and it is very much tied to history. Buckingham Palace released a statement that The Queen would be wearing Queen Mary’s crown for the Coronation on 6 May. It’s an interesting choice for a few reasons, which I will get into below. For Style File Friday today, we are looking at the history of Queen Mary’s crown!
The History of Queen Mary’s Crown
Beginning with Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III, each consort had used a new crown for her coronation with her husband rather than using a previous consort’s crown. (Charlotte used her nuptial crown that she wore two weeks prior at her wedding, but after that, each queen had one made.)
So, when it came time for King George V’s coronation in 1911, Queen Mary turned to Garrard to make a new crown for her. At the time, Garrard was the Crown Jeweller, so it made sense that she would turn to the British firm.
The crown (full description below) was set with the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the most controversial gem in the Royal Collection. Britain acquired the gem in the Last Treaty of Lahore in 1849- many historians argue that this was not a legal transaction, as the Maharaj who gave the stone was only 10 years old.
Mary wore the crown 1911 and 1937, and it then went on display at the Tower of London with the rest of the Crown Jewels.
Want to know more about Garrard? You can find a History of Garrard here!
Full Description of Queen Mary’s Crown
The Royal Collection Trust describes the crown as,
The crown is composed of a silver frame, lined with gold, and set with 2,200 diamonds, mainly brilliant-cut, with some rose-cut. The crown has an openwork band, set at the front with a detachable rock crystal replica of the diamond, Cullinan IV, a large cushion-shaped stone, and a frieze of quatrefoils and rosettes, each with a large brilliant in the centre, surrounded by smaller stones, between borders composed of single rows of brilliants. Above the band are four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis. The front cross is set with a detachable rock crystal replica of the Koh-i-nûr diamond, the other three crosses are set in the centre with a large diamond each. The eight detachable half-arches each taper towards the top, and terminate in scrolls, and contain six graduated brilliants, between borders of stones. The monde is pavé-set with diamonds and surmounted by another cross with a rock crystal replica of the pear-shaped diamond Cullinan III in the centre. The crown is fitted with a purple velvet cap with an ermine band.
It is my crown
I am fascinated by Mary and I think she was part of the reason that the British monarchy remained so stable for so long, but sometimes I do find her a frustrating figure. She wanted everyone to know she was a queen, and she was an inflexible Victorian in a lot of ways. I have always found it bizarre that there would not be a consort’s crown used at each coronation, much like St. Edward’s Crown, that would carry the weight of centuries of tradition. However, Mary was a magpie who was never going to reuse Queen Alexandra’s crown, and she wore her own crown in 1911 and again in 1937.
Given that Queen Elizabeth’s coronation with her husband took place in 1937, I would’ve thought that a new consort’s crown was unnecessary. Britain, and Europe, were in a state of unrest for many reasons, so extravagant spending seems questionable. And given that Bertie took the regnal name of George VI to cement the tie to George V, Edward VII, and so on, I would think that Elizabeth wearing Mary’s crown would have been a great image. However, Mary was never not going to wear her crown.
Mary wore the crown (sans) arches in 1937 at her son’s coronation. Typically this does not happen because the widow does not attend the next coronation, but Mary wanted to make a show of continuity and unity. This makes sense to me, but also makes me question the lack of letting Elizabeth use her crown even more.
Queen Camilla’s Coronation- 2023
Buckingham Palace has released what changes will be made. Four the eight arches will be detached from the crown, which will result in a different profile. Three diamonds that belonged personally to Queen Elizabeth II will be used in the crown- the Cullinan III, IV, and V. The late Queen wore III and IV set together in a brooch, but they will be reset for the Coronation. (Like the Koh-i-Noor, the Cullinan diamonds have an… interesting… history that I will delve into next week.
They have specifically stated that they will be reusing a crown for sustainability purposes, which makes sense given that Charles has been committed to sustainable practices in most areas of his life for all of adulthood. I think that it also sidesteps the issue of creating a new crown during a severe cost-of-living crisis.
Were you familiar with the history of Queen Mary’s crown?
Cheers,
The Historian
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