Our next move westward has our meridian cutting closest through Edinburgh in Scotland (2 on the map) and Madrid, Toledo and Granada in Spain (3 on the map). Barcelona will be dealt with once we have circumnavigated the planet and return to Europe to deal with France and Paris.
Britain/Edinburgh/Edinburgh Castle (Permanent Display 1crown)
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is part of the collection
known as the Honours of Scotland. A beautiful specimen of early renaissance
craftsmanship, it is the oldest crown in Britain. The sovereign is never crowned with it, nor is it ever worn, but it is
officially handed over to the sovereign in a ceremony held in Edinburgh
shortly after the coronation in London.
Britain/Edinburgh/St. Andrew’s University (Permanent Display
1 coronet)
Crown of the Lord
Lyon of Scotland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crown_of_Lord_Lyon_King_of_Arms.JPG
Spain/Madrid/Patrimonio Nacional (Periodic Display 2crowns)
Crown of Spain
This crown of Spain is merely a golden symbolic
trinket, meant to replace the actual crown. The Crown Jewels were “lost” in an
affair akin to the fairytales of Europe.
During Napoleon’s invasion, the, then King ordered the crown jewels walled up
in one of the rooms of the vast Escorial Palace, to keep them safe. He then
kept a piece of the wall paper to remind him, on his possible return, of the
room as it would be impossible to do so from memory, due to the size of the
Escorial. The King fled into exile at peace that one day he, or his descendants
would wear the crown again. However, the Napoleonic era was a time of great
fashion and the governor of Spain
upon occupying in Napoleon’s name, had the entire palace redecorated. Upon
Napoleon’s defeat the Spanish King was happy to return home, only to find that
the recovery of his amassed jewels had now become impossible. To this day it is
still not financially viable to scan the palace for the hidden treasure and
some believe it to be but a legend, or lost in a fire that damaged part of the
Palace. One day though, we might witness a Spanish King, again crowned with the
splendor of the Hapsburg and Bourbon Jewels. The current crown and the other
jewels owned by King Juan Carlos I, is kept in trust by the Patrimonio Nacional
and seemingly only displayed at official functions.
The "small" Crown of Spain
Sources are vague and information scarce about a second crown held in trust by the Patrimonio Nacional. This photo does exist and seems authentic to a trained jeweller's eye.
Spain/Madrid/Atosha Chapel (Permanent Display 1crown)
Crown/Coronet of Queen Isabella II
Queen Victoria of Great Britain followed the fashion among the royals of her time by having a small coronet made for ease of wear. Her Spanish counterpart had this crown made from diamonds and topazes. Isabella left the crown to the Atosha Chapel after her death where now it is still used to adorn their statue of the Virgin on high feast days.
Spain/Madrid/National Archeological Museum (Permanent
Display of 1votive crown)
Guarazzar Treasure, Votive Crown
The most significant archaeological find dating from pre-medieval times in Spain contained this strange ornament. It is actually a crown from a collection of three crowns in what is now famously known as the Guarazzar Treasure. This particular configuration is known as a votive crown and its use was not in adorning the head but was rather hung above the head when a monarch sat in state upon the throne. It would also be hung over holy altars and crypts.
Spain/Toledo/Toledo Cathedral (Permanent Display 1crown)
Crown of Castille and Lyon
Spain/Granada/Royal Chapel (Permanent Display 1crown)
Crown of Isabella I
One of many crowns that must have belonged to Queen Isabella I of Spain. It follows the tradition of many other crowns that were donated to Cathedrals, Chapels or Monasteries by Catholic monarch throughout Europe.
A few crowns are known to exist but have been sold to anonymous buyers and thus the whereabouts are unknown.
Spain/Location Unconfirmed (Not Displayed)
A Spanish Ducal Coronet in gold, silver and diamonds. Originally made for a Duchess it was sold at auction in recent years.
(All images of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are copyrighted to the Royal Collection. However the images on this blog are considered defaulted to the public domain due to age and ready sourcing from the internet. If an image on this blog is disputed it will be altered or removed following written protest from an authentic source. please contact me at danielgswan@hotmail.com)
