State Crown of George I facts for kids
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The State Crown of George I was a special crown made in 1714 for King George I. It was used as an imperial and state crown, meaning it was worn for important ceremonies and when the king went to Parliament. This crown was changed and used by several kings after George I until 1838. Today, the empty gold frame of the crown and its blue-green monde (the ball on top) are part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. You can see them on display at the Tower of London.
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How Was the Crown Made?
This crown was created by a royal jeweler named Samuel Smithin. It took the place of an older crown that belonged to King Charles II. The new crown used some jewels and pearls from the old one. But it also had many new additions:
All these new jewels cost about £1,440, which was a lot of money back then! The crown's shape stayed mostly the same as the old one. The gold frame is about 20.4 centimeters (8 inches) tall. The ball (monde) and cross on top are about 8.5 centimeters (3.3 inches) tall.
What Did the Crown Look Like?
We know what the crown looked like thanks to a colorful painting. This painting was made by Bernard Lens III, who was a miniature painter for King George II. The painting is from 1731. It shows the crown before it was changed in 1727 for King George II.
The painting has a note that describes the crown:
- It had a cap made of dark red velvet.
- The trim around the bottom was made of ermine fur.
- The main circle and arches were made of gold.
- The decorations were silver and covered with diamonds.
- The larger stones were sapphires and emeralds.
- There were also a few small rubies.
- A special red gem called a "balas" (which was actually a large spinel) was in the cross at the front. This gem was given to the crown by King James II.
- The ball on top, where the cross sits, was a blue-green stone called an aquamarine. The bottom part of the ball was gold with green enamel.
The note also says the crown was worn when the king went to Parliament. It was made new for each coronation and kept at the Tower of London.
The Crown's Journey Through Time
After George I, the crown was used for the coronations of King George II and King George III. For George II, the arches of the crown were pulled upwards to change its look slightly.
In 1821, people thought the crown looked "very poor." So, it was changed a lot. For example, the diamond globe on top replaced the old rhombus-shaped monde. Even though the crown was at the coronation of King George IV, he wore a brand new crown made just for him.
King William IV was the last king to use this crown. When Queen Victoria was crowned in 1838, a completely new Imperial State Crown was made for her. Many of the valuable jewels from George I's crown were taken out and used in Queen Victoria's new crown.
Where Is the Crown Now?
After its jewels were removed, the royal family no longer used the 1714 crown. It was loaned to the Museum of London by the Amherst family from 1933 to 1985. In 1987, a company called Asprey bought it. Later, Jefri Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei bought it and gave it to the United Kingdom.
In 1995, the crown was valued at £576,000 when someone tried to export it to the United States. However, the plan to export it was stopped. The crown is now part of the Royal Collection. Since 1996, it has been on public display in the Martin Tower at the Tower of London, where you can see its empty gold frame today.
