When did any monarch last wear the simple sort of golden serrated-edge crown, the sort that people usually draw when asked to doodle one?

Arpeggionist

English monarchs still wear the crown when they are coronated, right? And the last time that happened was 52 years ago yesterday (June 2nd, 1953) when Queen Elizabeth II was coronated. Jun 03 05, 2:15 AM

lanfranco

I suspect that the answer to this can't be pinned down with any certainty. The type of simple crown to which you refer, however, is known as an "eastern crown" in heraldic terms and is pictured with other, similar crowns in the site given below. Another site I checked calls the eastern crown "the type worn by Jewish kings." http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/charges/crowns.html Jun 03 05, 6:34 AM

Arpeggionist

Of course, no Jewish king has worn an actual crown in a couple millenia at least, if they ever did that. Jun 03 05, 7:03 AM

lanfranco

Simple serrated crowns do appear in plenty of 17th-century paintings -- I'm looking at one by Annibale Carracci in which Edward the Confessor and Hermenegild the Visigoth are wearing them. Evidently this type was considered to represent the generic crown by at least some people during this period. Jun 03 05, 7:26 AM

bloomsby

Arp. The two crowns used in the (British) coronation ceremony are highly ornate and one, at least, is very heavy and considered uncomfortable to wear for any length of time. Even the lighter crown is a far cry from what Lanfranco aptly calls the 'generic' crown. Jun 03 05, 3:49 PM

gmackematix

Indeed, George V complained that the lightweight Imperial State Crown, designed for Victoria and used at the state openings of parliament, gave him a headache. Looking at pictures of British monarchs, I am struck by how rarely most of the later monarchs are ever depicted with their crown on their heads. Just try finding one picture of a Tudor or Stuart monarch besides Elizabeth I wearing a crown. I have seen a picture of William I with a fairly simple serrated crown worn over a helmet (or was that actually part of the crown?). Mind you, Frankie's comments about 17th century portraits make me wonder when this was painted. Jun 03 05, 6:05 PM

lanfranco

This one, painted by a rather mediocre artist and in the National Portrait Gallery, is dated around 1620. The others should interest you, too, gmack. http://www.fiu.edu/~casinesg/images.htm Jun 03 05, 9:43 PM

gmackematix

Thanks Frankie. That was the Billy the Conk picture I was looking at before. See what I mean? After Henry IV not a crown in sight. Jun 04 05, 8:15 AM