(In Pics) Ten Imperial Crowns of Europe

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In didn’t take much territory to rule an empire back in medieval Europe. As the smallest continent became a melting pot for cultural development (with plenty of infighting along the way) many empires rose and fell, until they all finally fell.

Most of the treasures of these empires were lost with their fall, melted down or otherwise destroyed. However in rare cases the crowns of these long-dead emperors survive to this day, and some even remain in use.

Here are some of the famous crowns of Europe.

1. The Imperial Crown of Austria

Made for the Holy Roman Emperor somewhere around the late tenth century AD, this crown is bedecked with fabulous jewels, with an emphasis on size over uniformity. It remained in use until 1806 when the Empire was dissolved. Its octagonal design resembles the crown of Charlemagne, and the crowns of *Byzantium* *(Bede 735c /* *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

2. The Crown of Hungary

Also called the Crown of St Stephen, this is one of only two Byzantine crowns to survive. The enamel panels depicting saints and Byzantine Emperors were likely crafted in Byzantium in the late tenth century, making it a direct contemporary of the Austrian crown above. It remained in use until 1916 and the lasty of the Kings of *Hungary, Charles IV (Unknown Author /* *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

3. The Crown of Bavaria

When Napoleon threw Europe into a decade of turmoil, many of the countries were redrawn and, following the little dictator’s lead, empires were once again in fashion. After Napoleon created the kingdom of *Bavaria* *in 1806 its new ruler, Maximilian I, needed a crown. This crown was made in France and covered in precious gems (MatthiasKabel /* *CC BY 2.5*)

4. The Papal Tiara

*No list of European crowns would be complete without the Papal Tiara, and although the Papal States were never truly an empire the power and influence of the* *Popes* *transcended their territorial holdings. Dating back to the 8th century and based on a Phrygian design, the crown was in use until 1963 (MatthiasKabel /* *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

5. The Imperial Crown of Austria

*Made in Prague in 1602 for the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, this was the personal crown of the Emperors who ruled from the House of Habsberg. When the* *Austrian Empire* was formed in 1804 this became its official crown. Made up of a circlet and a mitre, representing royal authority and divine right, the crown also has elements copied from the earlier Crown of the Holy Roman Empire above (Yelkrokoyade / *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

6. The Iron Crown of Lombardy

There’s a lot of history with this one. Made some time in the early Middle Ages, this crown was traditionally held to have been made from nails from the true cross, which form a band around the inside. Some studies date the crown back as far as the 4th century, which if true would make this circlet the oldest crown in *Christendom* *(James Steakley /* *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

7. The Hohenzollern Crown of the Kings of Prussia

*No crown of the German Empire was ever made, although in 1871 a wooden model for one was created which survived until the* *Second World War*. Instead we have this crown, made for the German Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1888, symbolising his role as King of Prussia. Following the Kaiser’s abdication after the First World War, it was hidden in the walls of a church for safekeeping (FDV / *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

8. The Imperial Crown of Russia

*First used by Catherine the Great for her coronation in 1762, the crown of the Russian Tsars was used by each of them until the very last,* *Nicholas II*. After the death of the royal family in the 1917 revolution, the crown miraculously survived and is currently on display in the Kremlin in Moscow. It contains almost 5,000 diamonds. Photography is prohibited: this is a 2012 copy (Shakko / *CC BY-SA 3.0*)

9. The Crown of Napoleon

*The French didn’t take well to becoming a Republic the first time around, and it would be only two decades before they crowned someone new, although this time the coronation was on merit.* *Emperor Napoleon’s* *crown, which he loftily dubbed the “Crown of Charlemagne”, is unusually almost entirely devoid of jewels, adorned instead with portraits. It is currently in the Louvre in Paris (David Liuzzo /* *Public Domain*)

10. St Edward’s Crown

*This is the big one, and versions of this crown have been used by the* *English* monarchs since the 13th century. This is the crown of the British Empire, a territory so vast it once covered a quarter of the globe, and this is the crown that King Charles III will wear at his coronation. Sadly, this is not the original, which was melted down after Charles I was beheaded in 1649. This crown is a replica made for his son Charles II in 1661. Made of solid gold and covered in gemstones, it is extraordinarily heavy (Firebrace / *CC BY-SA 4.0*)

Top Image: The Crown Jewels of England, as they appeared in 1952 for the coronation of Elizabeth II. Source: United Kingdom Government / Public Domain.

By Joseph Green

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Joseph Green

Joseph Green is editor for Historic Mysteries, which combines his background in English Literature with a lifelong fascination for the strange and the unexplained. Read More