The Crowns of Mary of Modena are two consort crowns and a diadem made in 1685 for Mary of Modena, queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. They were used by queens consort and queens regnant until the end of the 18th century.
The state crown and the diadem are on display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, while the coronation crown is owned by the Museum of London.
Origin
Traditionally, when a king is married, his wife is crowned as queen at their coronation ceremony. In 1649, the monarchy was abolished after a long civil war between Charles I and his Parliament, and the Crown Jewels were either sold or turned into coins by the Mint. The coronation of Mary of Modena and her husband, James II and VII, marked the first time a queen was crowned after the restoration of the monarchy, Charles II having been unmarried when he took the throne in 1660.
Three pieces of headgear were made for the queen: a diadem to wear in procession to Westminster Abbey, a coronation crown for the crowning, and a state crown to wear upon leaving the abbey. Made by Richard de Beauvoir, the state crown was covered in diamonds valued at £35,000, and the bill for hiring them was £1,000. She paid for the crowns and diadem out of her own pocket, and also commissioned two new sceptres and a coronation ring for the ceremony.
Description
The gold state crown originally had 523 small diamonds, 38 large diamonds, and 129 large pearls. These have been replaced with quartz crystals. It is tall and weighs .
Usage
The coronation crown was subsequently used by queens regnant Mary II and Anne; and by queens consort Caroline of Ansbach and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. while her husband, William III, wore the State Crown of Charles II. Although Queen Charlotte wore the coronation crown at her crowning, she used her own nuptial crown, given to her as a wedding gift by George III, as her state crown. However, it is possible that Adelaide was crowned using one of Mary of Modena's crowns at her coronation.