The Crystal Sceptre (occasionally described as a
mace) is part of the
regalia
Regalia ( ) is the set of emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royal status, as well as rights, prerogatives and privileges enjoyed by a sovereign, regardless of title. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and ...
of the
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
. It was presented to the
City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
by King
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...
in return for having provided the king with 10,000
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks
A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...
(
£6,666) to fund a war in France in 1415, when his army
captured Harfleur and then won the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected victory of the vastly outnumbered English troops agains ...
.
Description
The
sceptre
A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a Staff of office, staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of regalia, royal or imperial insignia, signifying Sovereignty, sovereign authority.
Antiquity
Ancient Egypt and M ...
measures long, with a
rock crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical fo ...
shaft incised with helical grooves, in two parts, mounted with gold and pearls. At the top is a gold crown with alternating fleur-de-lys and cross embellishments, mounted with jewels including Afghan red
spinel
Spinel () is the magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula in the cubic crystal system. Its name comes from the Latin word , a diminutive form of ''spine,'' in reference to its pointed crystals.
Prop ...
, Ceylon blue
sapphire
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...
s, and
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
s from the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
. Within the circlet of the crown is a painting on parchment of the
Royal Arms of England
The coat of arms of England is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England, and now used to symbolise England generally.: "The three golden lions upon a ground of red have certainly continued ...
adopted in 1406, quartering three fleurs-de-lys for France with three lions for England. The crown may have been adapted from a religious sculpture of the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. The other end has a large glass boss.
History
The sceptre was probably made in Paris, c.1380–1420, and presented to the City of London between 1415 and 1421: it was depicted being held by the Lord Mayor of London in a painting of the coronation of Queen
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of Valois or Catherine of France (27 October 1401 – 3 January 1437) was Queen of England from 1420 until 1422. A daughter of King Charles VI of France, she married King Henry V of England and was the mother of King Henry VI. Cath ...
in February 1421. A rare object of medieval gold to have survived to the modern day, it was hidden during the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
and kept safe by the Lord Mayor Sir
Thomas Bloodworth
Sir Thomas Bloodworth, born Blidward, also spelt Bludworth (baptised 13 February 1620 – 12 May 1682), was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679. He was Lord Mayor of London from October 1665 to ...
during the
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
in 1666. The glass boss was replaced by the jewellers
Rundell, Bridge & Rundell
Rundell & Bridge were a London firm of jewellers and goldsmiths formed by Philip Rundell (1746–1827) and John Bridge (baptized 1755–1834).
History
When Edmond Walter Rundell, nephew of Philip Rundell, was admitted as a partner in 1804, the ...
in the 1830s.
The sceptre is kept in the City's vaults, and usually only seen in public at the coronation of a monarch. It is one of the symbolic items – sceptre, sword, purse, seal – that are touched during the annual
Silent Ceremony
Silent may mean:
People
* Brandon Silent (born 1973), South African former footballer
* Charles Silent (1842-1918), German-born American jurist
* List of people known as the Silent
Music
* Silent (band), a Brazilian rock band
* The Silents, an Au ...
to install a new Lord Mayor each November, but remains in its protective box throughout.
The sceptre went on public display for the first time in 2015, at the
Guildhall Art Gallery
The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. The museum is located in the Moorgate area of the City of London. It is a stone building in a semi-Gothic style intended to be sympathetic to the historic Guil ...
.
References
The greatest thank you gift in English history goes on show ''The Telegraph'', 11 October 2015
Henry V's 'Crystal Sceptre' displayed at Guildhall Art Gallery cityoflondon.gov.uk, 12 October 2015
Unveiling the Crystal Sceptre: Henry V's Gift to the City cityoflondon.gov.uk, 24 October – 3 December 2015
Further reading
*
External links
Hedon Mace – Links with Mayors, Lord Mayors and King Henry! 27 May 2015
Unveiling the Crystal Sceptre: Henry V's Gift to the City, London Guildhall Art Gallery, October 24 - December 3, agincourt600.com
Postcard of the Lord Mayor carrying the Crystal Sceptre, at the Coronation of Edward VII, 1902
Henry V's 'Crystal Sceptre' on display for the first time ianvisits.co.uk, 8 November 2015
Sceptre gifted by Henry V to City of London after Battle of Agincourt goes on display royalcentral.co.uk
This Sceptred Isle{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208190821/https://guythelondonguide.wordpress.com/2015/11/01/this-sceptred-isle/ , date=8 December 2015 , Guy the London Guide, 1 November 2015
Henry V's Crystal Sceptre gift after Agincourt victory BBC, 23 October 2015
History of London
Regalia