George IV Designs the State Diadem

Queen Victoria wearing the George IV State Diadem. Original portrait by Winterhalter, 1859. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain (PD-US). King George IV loved beautiful things. It is said that Buckingham Palace and the Windsor Apartments still reflect his taste in art, furniture, and interior design. His passion for masterpieces of art also translated to a vast collection of beautiful jewelry, both acquired and custom made for him. One of the most prominent pieces of this collection, the State Diadem, was designed to his specifications. Rumor has it that he commissioned Rundell, Bridge and Rundell to construct the crown in 1821 for his coronation. Though he petitioned to have the Imperial State Crown permanently replaced with the State Diadem in the coronation ceremony, his request was denied by Parliament. He did, however, birth the tradition of wearing the State Diadem during a portion of the ceremony. The custom at the time of George IV’s coronation was to lease the jewels used in the crowns from a local jeweler. The jewels, inset before the ceremony, were removed following the ceremony and returned to the Royal Jeweler (Rundell & Bridge). This remained the custom for the diadem until Queen Victoria’s coronation, at which time the gems were soldered into the frame permanently. In her will, Victoria gifted the State Diadem to the British Crown. The diadem was her crown of choice for multiple family and official events, and it has remained a favorite among the successive queens ever since her reign. by Angela Magnotti Andrews   BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Queen of Crowns Blog. "George IV State Diadem Crown." Posted September 9, 2007. Accessed May 22, 2012. http://blog.hollyhardwick.com/2007/09/george-iv-state-diadem-crown.html. 2. "The Personal Jewel Collection of Elizabeth II." Wikipedia. Last modified May 17, 2012. Accessed May 22, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Personal_Jewel_Collection_of_Elizabeth_II.] 3. "George IV State Diadem Royalty Tiaras." The Wedding Tiara. Accessed May 22, 2012. http://theweddingtiara.com/archives/george-iv-state-diadem. 4. "King George IV State Diadem." Royal Exhibitions. Accessed May 22, 2012. http://royalexhibitions.co.uk/crown-jewels-2/royal-regalia/. 5. Butschal, U. "Queens Juwel Casket--Windsor." Royal Magazin. Accessed May 22, 2012. http://www.royal-magazin.de/queenbrooch.htm.