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Non British Coronations...
Posted by Janet on January 24, 2023, 6:01 am
With all the excitement of the upcoming Coronation in the UK, it got me thinking about Coronations in other countries and also why the tradition lapsed in many countries.
I think the last non-British Coronation in Europe was that of Ferdinand and Marie of Romania in 1922. Before that there was the 1916 crowning in Budapest of Charles I and Zita as King and Queen of Hungary, is that correct? We have pictures of them physically wearing the crowns they were crowned with.
Interestingly I have seen several posts on Instagram recently suggesting that the pearls from Zita's crown were subsequently owned by Gina Lollobrigida who died recently (https://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/images/gina-lollobrigida-in-new-york-in-1963-wearing-the-pair-of-natural-pearl-earrings-that-sold-for-16-million-at-sothebys-london-in-april-2013/.)
Before that there was the Coronation of Ludwig III in Bavaria in 1914. I haven't been able to find any pictures or more information about what format a Bavarian coronation actually took such (was it in a Cathedral?) as the location or if the King ever actually wore the Crown or if his wife was crowned Queen alongside him.
I am aware that a number of German states had crowns made to celebrate being upgraded to Kingdoms after the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved but they didn't necessarily ever wear the crowns or have Coronations and they were more symbolic.
The only image I can find of the 1914 Bavarian coronation is the attached drawing however on Youtube there is a wonderful clip (maybe not historically accurate but magnificent nonetheless) of the coronation of the previous King Ludwig II - a royal protocol fan's absolute dream. If A Bavarian Coronation was really like this, it looks wonderful.
What other states had a Coronation ceremony and what reasons were they abandoned? I believe Norway scrapped there's in 1906, was there a reason for this as there was no real need to have had a coronation in the first place. I also believe Spain, Greece and the Netherlands have symbolic crowns but have never had a tradition of Coronation, whereas Belgium doesn't have a crown at all.
Looking beyond Europe there have been recent Coronations in the Malaysian state of Johor (there a series of wonderful documentaries on YouTube about it
I wonder do the other Malaysian states have a tradition of Coronations for individual states or is it just Johor?
Tonga also has a Coronation ceremony.
Youtube recommendation for those interested in UK coronation
He's currently doing a series leading up to the UK Coronation about the history and symbolism of the ceremonies, jewels, clothes associated with the Coronation in a wonderfully accessible and non-tabloid way.
No there was no coronation in Bavaria in 1914. None of the bavarian King where crowned. Don't know from which occasion the pic comes. Actually the only of the german kingdom who had coronations was prussia but they only had 2. In 17901 when Elector Friedrich III. of Brandenburg crowned himself to King in Prussia and in 1862 for King Wilhelm I., the future Emperor Wilhelm I.
Previous Message
With all the excitement of the upcoming Coronation in the UK, it got me thinking about Coronations in other countries and also why the tradition lapsed in many countries.
I think the last non-British Coronation in Europe was that of Ferdinand and Marie of Romania in 1922. Before that there was the 1916 crowning in Budapest of Charles I and Zita as King and Queen of Hungary, is that correct? We have pictures of them physically wearing the crowns they were crowned with.
Interestingly I have seen several posts on Instagram recently suggesting that the pearls from Zita's crown were subsequently owned by Gina Lollobrigida who died recently (https://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/images/gina-lollobrigida-in-new-york-in-1963-wearing-the-pair-of-natural-pearl-earrings-that-sold-for-16-million-at-sothebys-london-in-april-2013/.)
Before that there was the Coronation of Ludwig III in Bavaria in 1914. I haven't been able to find any pictures or more information about what format a Bavarian coronation actually took such (was it in a Cathedral?) as the location or if the King ever actually wore the Crown or if his wife was crowned Queen alongside him.
I am aware that a number of German states had crowns made to celebrate being upgraded to Kingdoms after the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved but they didn't necessarily ever wear the crowns or have Coronations and they were more symbolic.
The only image I can find of the 1914 Bavarian coronation is the attached drawing however on Youtube there is a wonderful clip (maybe not historically accurate but magnificent nonetheless) of the coronation of the previous King Ludwig II - a royal protocol fan's absolute dream. If A Bavarian Coronation was really like this, it looks wonderful.
What other states had a Coronation ceremony and what reasons were they abandoned? I believe Norway scrapped there's in 1906, was there a reason for this as there was no real need to have had a coronation in the first place. I also believe Spain, Greece and the Netherlands have symbolic crowns but have never had a tradition of Coronation, whereas Belgium doesn't have a crown at all.
Looking beyond Europe there have been recent Coronations in the Malaysian state of Johor (there a series of wonderful documentaries on YouTube about it
I wonder do the other Malaysian states have a tradition of Coronations for individual states or is it just Johor?
Thank you very much for this information Stafan. I was not aware of the fact that none of the Bavarian Kings were actually crowned. I have seen captions of several photographs of King Ludwig III either in a carriage or in a procession stating that he is on his way to his coronation. This I have seen both in English and in German, so I almost took it for granted that he had been crowned. It could be a "confusion" of the term "coronations" though as it looks like at least he had an enthronement ceremony with very much pomp and glitter by the looks of it. Is anybody with better eyes than mine able to identify the tiaras worn?
No there was no coronation in Bavaria in 1914. None of the bavarian King where crowned. Don't know from which occasion the pic comes. Actually the only of the german kingdom who had coronations was prussia but they only had 2. In 17901 when Elector Friedrich III. of Brandenburg crowned himself to King in Prussia and in 1862 for King Wilhelm I., the future Emperor Wilhelm I.
Sorry, can't make out the tiaras in the pics which seem to be from when he made the oath on the bavarian Constitution in the Residence in Munich in 08.11.1913. The a few days later on 12.11 the were sme other festivities with a Mass in the Dom of Munich and later homages from the city of Munich at the Townhall in Munich. Probably the pics are from this day
Thank you very much for this information Stafan. I was not aware of the fact that none of the Bavarian Kings were actually crowned. I have seen captions of several photographs of King Ludwig III either in a carriage or in a procession stating that he is on his way to his coronation. This I have seen both in English and in German, so I almost took it for granted that he had been crowned. It could be a "confusion" of the term "coronations" though as it looks like at least he had an enthronement ceremony with very much pomp and glitter by the looks of it. Is anybody with better eyes than mine able to identify the tiaras worn?
No there was no coronation in Bavaria in 1914. None of the bavarian King where crowned. Don't know from which occasion the pic comes. Actually the only of the german kingdom who had coronations was prussia but they only had 2. In 17901 when Elector Friedrich III. of Brandenburg crowned himself to King in Prussia and in 1862 for King Wilhelm I., the future Emperor Wilhelm I.
The coronation of the Sultan of Johor was indeed spectacular. Most of the hereditary rulers of the Malaysian states have instalment ceremonies which can be very glittering indeed. And of course every five years there is the instalment ceremony of the King of Malaysia, again a very magnificent affair. Though coronations strictly speaking as in having an actual crown placed on the ruler's head I think only three of the nine states do that; Johor, Terengganu and Selangor.
Previous Message
With all the excitement of the upcoming Coronation in the UK, it got me thinking about Coronations in other countries and also why the tradition lapsed in many countries.
I think the last non-British Coronation in Europe was that of Ferdinand and Marie of Romania in 1922. Before that there was the 1916 crowning in Budapest of Charles I and Zita as King and Queen of Hungary, is that correct? We have pictures of them physically wearing the crowns they were crowned with.
Interestingly I have seen several posts on Instagram recently suggesting that the pearls from Zita's crown were subsequently owned by Gina Lollobrigida who died recently (https://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/images/gina-lollobrigida-in-new-york-in-1963-wearing-the-pair-of-natural-pearl-earrings-that-sold-for-16-million-at-sothebys-london-in-april-2013/.)
Before that there was the Coronation of Ludwig III in Bavaria in 1914. I haven't been able to find any pictures or more information about what format a Bavarian coronation actually took such (was it in a Cathedral?) as the location or if the King ever actually wore the Crown or if his wife was crowned Queen alongside him.
I am aware that a number of German states had crowns made to celebrate being upgraded to Kingdoms after the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved but they didn't necessarily ever wear the crowns or have Coronations and they were more symbolic.
The only image I can find of the 1914 Bavarian coronation is the attached drawing however on Youtube there is a wonderful clip (maybe not historically accurate but magnificent nonetheless) of the coronation of the previous King Ludwig II - a royal protocol fan's absolute dream. If A Bavarian Coronation was really like this, it looks wonderful.
What other states had a Coronation ceremony and what reasons were they abandoned? I believe Norway scrapped there's in 1906, was there a reason for this as there was no real need to have had a coronation in the first place. I also believe Spain, Greece and the Netherlands have symbolic crowns but have never had a tradition of Coronation, whereas Belgium doesn't have a crown at all.
Looking beyond Europe there have been recent Coronations in the Malaysian state of Johor (there a series of wonderful documentaries on YouTube about it
I wonder do the other Malaysian states have a tradition of Coronations for individual states or is it just Johor?