CROWN

head-dre worn as badge of honor. Alexander the Great wore the first royal crown of Greece, but the crown was never 2 symbol of rule in republican or imperial Rome; as in Greece, victors in athletic contests received wreaths of leaves or flowers, which also rewarded succe in war, and were worn on ceremonial occasions; gold later replaced early simple garland. C. has been a symbol of sovereignity since the beginning of Christian times, replacing earlier diadem. Eng. dukes and marque es were first invested with crowns in XIV. cent. The royal crown of Britain was made in Charles II.’s reign; made of gold and studded with gems, it is surmounted with a Maite cro , having on each point a pearl. The queen’s crown which was specially made for Queen Victoria in 1838; contains the ruby taken by Henry V. at Agin court, the sapphire from Edward the Confe or’s ring, and the sapphire from the crown of Charles II. The Scot. crown was recovered from a chest in Edinburgh Castle in 1818. The coronet, a small crown, is the state head-dre of the nobility; a duke’s coronet being a gold circle surmounted ~ by eight strawberry leaves of gold; a iS | ae marque ’s, silver gilt with four gold strawberry leaves; an earl’s, silver gilt with eight, silver balls on points, with gold strawberry leaves between; a viscount’s, silver gilt with sixteen silver balls; while a baron’s is silver gilt with six silver balls.