# Did/Do Royality Wear Crowns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148 "2005-01-11T02:34:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/1 "2005-01-11T02:34:21Z")
I’m wondering just how accurate our image of kings and queens are? Does the Queen of England, for one, wear a crown? (Forgive me, that’s what I get for not being able to stomach Lady Di’s wedding.) If not nowadays, did they in the old times? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/2 "2005-01-11T02:44:45Z")
Only occasionally. She wears a crown at her coronation, obviously. I \think\ she wears a crown at the State Opening of Parliament. There may be other state occasions on which she wears a crown, but I suspect not many. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/3 "2005-01-11T02:50:51Z")
Yes. Queen Elizabeth II wears the Imperial State Crown at the annual opening of Parliament ([pics here](http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page365.asp)). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/4 "2005-01-11T03:48:51Z")
More on the [Crown Jewels](http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page450.asp) ---
**Author:** ![SallyCan\_tDance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@SallyCan\_tDance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SallyCan_tDance)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/5 "2005-01-11T06:17:42Z")
Yes, and Harry borrows it when he goes clubbing. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/6 "2005-01-11T07:03:34Z")
> [@SallyCan'tDance](#): > > Yes, and Harry borrows it when he goes clubbing. “Yeah, the crown is cool. But come back to my place and I’ll show you the Royal Scepter!” ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/7 "2005-01-11T07:15:14Z")
“Moreover, feel free to inspect the family jewels. It’s amazing how big and hard those rocks are.” ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/8 "2005-01-11T07:17:35Z")
The new effigies of the Queen on Canadian coins are notable for being the first ones in which she _isn’t_ wearing a crown. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/9 "2005-01-11T07:21:55Z")
Actually, didn’t the very first QEII coins in the fifties have her wearing a laurel wreath or something? Not a crown or tiera, at any rate? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/10 "2005-01-11T07:24:02Z")
Whoops, [url=“[http://www.mint.ca/en/collectors\_corner/circulation/monarchy.htm](http://www.mint.ca/en/collectors_corner/circulation/monarchy.htm)”]you’re right, and neither did her father, George VI. To be fair, she did wear crowns from 1965 to 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/11 "2005-01-11T07:30:31Z")
> [@](#): > > To be fair, she did wear crowns from 1965 to 2003. Her neck muscles must have got pretty sore. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/12 "2005-01-11T07:34:30Z")
Getting back to the OP, I seem to recall reading that when the current King of Sweden came to the throne back in the 70s, he wasn’t actually crowned. The Swedish crown was part of the ceremony, but wasn’t put on his head, because that seemed a bit much for the democratic Swedes. (Struck me at the time as swallowing a camel and straining at a gnat. “Ya, we haff a hereditary king, but he can’t wear the Crown because we are democrats.”) Anyone else remember this? ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/13 "2005-01-11T07:58:43Z")
I don’t know about Sweden, but that’s non-crowning bit is true for Norway. > [@](#): > > The Article on Crowning was removed from the Constitution in 1908. The last royal couple to be crowned was thus King Haakon and Queen Maud in 1906. When King Haakon passed away in1957, a blessing ceremony was held, with King Olav being blessed in front of the High Altar on 22 June 1958. King Harald and Queen Sonja were blessed in Nidaros Cathedral on 23 June 1991. On that occasion the King’s and the Queen’s Crowns were placed on each side of the High Altar. (From [here](http://www.nidarosdomen.no/english/psmaler/generellside.asp?thisId=982664690).) I suppose that camel/gnat thing is spot on, though we do like our royalty partly because they don’t act like they’re better than others 🙂 The most beloved photo of Olav V is [this one](http://odin.dep.no/ud/html/brosjyrer/norway/b_olav.html). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/14 "2005-01-11T08:12:42Z")
Actually, the British monarch is the only one in Europe who is still crowned, the Pope having abandoned his ceremony after Vatican II; all the others take oaths. In [this](http://www.casareal.es/casareal/cor04.html) photo, you can see King Juan Carlos just after his oath of office in 1975. There’s a crown resting on a cushion in front of him. (And do you love Queen Sofía’s outfit? Bright fuchsia!) ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/15 "2005-01-11T08:20:59Z")
Seems no point in being a monarch if you don’t get to be crowned. There’s a passage in the book by the Queen’s former butler (Paul Burrell) (_A Royal Duty_, I think) where he writes about entering the room where the Queen was and being surprised to find her wearing a crown while at her desk. She told him she was getting into training for an event the following day. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/16 "2005-01-11T08:25:38Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Seems no point in being a monarch if you don’t get to be crowned. That’s what I thought! Why do away with an excuse for a great big fat pageant? Check out [the CBC’s archival video](http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-74-70-156/people/new_queen/clip4) of Elizabeth’s coronation. It’s extremely impressive. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/17 "2005-01-11T08:29:55Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > That’s what I thought! Why do away with an excuse for a great big fat pageant? > > Check out [the CBC’s archival video](http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-74-70-156/people/new_queen/clip4) of Elizabeth’s coronation. It’s extremely impressive. My mother has a photo of the coronation, with the Queen (plus maids in waiting carrrying her train) passing her husband, Prince Philip. Both are grinning. According to the photographer, hubby had just said: “Where did you get that hat?” ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/18 "2005-01-11T08:44:28Z")
I love it. That’s almost as good as the Queen Mother entering a banquet with Noel Coward; seeing his eye dart over one of the guardsmen, she said, “I wouldn’t if I were you, Noel; they count them before they put them out.” ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/19 "2005-01-11T08:53:20Z")
Saucy. Probably heard this one, or a variant thereof, but in the _Encyclopedia of Music_ the entry for Benjamin Britten reads: “See under Peter Pears”. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148/20 "2005-01-11T10:04:09Z")
The last two popes, JP I and JP II, eschewed a crown at their induction ceremonies (too late at night to remember what it’s called). I guess it is a coronation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-do-royality-wear-crowns/284148.md?page=2)