Many of you may have visited the
Tower of London and would have seen
The Imperial State Crown, re-made for the coronation of King George VI and worn by
Queen Elizabeth in her coronation, and every year since, for the State Opening of Parliament. What you may not know is that the big red ruby in the crown was a payment in kind to
Edward of Woodstock,
the Prince of Wales, also known as the
Black Prince, by the Spanish King of Castile and León
Peter of Castile for the help the former gave to the latter in one of the many wars of the 14th Century. The ruby adorned the figure of the
Virgin Mary which up to this date is kept in the
Monastery of Santa María la Real in the town of
Nájera in La Rioja region of Spain.
 |
| © Crown copyright |
Posts
