Editing Crown of Charlemagne

[[Image:French Coronation Crown of Charlemagne.png|thumb|The Crown of Charlemagne from 1271, used as French coronation crown from 875 or 1590 to 1775.]]

The '''Crown of Charlemagne''' ({{Lang-fr|Couronne de Charlemagne}}) was a name given to the ancient [[coronation crown]] of [[List of Frankish kings|Kings of the Franks]], and later [[List of French monarchs|Kings of France]] after 1237.

It was probably created as a simple circlet of four curved rectangular jewelled plates for [[Charles the Bald]], the grandson of [[Charlemagne]], but later, four large jewelled [[fleur-de-lis]] were added to these four original plates, probably by [[Philip II of France|Philip Augustus]] around 1180 and surmounted by a cap decorated with precious stones. At this time a similar but open crown, the one of the queen, existed too. One of them was melted down in 1590 by the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]] during the [[Siege of Paris (1590)|siege of Paris]].  The remaining crown was used up to the reign of King [[Louis XVI]], who was [[coronation of the French monarch|crowned]] in 1775 in the [[Reims Cathedral]].<ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/FelePl4/felibien4.html] One of the cupboards of the treasure of Saint Denis with five crowns including the ones of Charlemagne down right and of the Queens down left.</ref> The crown of [[Joan of Évreux]] was then used for the coronation of the queens.<ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/FelePl4/PlateIV-t.html] Crown of Queen Jeanne d'Évreux in the treasure of Saint Denis in 1706, from Dom [[Michel Félibien]], ''Histoire de L'Abbaye Royale de Saint-Denys en France''.</ref>

French kings had also their personal crowns, worn after the coronation, during the banquet held at the [[Palace of Tau]], like the crown of [[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]] called the ''Sainte Couronne de France'',<ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/FelePl3/PlateIII-p.html] Crown of Saint Louis in the treasure of Saint Denis.</ref><ref>[http://www.crpg.cnrs-nancy.fr/Science/Emeraudes/Gallery_couronne.html] Crown of Saint Louis or ''Sainte Couronne de France''.</ref> [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]] or [[Louis XIV]]<ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/FelePl3/felibien3.html] One of the cupboards of the treasure of Saint Denis with four crowns including the ones of Louis XIV and, down right, of Saint Louis.</ref> which were later donated to the [[Treasury of Saint-Denis|treasury]] of the [[Basilica of Saint-Denis]] near Paris,<ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/Comparative/Regalia.html] The 14 royal crowns in the treasure of Saint Denis in 1706, from Dom [[Michel Félibien]], ''Histoire de L'Abbaye Royale de Saint-Denys en France''.</ref><ref>[http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/France/St-denis/felebien/Treasuremain.html] Plates of the treasure from Dom [[Michel Félibien]], ''Histoire de L'Abbaye Royale de Saint-Denys en France'', 1706.</ref> the traditional burial place of the [[Capetian dynasty]].

Only one of the 11 personal crowns of the [[Ancien Régime]] remains, the ''[[Crown of Louis XV of France|Crown of Louis XV]]'', manufactured for the coronation of [[Louis XV]] in 1722, and 5 crowns from the 19th century. The coronation crown, the Crown of Charlemagne, was destroyed in the [[French Revolution]], like some of the regalia.<ref>The three medieval coronation crowns which were preserved at Saint Denis were destroyed during the French Revolution. One of these is shown being worn by the king in the 15th-century painting “The Mass of St. Giles”. Some believe that this may represents the French coronation crown even if it looks like more likely the one of Saint Louis with an added cap.[http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/largeImage?workNumber=NG4681&collectionPublisherSection=work] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507161534/http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/largeImage?workNumber=NG4681&collectionPublisherSection=work |date=2009-05-07 }}</ref> From the [[Ancien Régime]] regalia, except for Louis XV's crown, the [[Throne of Dagobert]], the medieval coronation sword of the French kings ''[[Joyeuse]]'', the spurs, the [[fibula (brooch)|brooch]] said to have belonged to [[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]], the ivory [[sceptre]], called the Hand of Justice, the sceptre of [[Charles V of France|Charles V]], as well as the antique [[cup of the Ptolemies]] (or the coronation [[chalice]]) with its [[paten]] kept in [[Reims]] survived.

The [[Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire]] or ''Reichskrone'', probably made for the coronation of [[Otto the Great]] in 962 at the workshops of the imperial [[Abbey of Reichenau|monastery of Reichenau]], was also later identified as the Crown of Charlemagne and as such appeared on the escutcheon of the [[Arch-Treasurer]] of the Holy Roman Empire and at the top of the coat of arms of the Habsburg emperors, e.g. at the [[Hofburg Palace]] in Vienna.

When [[Napoleon]] proclaimed himself [[Emperor of the French]], he also called [[Crown of Napoleon|his own imperial crown]] the "Crown of Charlemagne".{{cn|date=September 2023}}

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==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Crowns}}

[[Category:French monarchy]]
[[Category:Individual crowns|Charlemagne]]
[[Category:Medieval crowns]]
[[Category:French Crown Jewels]]