The Crown

THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST RECOGNISED SYMBOL OF MONARCHY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Crowns come in various sizes and shapes but the one which we in Australia are connected with is the ‘double arched crown’ i.e. two cross-over pieces which meet at the apex and which symbolises unity and sovereignty. Only the Sovereign can use the graphic representation of the Crown as personally chosen. Such representations often change at the beginning of different reigns along with personal cyphers. Queen Elizabeth II chose her design in 1953 and her successor Charles III chose his (modelled on the Tudor crown) and his cypher soon after his Accession in 2022. The Heir-Apparent uses a single arched crown.

Representations of the crown in the Governors’ and Governor-General’s case have been of St Edward’s Crown as this is the crown with which the Sovereign is crowned during the coronation, but this may change.

The picture to the left shows St Edward's Crown. It was made in 1660 for the coronation of Charles II. The older mediaeval version was sold and broken up during the interregnum but it is believed that fragments were rescued and in due course incorporated into the version we have today. As an aside it is ironic that Cromwell ensured that the symbol of the crown be used in the coat of arms of the protectorate thus ensuring that the crown continuously remained a uniting symbol from its earliest days.