After more than a month of painstaking work by a team of no less than 8 of the world's top jewellers, the fragments of the Crown of St. Christian have been completely reconstructed into a wholly restored work of historic importance. Ironically, in perfect resonance with the Imperial Motto of "Thesaurus Perditum Invenit Thesaurum", the crown thought lost to history has been recovered.
Princess Augusta who headed up the team was quoted to say that this particular endeavour was for her, personally, a culmination in her efforts of supporting her nephew and the Imperial cause. She added that in her mind the Imperial cause was the custodianship of the history and culture of the Scot-Britanian Isles and their people and nothing unified that collective more poignantly than the Crown of St. Christian.
The crown was discovered more than a month ago, mysteriously or rather "miraculously" left on the altar of the Catherdal of the Lionheart. No security camera record or witnesses to the event could account for their appearance. Solid gold fragments in perfect condition except for being fragmented was accompanied by a small case filled with precious stones, none of modern cut but all genuine. The stones were compared along with the fragments, to records and photos of the Crown of St Christian and its identity officially recognized by experts and members of the Imperial Family.
Not all the stones known to have been in the original crown were present in the case however every part of the original historic circlet crown was accounted for. Some gold was also filed away from the arch section of the crown but none from the original medieval circlet. It seems that whoever took the crown in the chaos of the revolution helped themselves to a share but did not dare to damage what was considered the holy part of the crown, namely the circlet section. The crown was obviously also cut up for the purpose of easy concealment and transport. Investigations continue as far as its return is concerned.
Not all the stones known to have been in the original crown were present in the case however every part of the original historic circlet crown was accounted for. Some gold was also filed away from the arch section of the crown but none from the original medieval circlet. It seems that whoever took the crown in the chaos of the revolution helped themselves to a share but did not dare to damage what was considered the holy part of the crown, namely the circlet section. The crown was obviously also cut up for the purpose of easy concealment and transport. Investigations continue as far as its return is concerned.
This pre-revolution photo shows the crown as it looked in 1996. Let us now take a look at its restoration and recap the legendary story of its origin.
The story of the Crown of St. Christian is shrouded in myth. Historical records exist but none of them record its manufacture or anything that one may construe as other than "fairy tale". That however is the mystery and magic surrounding the crown. Its craftsmanship matches its supposed date of origin and other than that we only know the historic account.
It is said that in the year 1456 A.D. the heir to the throne of Scotney, Prince Christian, Duke of Stirling lost his way while exploring the Veiled Forest on horseback. The Prince was in a pseudo exile from court due to his political objections to the King's expansionist war campaigns against Britania and Arcwhite. This left him relegated to his father's hunting lodge which in turn lead to him losing his way on this particular day. After hours of searching for the edge of the forest, the Prince arrived at a clearing with a large rose bush in spectacular full bloom at its center. His eye was immediately caught by a bright flashing scintillation emanating from the bush which drew him closer. He thought his fatigue got the better of his senses as the flash seemed to come from what looked like a golden crown entwined within the branches of the rose bush. He dismounted and approached with astonishment at the gem encrusted crown which was by now was revealed to not be an illusion but real and he reached to free it from its thorny prison. The crown had so captured the Prince's attention that he forgot everything about his own predicament of being lost in the forest and his attempt to free it cost him a severe thorn induced gash on his hand. As he recoiled blood dropped at the base of the bush while the crown remained entangled.
Suddenly a voice greeted the Prince from behind as softly as the breeze lapped at his cloak. He turned nursing his bloodied hand and saw an old hooded man leaning on a gnarled walking staff. "Forgive me sir" the Prince exclaimed. "Am I trespassing?" "The King's son does not trespass in the King's forest. May I help you young lord?" came the slow reply from the old man. The Prince reluctantly allowed the man to inspect his hand. Weirdly the old man breathed on it and the Prince's hand miraculously recovered perfectly. The Prince stumbled back in shock just as he heard a heavy thud fall behind him on the ground beneath the rose bush. He looked and saw the crown roll to his feet. Dazed. the Prince turned back to a now completely vanished man only to hear in the breeze: "...Thesaurus Perditum Invenit Thesaurum...", Latin for ; "A treasure lost is a treasure found."
It followed that after the Prince regained his wits he eventually arrived back at the Royal hunting lodge with the treasure in his saddle bag. He was greeted with acclamation of kingship while receiving the news of his tyrannical father's death. He was now the new King of Scotney. That very night he dreamt of an ancient battle he was taught about by his childhood tutor. The Battle of the Veil was fought near the same forest where he lost his way. It was said that the King of Scotney who lost that battle decades earlier also lost his crown to a demonic force who came to judge his crimes. King Christian now the new king saw the devil in his dream cursing the land with the words; "The crown earned with blood will never take blood." He woke up with shaken with sweat streaming down his face.
King Christian was very disturbed by all the esoteric events and decided to fast for a week, refusing to go to the capital before he found peace. He searched for the hooded man in the forest but was said to have only found his own reflection in a pond. It was then that the King realised that his life was his own responsibility and that curses can be lifted by sacrifice. He would be such a King as to see his country blessed by being a man of self sacrifice. At his coronation he vowed to serve God and his people at the cost of his life and never to put wealth and prestige before his people. He was crowned with the "Rose Bush Crown".
In 1454, two years before his ascension to the throne Prince Christian had married the eldest daughter of the King of Britania. Now she was Queen of Scotney. This was a powerful political move as their child would be in line to the throne of both Scotney and Britania. King Christian was considered a truly wise King, not just ruling by Divine Right but also with Divine Blessing leading to great prosperity and peace. Scotney reached the full extent of its historical borders without any wars and its diplomatic relations with neighbouring Kingdoms was stronger than ever. King Christian was so revered by all his reigning neighbours that he was offered the position of Holy Emperor of Europa in 1480. The position was an elected one and would put him at the head of a council of all the crowned monarchs of Europa. He accepted and was crowned with an Imperial Crown but did arrive at the Imperial coronation wearing the Rose Bush Crown.
After King Christian's death in 1488 the Crown became known as the Crown of Christian Great. His son, King Daniel, had to almost immediately face an invading army from the Britanian King. His own cousin, King Victor of Britania, disliked his cousin's close claim to his throne and regardless of treaties establishing peace between the two neighbouring kingdoms, advanced to invade Scotney. The Battle of Blood River ended with Britanian forces being vanquished and Victor dying from a rogue arrow striking him in the neck between his armour chest plate and helmet. An unexpected King Daniel became King of Britania as well as Scotney. The Kingdoms remained separate political entities but was now presided over by a single King. Christian decided to have himself crowned as King of Britania with his own Rose Bush Crown as his cousin had the Britanian crown melted down to provide revenue for the war. Thus the Rose Bush Crown became the de facto Crown for both Kingdoms.
The Crown returned to Scotney with King Daniel's son after Britania split from Scotney during his reign. The younger brother of the King successfully rebelled with the military backing of the Island of Arcwhite who felt the Scot-Britanian Isles had become to strong as a unified force. The ethos of King Christian the Great was so deeply instilled in his grandson that he did not fight his brother's usurpation of the throne of Britania saving the two countries from war. Instead he left him to establish what became the separate Royal line that ruled Britania till the establsihment of the 1993 United Empire. After King Christian the Great was canonized in 1966 his Crown was officially renamed the Crown of St.Christian. It remained in the Scotney capital as the official Crown of the Kingdom until the merger of the two nations into the United Empire of Scot-Britania in 1993 when new Imperial Crown Jewels were made.
It is fascinating to see the Crown from all sides. In this photo we can begin to appreciate it as it is slightly turned.
The seams where the Crown fragments were attached were deliberately but subtly left visible by the restorers in order to record the history of the crowns violent dismantling by the revolutionaries. It was felt that the Crown's history was enhanced by its survival of the revolution and as such recorded in these " scars".
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