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REGALIA (Lat. regalis, royal, from re...

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Originally appearing in Volume V23, Page 36 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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REGALIA (
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Lat. regalis, royal, from rex, king)
  , the ensigns of royalty . The
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crown (see CROWN and CORONET) and
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sceptre (see SCEPTRE) are dealt with separately . Other ancient symbols of royal authority are bracelets, the sword, a robe or
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mantle, and, in Christian times, a ring . Bracelets, as royal emblems, are mentioned in the Bible in connexion. with Saul (2 Sam. i. so), and they have been commonly used by Eastern monarchs . In
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Europe their later use seems to have been fitfully confined to England, although they were a very ancient ornament for kings among the Teutonic races . Two coronation bracelets are mentioned among the articles of the regalia ordered to be destroyed at the time of the
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Commonwealth, and two new ones 'were made at the Restoration . These are of gold, i i in. in width, and ornamented with the rose,
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thistle, harp and fleur-de-lis in enamel round them . They have not been used for
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modern coronations . The sword is one of the usual regalia of most countries, and is girded on to the
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sovereign during the coronation . In England the one sword has been
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developed into five . The Sword of State is borne before the sovereign on certain state occasions, and at the coronation is exchanged for a smaller sword, with which the king is ceremonially girded . The three other swords of the regalia are the " Curtana," the Sword of Justice to the Spirituality, and the Sword of Justice to the Temporality .

The Curtana has a blade cut off

short and square, indicating thereby the quality of mercy . The mantle, as a symbol of royalty, is almost universal, but in the
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middle ages other quasi-priestly robes were added to it (see CORONATION) . The
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English mantle was formerly made of
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silk; latterly
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cloth of gold has been used . The ring, by which the sovereign is wedded to his
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kingdom, is not of so wide a range of usage . That of the English kings held a large ruby with a
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cross engraved on it . Recently a
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sapphire has been substituted for the ruby .
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Golden spurs, though included among the regalia, are merely used to touch the king's feet, and are not worn . The
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orb and cross was not anciently placed in the king's hands during the coronation ceremony, but was carried by him in the
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left hand on leaving the church . It is emblematical of monarchical
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rule, and is only used by a reigning sovereign . The idea is undoubtedly derived from the globe with the figure of Victory with which the
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Roman emperors are depicted . The larger orb of the English regalia is a magnificent ball of gold, 6 in. in diameter, with a
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band round the centre edged with gems and pearls . A similar band arches the globe, on the top of which is a remarkably
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fine
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amethyst r z in. in height, upon which rests the cross of gold outlined with diamonds .

There is a smaller orb made for

Mary II., who reigned jointly with King William III . The English regalia, with one or two exceptions, were made for the coronation of Charles II. by
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Sir Robert Vyner . The Scottish regalia preserved at
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Edinburgh comprise the crown, dating, in
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part, from Robert the Bruce, the sword of state given to James IV. by Pope
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Julius II., and two sceptres . Besides regalia proper, certain other articles are sometimes included under the name, such as the ampulla for the
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holy oil, and the coronation spoon . The ampulla is of solid gold in the form of an eagle with outspread wings . It weighs 10 oz., and holds 6 oz. of oil . The spoon was not originally used for its
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present purpose . It is of the 12th or 13th century, with a long handle and egg-shaped bowl . Its
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history is quite unknown . See Cyril Davenport, The English Regalia, with illustrations in colour of all the regalia; Leopold Wickham Legg, English Coronation Records; The Ancestor, Nos . 1 and 2 (1902); Menin, The Form, &c., of Coronations (translated from French, 1727) .

End of Article: REGALIA (Lat. regalis, royal, from rex, king)
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