Chapter V: The Royal Orbs

The Origin of the Orb--Signifies the Domination of the
Christian Religion--An Emblem of Sovereignty--Edward the
Confessor--William the Conqueror--Henry I.--Richard Cœur de
Lion--Henry III.--Henry VII.--Henry VIII.--Charles II. to
George V.--The King’s Orb described--The Queen’s Orb--Made for
Mary II. wife of William III.--The Queen’s Orb described.

The orb with the cross above it is a very ancient Christian emblem; it signifies the domination of the Christian religion over the world. It was used by the Byzantine or Roman emperors of the Eastern Empire, from whom it was borrowed by our Saxon kings. An instance of its early use exists in the British Museum on a magnificent carved ivory diptych of about the fifth century, representing an archangel holding in his left hand an orb with cross, very closely resembling that which is found on the Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth; in fact, we may say that the orb and the cross has been one of the emblems of independent Christian sovereignty longer than any other actual forms now used either here or on the Continent.

The orb is first found on English coins of Edward the Confessor, and shows as a sphere with a cross upon it. It does not occur often on coins, but may be seen upon some of those of the Tudor kings and the finer coins of James I.; but on none of these is there any variation in its form, and the cross is always a short one.

On the Great Seals of England, of which there is a complete series in the British Museum, there is a certain degree of difference in the forms of the orb. It first appeared on the Great Seal of Edward the Confessor, and is a simple sphere held in his left hand. William I. used a cross above the sphere (Fig. 36), and this cross in some form or other has invariably been used since. On Henry I.’s fourth Great Seal a dove is shown above the cross-patée (Fig. 37), and Stephen and Henry II. used the same design. Richard I. (Fig. 38) and John both used a tall, thin cross with leaves issuing from its stem; and Henry III. (Fig. 39) carries a beautiful orb with a very tall ornamented stem bearing a cross above it, and on his second Great Seal an orb with a tall plain stem, and a smaller orb with cross-patée at the top (Fig. 40). From Edward I. to Richard III. the stems of the crosses above the orb were very tall, and the crosses themselves small. Henry VII. carries an orb with a tall stem (Fig. 41), above which is a much larger cross than was used by his immediate predecessors, and each of the ends of the cross are ornamented with a trefoil. Henry VII., on his second Seal (Fig. 42), entirely does away with the stem on which the cross had hitherto been placed, and the cross, itself ornamented, rests directly on the top of the orb, as does that on the orb now in the Tower which was made for Mary II. The orb which was made by Sir Robert Vyner for Charles II., and which is now in the Tower, has a large amethyst beneath the cross, which may be considered to take the place of the stem upon which, as we have seen, the cross was superimposed from the time of William I. to Henry VIII.

THE KING’S ORB

The orb, mound, or globe is placed in the sovereign’s right hand on being crowned, and after that is carried in the left hand. It is never put into the hands of any but kings or queens regnant. The orb of England is remarkable for the fine amethyst cut in the facets, one and a half inches in height, on which the cross-patée stands. The golden ball itself is six inches in diameter, and has a fillet of gold round the centre, outlined by fine pearls and ornamented with clusters of gems, set in borders of white and red enamel of similar workmanship to that upon St. Edward’s crown. The centre stones of these clusters are large rubies, sapphires, and emeralds alternately, and in each case the coloured stones are surrounded by diamonds. An arch, of similar design to the fillet, crosses the upper part of the orb, and the beautiful cross above the large amethyst has in the centre on one side an emerald, and on the other a sapphire. The outlines of the cross are marked by rows of diamonds, and there are three large diamonds down the centre of each arm. The jewels in the centre of each side are also encircled by diamonds, and between the lower foot of the cross and the amethyst is a collar of small diamonds. At the end of each of the upper arms of the cross is a large pearl, and in each of the four inner corners is also a large pearl.

This orb was made by Sir Robert Vyner for Charles II. It is figured in Sir Edward Walker’s account of his coronation. The large amethyst is clearly shown, but the bands encircling it are of a different and more ornate pattern from those now existing; very possibly something has been done to the orb since it was first made, but probably the extent of this alteration has been a re-setting of gems and the re-making of all the enamel work.

THE QUEEN’S ORB

As has been before mentioned, there was a certain degree of complication about the coronation of William and Mary, and in some instances the regalia had to be doubled. No doubt what could be altered was altered, so that many of the things which were only intended for the use of a Queen-consort actually did duty for a Queen-regnant; but one thing had to be made entirely anew, and that was an orb, so that the Queen, as well as her husband, should have the necessary emblem of independent sovereignty. But the orb which was made for her is by no means so handsome as that made for the King, nor is it quite so large. It has a fillet round the centre outlined with large pearls, and ornamented with rubies, sapphires and emeralds, alternately circular and octagonal, set in collars of gold. An arch crosses the upper half, ornamented in a similar manner, and at the top a cross, studied with rubies, sapphires and diamonds, differently arranged on each side, rests immediately on the orb.

THE QUEEN’S ORB]

THE KING’S ORB]