Crowning Wisdom: Crown of India

The Imperial Crown of India is a part of the British coronation regalia, and shall remain so until either or both Pakistan and India leave the Commonwealth, in which case it shall be returned to one of them (good luck deciding which!). In 1911, the newly enthroned King George V and Queen Mary travelled to India to be proclaimed Emperor and Empress of that great land. Tradition forbids the crown jewels from leaving the United Kingdom, so new crowns were commissioned for the event. Yet no expense was spared: 1911 saw British wealth and prestige at its greatest, and the new regal headdress was enlivened with over 6,000 diamonds, four sapphires, four rubies and nine emeralds, the frontmost weighing 32 carats. Unusually, the Imperial Crown of India boasts eight arches rather than the more usually British four.

Archbishop Davidson advised against a Christian coronation in Delhi as the majority of Indians were Hindu and Muslim. The King therefore wore the crown without a special placing of it on his head, and the whole event was deemed to be an affirmation of the official coronation that had taken place at Westminster Abbey six months earlier. The old prelate might have been right, of course, though the presence of a British king in India would also be cause of offence to nationalists. Within forty years, Britain would lose the jewel of its imperial crown, though not the crown which bore its name.

Many today begrudge King Jesus' royal prestige and regal authority. Some consign Him to status of mere prophet, or an emanation of Krishna. Yet He shall one day come as conquering King, before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess His lordship. Any who find this offensive now will be even more offended then, but to the Coming King, it really matters not.