At first coronets of rank were only circlets of metal, then on this circlet were put balls or "pearls" (as in the portrait of King Alfred on the Dowgate Hill brooch, or the coronet of a Baron or Viscount), then the pearls were ornamentally tripled, and this trefoil soon turned into a leaf form (e.g. the coronet of an Earl or Marquis, alternately pearls and leaves), and finally leaves alone figure as the mark of the highest peerage rank of a subject (e.g. the coronet of a Duke, leaves only).
The Royal Crown has gone through a similar line of development, but in this case the trefoil has evolved into two different forms, that of the cross pattée, and that of the fleur-de-lys. These forms became fixed in the time of Henry VII., the existing crown of England being essentially of the same pattern as that then finally adopted, arches and all.
While fully appreciating the fact that the forms of modern coronets only date from the time of Charles II., it is still interesting to inquire by what methods peers of earlier date marked their dignity pictorially, and it seems that this was done by means of the use of a crest-chapeau, and the use of a helmet under it. But in sculpture certain forms of coronets also appear. Crowns and coronets are placed immediately upon the top of the shield. Over the crown or coronet comes the helmet, and over the helmet the crest.
The Royal Crown of England has followed a definite line of development, and, as mentioned above, it reached its present form in the time of Henry VII., but, curiously enough, on the only known book-stamp that is attributed to this king the crown is shown in a more ancient form, that of a circlet ornamented with fleurs-de-lys of different sizes. The centre cross pattée on the English crown was not used before it was invented by Henry VI., and it first shows on his seal for foreign affairs.
The Royal Crown of England now has upon the circlet four crosses pattée and four fleurs-de-lys, and from the tops of the crosses rise two complete arches, bearing a mound and cross at their point of junction. The Stuart crowns often show two more arches, rising from the tops of the fleurs-de-lys, and this peculiarity was lately shown on the diamond crown made for the coronation of Queen Alexandra. The Royal crowns are richly jewelled.
The coronet of the Prince of Wales is the same as the crown of the Sovereign, except that it has only one arch and no jewels. The single arch was granted, for the future, by Charles II.; before that the princely coronet had no arch. The older form of this coronet can still be seen on the Prince of Wales's badge of three ostrich feathers, which are held together by a coronet of the old shape. The three feathers are said to have been the badge of John, King of Bohemia, who was killed by the Black Prince at Crécy in 1346. The motto "Ich Dien" also belonged to the King of Bohemia.
