Why is there a hole in the Black Prince s ruby?

There are more than three thousand precious stones and pearls in the crown of the British Empire, among them a huge bright red stone of irregular shape stands out. This stone, with a six-hundred-year history, is one of the most ancient and famous relics of the British monarchy. A hundred years ago it turned out that it was not a ruby, but a rare red spinel, but the historical name of the legendary gem, of course, was not changed. This is indeed an extremely large spinel, it is the size of a chicken egg and weighs 170 carats. The stone is so beautiful that at one time they did not dare to cut it and give it the correct shape; it was simply polished. A hole in a large stone closed by a small ruby. A through hole drilled vertically is noticeable. And this is, by and large, a huge precious bead – there is a through hole drilled in it, and there is another one from the fastening in the pendant. If you look closely, you can see that the small hole is closed with a small ruby ​​(this was done in the 17th century, when the stone was inserted into the crown). The British believe that the stone protects the monarchy from troubles and shocks as long as it is treated with respect – and this belief can hardly be called superstition, if you remember the fate of the famous ruby. The history of the stone began in Spain in the 14th century, during the reconquista, the reconquest of Muslim possessions by Christian kingdoms. The King of Castile took a huge ruby ​​(at that time they did not see the difference between red stones and all such stones were considered rubies) from the Moorish prince who was treacherously killed by him. And then he gave the stone to the son of the British king for his help in the war. Portraits of Edward the Black Prince and King Henry V (in his right hand is a helmet where a ruby ​​should be set) The British royal son Edward, who bore the nickname “Black Prince” for the color of his armor, brought the ruby ​​to London, where the stone was named “Ruby of the Black Prince” and placed in the treasury. In the next century, King Henry V of Britain, setting off on a military campaign in France, placed a ruby ​​on his military helmet. In the battle, the king received a dangerous blow directly to the stone, but retained both his head and even the stone itself, and returned victorious. Since then, the Black Prince’s ruby ​​has been considered the guardian of English kings. Another 150 years later, the stone again served for the benefit and salvation of the kingdom – according to legend, Queen Elizabeth I took it out of the treasury when the Spanish “Invincible Armada” was heading towards the shores of England. The court astrologer predicted the defeat of the Spaniards, but allegedly warned the queen about the stone: “This stone is twofold: it is good, it is also evil. Some will get one, some will get another. Who deserves what? After the victory, as a token of gratitude, the queen wore the ruby ​​on a gold chain as a pendant, drilling a small hole in it for fastening. Black Prince’s Ruby in the Crown of the British Empire But Elizabeth’s great-nephew, King Charles I, treated the stone without respect – he threaded a string through it and wore it like a huge button. Believe it or not, this king lost both his kingdom and his head, plunging England into the abyss of revolution. After the execution of the king, Lord Protector Cromwell ordered the emptying of the royal treasury and the destruction of signs of royal power – the stones were removed from the regalia and sold, and the gold was melted down. The Black Prince’s huge ruby ​​sold for just four pounds! Cromwell considered the stone cursed and ordered such a ridiculous price. However, after the restoration of the monarchy, the ruby ​​was found – it turns out that it was bought by a certain monarchist, who preserved almost the only pre-revolutionary relic of the royal family. Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Crown of the British Empire Because the old Crown Jewels were lost to the Revolution, the Black Prince’s Ruby is now the oldest artifact in the British monarchy’s treasury. After the restoration of royal power, the ruby ​​was inserted into the crown of the British Empire, where it remains to this day. More precisely, over the three and a half centuries since then, the crown has been redesigned several times, making it increasingly lighter and more comfortable, but the location of the iconic stones has been preserved. Nowadays, the Black Prince’s Ruby is worn during the most solemn moments when the Queen wears the Crown of the British Empire in her annual speeches to Parliament. Rumor has it that this particular jewel was the cause of triumphal victories and terrible tragedies in the history of the British monarchy. Today we will tell you the true story of the mystical stone. Arina Yaganova Many jewelers believe that every gemstone has magical powers that affect the life of the owner of the jewelry. One of the most curious specimens in the collection of the British royal family was a blood-red ruby ​​- now the central element of the imperial state crown in the treasury of Elizabeth II. ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE Queen Elizabeth II, 1978 The history of the blood ruby ​​dates back to 1367, when the head of the monarchy was the son of Edward III, popularly nicknamed the Black Prince. In the fierce battle of Nager, the young man helped the king of Castile Don Pedro and, as gratitude, received a ruby ​​the size of a chicken egg from the treasury of his ally. The prince made it part of his collection of war trophies and used it only for aesthetic pleasure. ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE The next mention dates back to the reign of Henry V, and it was then that people began to gossip that the jewel had magical properties. When the king was celebrating his victory at the Battle of Agincourt, one of his advisers, the Duke D’Alençon, jumped up from the table and rushed at him with a sword. Henry received a severe blow to the head and survived only because the Black Prince’s ruby ​​was attached to his helmet. The swing was not accurate enough, so both the stone and the king remained intact. After this incident, the blood ruby ​​was believed to bring good luck. ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE
ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE For more than 150 years, the Black Prince’s ruby ​​occupied a place of honor in the royal treasury of the Tower. But one day, the “Virgin Queen” Elizabeth I, greedy for dresses and jewelry, ordered that a huge ruby ​​be “dressed” in a thin gold mesh so that it could be worn as a pendant or pendant on necklaces. Since then, the stone has constantly fluttered on the royal chest. It also shone on it on a memorable July day in 1588, when Elizabeth received terrible news: a Spanish flotilla, the Invincible Armada, was approaching the shores of Britain. Since Elizabeth was too superstitious, she decided to ask the local old astrologer for advice. When the queen prepared to listen to his prediction, he only raised his head and pointed to the same ruby ​​of the Black Prince, whispering that this little thing would save the country from certain death. “This stone is twofold: it is Good, it is Evil. Some will get one, some will get another. Who deserves what? ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE On a dark night, the Druid priest gathered all the witches, sorcerers and sorcerers on the seashore, where the approaching ships of the Invincible Armada were expected to land. Completely naked, with their hair down, they entered the cold water and began to whisper spells. And when the biggest wave appeared, the Druid priest lifted a huge ruby ​​above the water. A few minutes later, a terrible storm hit the approaching Spanish ships and spun them around in an eerie rhythm, breaking them against the rocks like fragile shells. Sir George Hayter “State Portrait of Queen Victoria (Royal Collection)”, c.1838-40
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ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE 70 years later, the new ruler of England, Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, while studying documents from the old royal archives, came across a secret report about this mystical battle and was not at all surprised. He also heard about the magical power of the stone. When Cromwell was still a young military leader, he managed to see the ruby ​​of the Black Prince on the then reigning Charles I. They always said about this king that he was frivolous. And indeed, he could not even wear the famous ruby, as a monarch should: the stone of national importance dangled as the top button on his ceremonial doublet. It then seemed to Cromwell that the jewel was about to fall off or. Karl’s head would fall off, because the dark scarlet stone clearly resembled a wound clotted with blood. ADVERTISEMENT – PRODOLJENIE NIJE And so it happened: on January 30, 1649, Charles I, overthrown by the revolution, was publicly executed right in front of Whitehall Palace as a state criminal. The Blood Ruby was mistakenly put up for sale at a price of four pounds because Cromwell was absolutely sure it was cursed. But a week later, news of the loss of the stone leaked to the continent – the First Minister of France, Cardinal Mazarin, received a secret report from his secret agent. A week later, he was walking through the palace interiors and came across a company of ladies-in-waiting led by his niece, on whose neck a legendary ruby ​​sparkled. The cardinal did not find out how he got to the girl, but under pain of death he forced the charming girl to give him the stone. She, naturally, did not resist. An old English legend says that when a man looked at the jewel, it glowed with an evil, bloody glow. And then Mazarin remembered the old belief: “he who takes possession of a ruby ​​unjustly will reap misfortune.” Therefore, he decided to give it to the rightful heir – Charles II.