A crown is an ornament symbolizing power, usually made ​​of gold & precious stones. Already in ancient Egypt and Greece a ruler wore a browband or diadem. The Persian kings were among the first to wear a closed crown which was later used by Byzantine emperors (Constantine I);  and was worn by all subsequent rulers of the Roman Empire and adopted by Popes. The Roman emperors used a tiara or laurel wreath; German rulers wore a helmet or headband. Since the Carolingians, closed crowns were common.

 

Crowns have been worn by rulers and divinities of both sexes since prehistoric times. The salient features of alpha malehood—manes, antlers, gorgeous plumage, and, above all, literally, the sun’s corona—have inspired their design. Napoleon’s imperial crown was a wreath of golden laurel leaves, the classical world’s homage to a victor of games or war. The word “diadem” comes from the Greek noun for “band,” or “fillet,” but the later, more elaborate crowns of Christendom are castellated, like a turret. Paul VI, the last Pope to be crowned, in 1963 (his successors have opted for inauguration), wore a dome-shaped “tiara” that resembled a basilica. 

 

 This page is dedicated to some of the most striking tiaras, crowns and aigrettes in history.