Coronation Cloak

The Coronation Cloak, which has been preserved at Prague Castle, is made of luxurious silk material, called gold lily. A pattern of the cloth is made of a silk thread wound around a flat golden wire (purl). The design of the cloak itself is semi-circular, without sleeves, prolonged at the back to form a train. It is 312 cm wide and measures in length 236 cm from the neckline to the end of the train. It is entirely edged with ermine – the white winter coat of a stoat – which, because it is so precious and rare, is considered to be the fur for kings. Researchers have succeeded in dating it more precisely to the beginning of the 17th century, probably worn in the reign of Ferdinand II. He was crowned the Czech king in 1617, and as it has been recorded, was clothed in a “gold-lily cloak”. The last king to be clad in the Czech coronation attire was Ferdinand V when he was crowned the Czech king in 1836. Since then the coronation apparel is only of historical and art-historical significance. It does, however, highlight a unique collection of rulers’ apparel and their fragments, which have been preserved at Prague Castle since 10th century.

Royal Sceptre

The Sceptre is wrought of gold of equal purity as the Royal Apple. It is 67 cm long and weighs 1,013 grams. In the set of Crown Jewels this Sceptre was replaced at the time of the rule of the Premyslides. It is decorated with four sapphires, five spinels and sixty-two pearls. It consists of several differently shaped parts connected with rings, with a more striking feature of a row of pearls at the base of the handle. The entire surface of all the parts is covered by a finely engraved decoration whose dominant feature consists in the motive of vine tendrils, leaves, and flowers or acanthuses. Some parts, in addition, are overlaid with multi-coloured enamel. The spectacular crest of the Sceptre is modelled in the shape of a kind of a flower with S-shaped stems and fine acanthuses from which gems and pearls sprout

Royal Apple

The Apple wrought of fine gold (18 carat), weighs 780 grams and measures 22 cm in height. It consists of two flattened hemispheres linked by a decorative circular band and crowned with a fairly large cross. The circle under the cross bears the inscription DOMINE IN VIRTUTE TUA LETABITUR REX ET SUPER SALUTARE TUAM EXULTABIT (O Lord, in Thy strength the king will be glad and in Thy salvation how greatly he will rejoice). The richly ornamented decorations feature predominantly precious stones and pearls, while the slight little figures of six sphinxes on the base of the cross form a charming detail. The gold, of the red spinels, and the blue sapphires, in places emphasized by colourful enamel are striking in their harmony. The surface of both hemispheres is covered with an extremely precisely wrought relief of figures, thematically connected with the coronation. On the upper hemisphere there are scenes illustrating the story of David – his anointment the king and the fight between David and Goliath; on the lower hemisphere there is a depiction from Genesis of Adam kneeling before the Creator, of Adam being led into the Garden of Eden and the Creator warning Adam and Eve of the tree of knowledge. The use of these areas for figural decoration is unique and indicates the significance attributed to this insignia by the person who commissioned it.

Crown of Saint Wenceslas

The crown is named and dedicated after the Duke and Patron Saint Wenceslas I of the Přemyslids dynasty of Bohemia. The crown has an unusual design, with vertical fleurs-de-lis standing at the front, back and sides. Made from gold and precious stones, its weight is 2.475g. It was made for King Charles IV in 1346. Since 1867 it has been stored in St. Vitus Cathedral of Prague Castle. The jewels have always played an important role as a symbol of Bohemian statehood.

An ancient Czech legend says that any usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year. In the eyes of some this was confirmed during World War II when Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi governor of the puppet Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia secretly wore them believing himself to be a great king, and was assassinated less than a year later by the Czech underground

Karel Schwarzenberg

Karel Schwarzenberg  or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg (born Karl Johannes Nepomuk Joseph Norbert Friedrich Antonius Wratislaw Menas), 7. Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (Second Majorat), Herzog von Krummau on 10 December 1937 in Prague, Czechoslovakia), is a politician of the Czech Republic, the leader of TOP 09 party and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country. He took office as Foreign Minister in July 2010, and also occupied the position from 2007 to 2009. Prince Schwarzenberg is a member of the high nobility of Bohemia and also the current head of the House of Schwarzenberg since 1979

On 22 April 1967, Schwarzenberg married Countess Therese zu Hardegg auf Glatz und im Machlande (b. Vienna, 17 February 1940) in Seefeld, Lower Austria. The marriage ended in divorce in 1988.

The couple married for the second time on 25 July 2008.[5][6] The marriage bore three children:

•     Johannes Nepomucenus Andreas Heinrich Joseph Karl Ferdinand Johannes Evangelist die Heiligen Drei Könige Achaz Michael Maria, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzenberg (b. Vienna, 13 December 1967), married on 20 March 2010 Diana Orgovanyi-Hanstein

•     Princess Anna Carolina Antoinette Elisabeth Theresia Olga Adelheid Maria of Schwarzenberg (b. Vienna, 16 December 1968), married civilly in London on 28 July 1997 and religiously at Murau on 6 September 1997 Peter Morgan (b. Wimbledon, London, 10 April 1963), son of Arthur Morgan and wife Inga …
•     Prince Karl Philipp Ernst Ferdinand Alwig Kilian of Schwarzenberg (b. Vienna, 12 May 1979) (Adopted by Austrian industrialist and politician Thomas Prinzhorn (who is, according to some sources, his natural father) by agreement 25 November 1987 and registered in Vienna 16 May 1988. On 20 March 1990 began using surname “Prinzhorn”.), married at Altaussee on 3 October 2009 Countess Anna Elisabeth Aline Henriette Maria Benedikta Stephanie Johanna Lidvine Walpurga Thekla von und zu Eltz (b. Vienna, 25 June 1982)