Crown Jewels of Europe

Crown jewels of Britain and Europe is a celebration of some of the world's most precious objects: the crowns, sceptres, orbs, jewels and emblems of the royal families of Europe. Lavishly illustrated with full colour and black and white photographs, it shows the beauty and incomparable brilliance of these precious stones, chosen over a thousand years by kings and queens to decorate the symbols of their power.Many of the jewels have a fascinating and dramatic history. The Orloff Diamond, for example, which is now the Russian Imperial sceptre, was originally stolen from the eye of a Hindu idol: the Crown of Charlemagne was hidden by Himmler during the Second World War and only by good fortune discovered, and it is rumoured that the Crown of St Wenceslas contains a relic of the Crown of Thorns. Historical fact mixes tantalizingly with legend and myth and Prince Michael, the distinguished author of this book, unfolds with admirable skill, the intriguing tales that surround the Crown Jewels of Europe.