I am trying to find out exactly when and why the Crown in the Crest and Lion supporter of the UK Arms changed from the St Edward to the 'Imperial' Crown. I know that at some stage in Victoria's reign it did so and that it lasted until 1952/3 when Elizabeth II had it changed back to St Edward's Crown which had been used by William IV and antecedents.
Was the change to do with Hanover's loss and the need to remove the Inescutcheon representing it and was it connected with some thought that a change to an imperial crown might atone for presumed loss of prestige? If this is the case I assume the crown was changed in 1837 when Ernst Augustus went to Hanover and Victoria became queen. The fact that Edward VII up to George VI used the imperial crown presumably means something and that this something changed when Elizabeth II became queen. Was it connected with the title Emperor of India? If so Victoria's decision to change to the imperial crown might have taken place in 1856 when she became empress but I cannot find anywhere if this is the case and all graphic illustrations show her arms with the imperial crown starting from 1837.
Have you any idea? So far no one has mentioned the matter and all say that the UK royal arms have not changed since Victoria. This is patently and graphically not true.
I must say that I thought the situation regarding the Crown was pretty much cut and dried, but on inspection I am not so sure...
One thing I am sure of, firstly, is that the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom have not changed since the accession of Queen Victoria. Technically. As Sodacan has placed on his Wikipedia entries, a blason (description) is set in stone but an artist can interpret the blason in their individual style. The heraldic blason for the UK Royal Arms simply says "...Imperial Crown Proper..." rather than, for instance, specifying St Edward's Crown (or any other) from real life and is therefore open to graphical interpretation. ("Proper" simply refers to natural colours.)
I was going to say that King Edward VII introduced the Tudor style Crown in about 1902. As you mention, the present Queen pragmatically expressed a desire to return to the style of St Edward's Crown when she came to the Throne, although HM The Queen Mother certainly carried on with the form of the Tudor Crown from her husband.
Having looked online I noticed that Queen Victoria certainly started, if not mainly stuck to St Edward's Crown in various artistic interpretations. However, Charles Boutell's Heraldry, Historical and Popular of 1864 which can be accessed via Tudor Crown on Wikipedia, argues that: The Heraldic Crown which enjoys Royal favour, differs... and inclines to the type of an earlier time. He then points to an illustration (No. 334 on page 332, shown here) which, although lacking Supporters and Crest, clearly shows a Tudor style crown. This was 1864, shortly after the death of the Prince Consort. Having said that again, illustrations for the Prince of Wales show both styles for his one-arched Crown. |
A Colonial Office Circular Dispatch from 14th June 1901 refers to "Drawings showing Imperial Cyphers as selected by His Majesty." and "H.M. desires that the Tudor crown may be substituted for any other pattern now in use, as new articles become necessary." Later that year a Circular Despatch of 16th November directed that, in accordance with instructions from the Admiralty, those flag badges based on the seal should not be changed until the seal had first been changed. Both Circulars in PRO Document CO 854/37.