Holy Crown of Hungary

The Holy Crown of Hungary, also called the Crown of Saint Stephen, was very important for the Kingdom of Hungary. It was used when kings were crowned, starting in the 12th century. Having the crown meant a king was the rightful ruler of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown. Over fifty kings were crowned with this special crown, the last one being Charles IV in 1916.

Back of the Holy Crown

The crown has beautiful decorations made a long time ago, likely in Constantinople. Many people thought it was even older and given by the Pope. Today, it is kept in the Hungarian Parliament Building and shown to visitors. It stands for the power and history of Hungary, just like very important treasures do for other nations.

Specifications of the Crown

Artistic depiction of Crown of Saint Stephen, from 1621, exhibited in Bratislava Castle

The Holy Crown of Hungary is shaped like an oval. It is 203.9 mm wide and 215.9 mm long. It is larger than a normal head, so kings wore a leather liner inside for comfort during coronations. The crown weighs 2056 grams, or about 4 pounds and 8.5 ounces. It is made from gold and silver, with different mixes of these metals in the top and bottom parts. The bottom part of the crown is not symmetric.

Holiness doctrine

The Holy Crown of Hungary shows the king’s right to rule, given by God. Tradition says St Stephen I held up the crown before he died in 1038 to give it and his kingdom to the Virgin Mary. After this, Mary was seen as the special protector and queen of the Kingdom of Hungary.

A guard of the crown, Péter Révay, wrote books saying the crown was more than a symbol — it was like the state itself. The king ruled not just as a person, but “in the name of the crown.”

Origin

The Holy Crown is believed to have been made during the time of King Béla III, who lived in the Byzantine court. It was created under Byzantine influence, likely between 1172 and 1196. This was many years after King Stephen I became the first king of Hungary.

There is also a story that the crown was given to King Stephen I by a pope. According to this story, an archbishop named Astrik went to Rome to get the crown. However, historians think this story may not be true because the people involved lived at different times. The real origin of the crown's upper part was not known until 1978, when the crown was examined after being returned to Hungary. The crown shows styles from different times, with some parts in Greek and others in Latin. But it has always been seen as one crown.

The oldest authentic representation of the Holy Crown from 1555. The crown depicted in the Fugger Chronicle. All images of the crown before the mid-17th century show the cross in its original upright position.

Type

The Holy Crown of Hungary was a special coronation crown used when a new king was crowned. After the ceremony, special guards would watch over the crown. Only two other people could touch it: the nádorispán, a very important leader, who would place the crown on a pillow, and the Archbishop of Esztergom, the main church leader, who would place the crown on the king’s head.

Structure of the crown and its icons

The Holy Crown was made of gold and had special decorations. It included nineteen pictures, shiny stones, pearls, and a special gem called almandine. The crown has three main parts: the round edge called abroncs, cross straps known as keresztpántok, and a cross on top that leans to the side.

Four special hanging pieces called pendilia dangle from chains on each side of the crown. The crown does not have a monde, a round piece often found on top of crowns.

Studies showed that the Holy Crown was carefully made as one planned design. The main part of the crown’s structure is the system of cross straps.

Corona graeca

The round edge of the crown, called corona graeca, is 5.2 cm wide and 20.5 cm around. It has pictures including Christ Pantokrator on the front, and images of angels Michael and Gabriel, along with saints George, Demetrius, Cosmas, and Damian. On the back, there is an image of Emperor Michael VII Doukas and a picture believed to be either Emperor Michael's brother or son, along with King Géza I of Hungary.

Byzantine Emperor Michael VII Doukas on the corona graeca of the Holy Crown of Hungary

Corona latina

The cross straps part, called corona latina, is made of four gold strips attached to a square center piece. It was designed to fit on top of the round edge and create a dome shape. This part has pictures of apostles and pearls, with twelve on the center piece and seventy-two in total.

Cross

Hungarian King Géza I on the corona graeca of the Holy Crown of Hungary

The cross on top of the crown was added later and was knocked crooked at one point. Some believe it may have held a piece of the True Cross.

The crown as a whole

The shape of the Holy Crown matches crowns from the Byzantine Empire, with its closed top and many pictures. When the cross straps were added, they were decorated to match the round edge.

Links to the first Hungarian king, Saint Stephen

The crown’s design includes parts that may have come from treasures linked to Hungary’s first king, Saint Stephen. The coronation mantle and sceptre also date back to his time.

The regalia in modern times

A plaque at Munkács Castle commemorating the guarding of the Crown there in 1805–1806

After the fall of the Hungarian People's Republic, the crown was added back into the national coat of arms in 1990. The National Assembly chose the old coat of arms instead of the crown-less Kossuth arms from 1849.

The Holy Crown has had an interesting history, being moved and hidden many times. During the Árpád dynasty (1000–1301), the crown was kept in the city of Székesfehérvár. Later, it was stored in Visegrád, Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia), or Buda. In 1805–1806, the Crown was kept for a short time in Palanok Castle at Munkács (now Mukachevo, Ukraine). After the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the crown was hidden in a forest near Orsova in Transylvania (now Orşova, Romania). It was later brought back to the royal castle in Buda in 1853.

At the end of the Second World War, the crown jewels were found in Mattsee, Austria, by the U.S. 86th Infantry Division. The jewels were moved to Western Europe and given to the United States Army for safekeeping. During the Cold War, the crown was kept at the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky. After research to make sure the crown was real, it was returned to the people of Hungary by order of U.S. President Jimmy Carter on January 6, 1978.

Most of what we know today about Hungarian royal garments comes from this recent research. After much discussion, the crown was returned to Hungary. On January 6, 1978, US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance returned the Crown to Hungary in Budapest.

Other coronation regalia

The Holy Crown of Hungary was part of a special set of items used for important ceremonies. Many of these items have survived through history. On January 1, 2000, the Holy Crown was moved to the Hungarian Parliament Building from the Hungarian National Museum. Other important pieces, like the sceptre, orb, and coronation sword, were also moved there.

One special item is a large mantle that is still kept safe at the National Museum because it is very delicate. This mantle is thought to have been made around the year 1030. It even has a picture of King Stephen I on it. The sceptre is very valuable and has a beautiful ball made of rock crystal with engraved lions. The orb has a special cross on it, different from the one on the crown. There is also a ceremonial sword from Italy and an old lance linked to King Stephen I.