Full coronation regalia of Queen Marie of Romania
Marie's crown was designed by painter Costin Petrescu and it was made in the Art Nouveau style by Falize, a Parisian jewelry house. The crown was inspired by that of Milica Despina, the wife of 16th-century Wallachian ruler Neagoe Basarab, and it was made entirely out of Transylvanian gold. The crown had two pendants on the sides; one contained an image of the royal arms of Romania and the other, the arms of the Duke of Edinburgh, which Marie had used as her own arms prior to her marriage.
The pendant on this side depicts the arms of her husband, Ferdinand I of Romania:
Statue celebrating Queen Marie's birth at Eastwell Park, Ashford, Kent. The statue depicts her in her coronation regalia.
Replica of Queen Marie's coronation crown, Maryhill Museum. This medallion features the arms of Marie's father, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh:
BTW, to anybody worrying about the swastika symbols on the crown: the crux gammata (AKA swastika) was an ancient symbol of the sun, fertility and life, which is how it was intended on this crown. The symbol was actually popular for quite a number of things in the early 20th century, before the Nazis appropriated it. More about the historical use of the swastika symbol aside from Nazism.
Bonus: Queen Marie in another kickass art nouveau crown!
