Card of the Day: The Legend of the Coronation Ring

The fortieth card in the 1935 Silver Jubilee Series by the Churchman Cigarette Company depicts the "Legend of the Coronation Ring" which is also known as the "Legend of St. Edward’s Ring" or the "Legend of the Confessor’s Ring."


The story of Saint Edward's ring was first printed in England by William Caxton, in the "Golden Legende.” As the legend goes, King Edward the Confessor was approached by a beggar, "a fayre old man." Since Edward was unattended and had neither money nor purse, the saintly King removed a ring from his own finger and gave it to the beggar.

Later, two English pilgrims, lost in the Holy Land, met "a fayre ancient man, wyth whyte heer for age,” who asked them who they were and where they were from. When he heard that they were lost English pilgrims, the old man offered assistance and led them to a majestic city where he offered them food and lodging.

The next morning, the old man traveled with the two pilgrims and led them to the right road. As they journeyed he took delight in the pilgrims’ talk of their saintly King, Edward. After awhile, the old man bid them farewell and said, " I am Johan, the Evangelist, and saye ye unto Edward, your kynge, that I greet him well." With that, he removed from his finger a gold ring which they were to give to their monarch on their return to their own country. The old man then vanished.

When the pilgrims returned to England, they took the ring to Edward, who at once recognized it as the one he had given to the venerable, old beggar.

Okely dokely.

This ring is thought to have been buried with Edward in his shrine in Westminster Abbey. Whether or not that’s true or if the ring survives is a matter of debate. Still, the legend of St. Edward's ring is commemorated in three places in the Abbey: over a gate leading into Dean's Yard, in the glass of one of the eastern windows, and on the screen which divides the Confessor's shrine from the Choir.

At some point, a new ring was fashioned which was used for the Coronation of Charles II. " The Wedding-Ring of England, pledge of the Marriage that is made between the King and his people," is placed on the third finger of the Sovereign's right hand during the Coronation.  A different ring with a violet-colored ruby was used for King James II.

A ring has been used in all English coronations since the Tenth Century. The Sovereign’s ring is meant as a symbol is faith which represents the new monarch’s marriage to the nation. During the coronation ceremony, the ring is blessed with two prayers by the Archbishop before being given to the sovereign who is meant to wear it on the right hand. Legend states that the tighter the ring fits, the longer and more successful the monarch’s reign will be. That was a good omen for Queen Victoria who, as we’ve discussed, had the ring jammed on the wrong finger during her coronation. It seems to have worked since her reign was—for now—the longest of any monarch.

Today, the Sovereign’s Ring used at the coronations was made for King William IV in 1831. This is the ring that has been used at the coronation of every succeeding monarch, with the exception of Queen Victoria whose tiny fingers couldn’t handle her uncle’s large ring. The current ring weighs 84.45 carats and is set with a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Five rubies are set on the sapphire in the form of a cross. The design represents the red cross of St. George and the blue flag of St. Andrew.

Queen Victoria’s ring was a smaller version of William IV’s coronation ring. Hers weighed 42.74 carats and was of a similar design--set with a large sapphire surrounded by 20 diamonds. Five rubies form a cross on top of the sapphire and 31 diamonds decorate the shank of the ring.