Spectacular royal crowns fit for heads of state
Russia
The Imperial Crown of Russia was used by the country's monarchs from 1762 until the Russian monarchy's abolition in 1917.
Hungary
Also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, the Holy Crown of Hungary was the coronation crown used by the Kingdom of Hungary for most of its existence; kings have been crowned with it since the 12th century. It's on display at the Domed Hall of the Hungarian Parliament Building.
United Kingdom
One of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, the Imperial State Crown has existed in various forms since the 15th century. The current version (pictured) was made in 1937, and is worn by the monarch after a coronation.
Germany
The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire was the coronation crown of the Holy Roman Emperor, probably from the late 10th century until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
Czech Republic
Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, had the Crown of Saint Wenceslas made for his coronation. The crown forms part of the Bohemian Crown Jewels, made in 1346.
Denmark
The 16th-century crown of King Christian IV of Denmark is currently on display in Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen.
Italy
The Iron Crown of Lombardy is a reliquary and might be one of the oldest royal insignia of Christendom. It dates back to the Middle Ages and today is kept in the Cathedral of Monza, near Milan.
Vatican City
The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963. Pictured is an example made in the 19th century.
Modern-day Turkey
These Byzantine enamel plaques are probably parts of a crown representing the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (1042–1056), the Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita, and her sister, Theodora.
Spain
This is the Spanish Royal Crown (pictured with scepter) used in the proclamation of the Kings of Spain. It dates back to the 18th century.
Afghanistan
A golden crown unearthed at Tillya Tepe, an archaeological site in the northern Afghanistan province of Jowzjan. Part of a hoard often known as the Bactrian gold, the crown, like the rest of the artifacts, has been dated back to around the 1st century BCE-1st century CE.
India
The Imperial Crown of India, worn in 1911 by King George V at his Delhi Durbar, an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by the British at Coronation Park in Delhi to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India.
South Korea
A gold crown from Chonma-chong ("Heavenly Horse") tomb in Kyongju, South Korea. It dates back to the Silla Kingdom, during the Three Kingdoms period, from around 5th–6th centuries.
