Virtual Ministry Archive

Crown of Princess Blanche, the oldest surviving English royal crown, late 14th c. The Crown of Princess Blanche was made in the late 14th c., most likely for Anne of Bohemia, queen consort of King Richard II of England. It was most likely produced in Paris or Prague. The crown’s name comes from Princess Blanche, daughter of Henry IV, who, in 1402, married Louis III, Elector Palatine, a member of the house of Wittelsbach, which ruled Bavaria. Through this connection, the crown entered the treasury of the Wittelsbach dynasty. As a result of the destruction of the English Crown Jewels in the English Civil War, this is the only remaining crown used by a member of the English royalty in the Middle Ages. Today, it is on display in the Schatzkammer of the Munich Residenz.