Sceptre With The Dove

The Sceptre with the Dove, also known as the Rod with the Dove or the Rod of Equity and Mercy, is a sceptre of the British Crown Jewels. It was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661. Its design included a gold rod with bands of gemstones, surmounted by a sphere and an enamelled dove, representing the Holy Ghost.

The Sceptre with the Dove symbolises the spiritual authority of the Monarch under the Cross. The Sceptre with the Cross, another sceptre in the Crown Jewels, represents temporal or lay authority. During the coronation, the Monarch holds the Sceptre with the Dove in the left hand and the Sceptre with the Cross in the right while the Archbishop of Canterbury places St Edward's Crown on his or her head.

The Sceptre with the Dove, and the other Crown Jewels, may be found on display at Jewel House in the Tower of London.

Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
Crowns 1
  • St Edward's Crown
  • Imperial State Crown
  • George IV State Diadem
  • Crown of Scotland
  • Crown of Mary of Modena
  • State Crown of George I
  • Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales
  • Coronation Crown of George IV
  • Crown of Queen Adelaide
  • Small diamond crown of Queen Victoria
  • Crown of Queen Alexandra
  • Coronet of George, Prince of Wales
  • Crown of Queen Mary
  • Crown of Queen Elizabeth
  • Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales
Sceptres
  • Sceptre with the Cross
  • Sceptre with the Dove
  • Sceptre of Scotland
Swords
  • Jewelled Sword of Offering
  • Sword of Mercy
  • Sword of State of Scotland
Precious stones
  • Cullinan Diamonds
  • Koh-i-Noor
  • Black Prince's Ruby
  • St Edward's Sapphire
  • Stewart Sapphire
Jewels by country
  • Crown Jewels of Ireland
  • Honours of Scotland
  • Honours of the Principality of Wales
  • Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
Other
  • Sovereign's Orb
  • Stone of Scone
See also
  • The Queen's Jewels
  • Imperial Crown of India

Famous quotes containing the words sceptre and/or dove:

    A successful artist of any kind has to work so hard that she is justified in refusing to lay down her sceptre until she is placed on the bier.
    Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976)

    We tend to be so bombarded with information, and we move so quickly, that there’s a tendency to treat everything on the surface level and process things quickly. This is antithetical to the kind of openness and perception you have to have to be receptive to poetry. ... poetry seems to exist in a parallel universe outside daily life in America.
    —Rita Dove (b. 1952)