, wearing the original crown jewels The crown is named and dedicated after the
Duke St. Wenceslaus of the
Přemyslids dynasty of
Bohemia. The jewels should be permanently stored in the chapel of St. Wenceslaus in St. Vitus. They were only lent to Kings, and only on the day of the coronation, and should be returned in the evening that day. After 1918 and the establishment of the
Czechoslovak Republic the Coronation Jewels ceased to serve their original function, but remained important as symbols of national independence and statehood. In the past, the Jewels were kept in different places, but have been always brought to royal coronations in
Prague.
Wenceslaus IV (1378–1419) probably moved them to
Karlštejn Castle. They were then repeatedly moved for safety reasons: in the 17th century, they were returned to
Prague Castle, during the
Thirty Years' War (1631) they were sent to a parish church in
České Budějovice, and then they were secretly taken to the
Imperial Treasury, Vienna (1637). While the Jewels were stored in
Vienna, the original gold orb and sceptre from the 14th century were replaced with current ones. The new orb and sceptre probably originated with an order by
Ferdinand I in 1533. Possible reasons for this replacement might be that the originals were simply too austere and lacked any precious stones. Deemed unrepresentative of the prestige of the Kingdom of Bohemia, it made sense to replace them with an orb and sceptre in an ornate, jeweled style that resembled the crown. The Jewels were brought back to Prague on the occasion of the coronation of Bohemian king
Leopold II in 1791. At that time, the current tradition of seven keys was established, though the holders of the keys in the course of time were changed according to political and administrative structures. The jewels were kept in Vienna due to the threat from the
Prussian Army, but were later returned to Prague, arriving in the city on 28 August 1867. According to the ancient tradition and regulations laid down by Charles IV in the 14th century, the Jewels are exhibited only to mark special occasions. Exhibitions can take place only at the Prague Castle. In the 20th century there were nine such moments in history. The
President of the Republic has the exclusive right to decide on the display of the crown jewels. An ancient Czech legend says that any usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year. This legend is supported by a rumor that
Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi governor of the puppet state
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia secretly wore them, and
was assassinated less than a year later by the
Czech resistance. == Gallery ==