The crown

At the order of Frederick William III, the regalia were melted down and turned into coins. Many treasures from the Crown Treasury also ended up in the possession of the Russian tsars, with valuable items later appearing in St. Petersburg and various private Russian collections.

Among the five royal crowns seized by the Prussians was the Crown of Queen Jadwiga, wife of Władysław I Łokietek — also known as the Crown of Polish Queens.

It consisted of seven segments topped with heraldic fleurs-de-lis, separated by smaller pinnacles, and was adorned with precious stones—sapphires, rubies, and pearls.

Regrettably, it remains unknown whether this particular crown adorned the head of Barbara Radziwiłł at her coronation in 1550.

Numerous 19th-century depictions of Barbara Radziwiłł, inspired by her Nieśwież portrait framed with a laurel wreath from the first half of the 18th century, simplify her headwear by fusing the pearl-embroidered coif and the wimple with the royal crown.

According to Renaissance fashion, however, these elements were distinct and worn separately. The wimple—a linen veil—covered the neck, sides of the face, chin, and ears. It was tied at the crown of the head or fastened at the nape. Over it, a coif and then the crown would be placed.

This fictional combination of headwear elements, conceived in the 19th century, was later adopted in Polish cinematic portrayals of Barbara Radziwiłł. She was played by Jadwiga Smosarska in 1938 and Anna Dymna in 1983.

 

 

 

The Crown of Barbara Radziwiłł from the film Epitaph for Barbara Radziwiłł, 1983, directed by Janusz Majewski

Costume design: Barbara Ptak

Starring: Anna Dymna as Barbara Radziwiłł

Prop from the Łódź Film Center