Locket
after 1649 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
After the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 by the Commonwealth government, commemorative jewellery was immediately produced. Locks of the King's hair, painted miniatures and royalist symbols were set into rings, lockets and pendants and worn as a sign of allegiance to the Royalist cause. As wearing such jewellery could be dangerous during the Civil War, many of these objects may have been hidden until the Restoration or produced after the accession of Charles II. Royalists considered Charles's death to be a martyrdom and images of him often show his eyes gazing upwards towards Heaven. Before his execution, Charles cast the loss of his crown as the change from an earthly kingdom to a celestial - saying "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no disturbance can be."
This silver heart shaped locket is inscribed with phrases indicating faithful devotion to the King. 'Live and Dy in Loyalty' and 'I Morne for Monarchie' indicate the unflagging allegiance of the jewel's royalist owner. The front of the locket is inscribed 'Prepared Be to Follow Me/ CR', an invitation to the wearer to be ready to give up their life for the late King's cause.
Although some jewels supporting the King were worn during the Commonwealth period, many were produced after the Restoration of 1660. Charles II was vigilant to ensure that his father’s memory was preserved. He was celebrated as King Charles the Martyr and the day of his death was maintained as a national day of ‘fasting and humiliation’. Rings set with the King’s portrait were therefore worn as a sign of allegiance to the new regime and a repudiation of Commonwealth sympathies. After the exile of James II in 1688, political supporters continued to wear these rings to show their support for the restoration of Catholic Stuart rule. Interest in Charles I continued in the 19th century. In 1813, when the coffin of Charles I was discovered in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Prince Regent, later George IV, had it opened and removed a number of mementoes, including locks of hair which were made into jewellery.
This silver heart shaped locket is inscribed with phrases indicating faithful devotion to the King. 'Live and Dy in Loyalty' and 'I Morne for Monarchie' indicate the unflagging allegiance of the jewel's royalist owner. The front of the locket is inscribed 'Prepared Be to Follow Me/ CR', an invitation to the wearer to be ready to give up their life for the late King's cause.
Although some jewels supporting the King were worn during the Commonwealth period, many were produced after the Restoration of 1660. Charles II was vigilant to ensure that his father’s memory was preserved. He was celebrated as King Charles the Martyr and the day of his death was maintained as a national day of ‘fasting and humiliation’. Rings set with the King’s portrait were therefore worn as a sign of allegiance to the new regime and a repudiation of Commonwealth sympathies. After the exile of James II in 1688, political supporters continued to wear these rings to show their support for the restoration of Catholic Stuart rule. Interest in Charles I continued in the 19th century. In 1813, when the coffin of Charles I was discovered in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Prince Regent, later George IV, had it opened and removed a number of mementoes, including locks of hair which were made into jewellery.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, inscribed |
| Brief description | Silver, heart-shaped locket, the obverse inscribed 'Prepared Be To Follow Me/CR', and on the reverse 'Live and Dy in Loyalty'. On the inside 'I Morne for Monarchie' with a medallion of King Charles I, England, after 1649 |
| Physical description | Silver, heart-shaped locket, the obverse inscribed 'Prepared be to Follow me/CR', and on the reverse 'I live and dy in loyaltye'. On the inside 'I morne for monerchie' with a medallion of King Charles I |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons Bequest |
| Object history | Lt-Col George Babington Croft Lyons George Babington Croft Lyons was an antiquary and collector who loaned, and later bequeathed, 978 objects (ceramics, sculpture, metalwork (particularly silver and pewter), textiles and woodwork) and 391 photographic negatives to the Museum. George Babington Croft Lyons was born on 15 September 1855. Nothing is known of his early life. On 23 May 1874 he was promoted to Lieutenant with the Essex Rifles. He was admitted Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, on 7 January 1904 and served on its Executive Council from 1908 to 1926; he was a Vice-President from 1917 to 1921. Croft Lyons was also actively involved with the Burlington Fine Arts Club, publishing a number of articles in the Burlington Magazine. Like his friend, George Salting, when Croft Lyons’s collection outgrew his house in Neville Street, Kensington, he loaned works for exhibition at the South Kensington Museum; these included ceramics, sculpture, metalwork (particularly silver and pewter), textiles and woodwork. Croft Lyons died in London on 22 June 1926, aged 71. He bequeathed to the Museum all the objects currently exhibited on loan (these amounted to 978 objects and 391 photographic negatives) together with ‘ten other objects to be selected from the works of art remaining in his house so far as these are not already disposed of by specific bequests’. The British Museum, National Gallery and Birmingham Art Gallery were also beneficiaries of Croft Lyons’ bequest. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | After the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 by the Commonwealth government, commemorative jewellery was immediately produced. Locks of the King's hair, painted miniatures and royalist symbols were set into rings, lockets and pendants and worn as a sign of allegiance to the Royalist cause. As wearing such jewellery could be dangerous during the Civil War, many of these objects may have been hidden until the Restoration or produced after the accession of Charles II. Royalists considered Charles's death to be a martyrdom and images of him often show his eyes gazing upwards towards Heaven. Before his execution, Charles cast the loss of his crown as the change from an earthly kingdom to a celestial - saying "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no disturbance can be." This silver heart shaped locket is inscribed with phrases indicating faithful devotion to the King. 'Live and Dy in Loyalty' and 'I Morne for Monarchie' indicate the unflagging allegiance of the jewel's royalist owner. The front of the locket is inscribed 'Prepared Be to Follow Me/ CR', an invitation to the wearer to be ready to give up their life for the late King's cause. Although some jewels supporting the King were worn during the Commonwealth period, many were produced after the Restoration of 1660. Charles II was vigilant to ensure that his father’s memory was preserved. He was celebrated as King Charles the Martyr and the day of his death was maintained as a national day of ‘fasting and humiliation’. Rings set with the King’s portrait were therefore worn as a sign of allegiance to the new regime and a repudiation of Commonwealth sympathies. After the exile of James II in 1688, political supporters continued to wear these rings to show their support for the restoration of Catholic Stuart rule. Interest in Charles I continued in the 19th century. In 1813, when the coffin of Charles I was discovered in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Prince Regent, later George IV, had it opened and removed a number of mementoes, including locks of hair which were made into jewellery. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.811-1926 |
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| Record created | September 9, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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