Crown of William II
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The Crown of William II, also known as the Hohenzollern Crown, is the 1888 crown made for William II, German Emperor in his role as King of Prussia. Though it was sometimes treated as a German State Crown [citation needed], it never actually served as such. The right Crown of the German Empire never existed in reality and therefore could only be used for heraldry and similar purposes.
[edit] Design
The crown itself contains a large sapphire, supporting a diamond-studded cross, plus 142 rose-cut diamonds, 18 brilliant diamonds and 8 large pearls. It contained of eight half-arches.
[edit] After the establishment of the Republic
When William abdicated in 1918 he was permitted to retain the family jewels, which included the Hohenzollern crown. To protect it from theft and destruction, during the Second World War it was hidden in a wall in the crypt of a church. After the war it was returned to the Hohenzollern family.
It is now kept at the family residence of the Hohenzollern Castle.
