Sword of state

The Great Sword of State of the United Kingdom held by the 6th Marquess of Londonderry at the Coronation of King Edward VII, 1902

Swords of different Ottoman Sultans on display at the Topkapi Palace.

A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and his duty to preserve thus right and peace.

It is known to be used in following monarchies:

• Reichsschwert of the Holy Roman Empire
• Kingdom of Denmark, see Danish crown regalia
• Joyeuse, used for the sacre of the king of France. Reputed to be the sword of Charlemagne.
• Kingdom of Hungary^[1]
• Kingdom of Bohemia (Czech Republic) – Sword of Saint Wenceslas
• Kingdom of England, later Great Britain, yet later United Kingdom see Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
• Kingdom of the Netherlands, see Dutch Royal Regalia (made in 1840 for enthronements)
• Kingdom of Scotland, see Honours of Scotland
• Kingdom of Sweden, see Swedish Royal Regalia, where it is the oldest of the Vasa regalia
• Kingdom of Poland – Szczerbiec
• Kingdom of Mysore – Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, ending with the Krishnaraja Wodeyar II
• Kingdom of Thailand or Siam- the Sword of Victory, one of the five Regalia of Thailand.
• The former Kingdom of the Isle of Man (now a British Crown dependency), bearing the triskelion symbol, annually used on Tynwald Day
• The Kingdom of Georgia
• Shangfang Baojian of all Chinese dynasties
• The Eodo of Taejo of Joseon Dynasty, Korea^[2]
• The Sword of Osman, given to Sultans of the Ottoman Empire;
• Kusanagi, kept by the Emperor of Japan;^[3]
• In the former sultanate of the Maldives, being invested on the Monarch in a traditional gong ceremony
• Also in the Malay world, notably in
  • the sultanate of Perak, where it gave the name to a 'national' order of knighthood ^[4]
  • Sarawak (on Borneo)

By analogy, it can even be used in republics, as in the Senate of the state of South Carolina in the United States of America.

See also

• Sword of justice – similar part of regalia
• Ceremonial weapons – several types can be part of regalia
• Sword of the State – a title

References