Crown, orb, sceptre and other ornaments used at the coronation of English monarchs. In October 1216, King John lost his baggage train in crossing the Wash; amidst much royal treasure, the ancient regalia were lost, including the crown of Edward the Confessor. At Henry III's coronation at Gloucester Abbey, in lieu of a real crown, i.e. the one lost by John, the papal legate is said to have placed a chaplet or coronal of flowers on the child-king's head. An early representation of the regalia in use can be found in the *Bayeux Tapestry showing King Harold's coronation at Westminster in 1066. After Charles I's execution (1649) all royal regalia were melted down or sold off. [< Lat. regalis = royal] -
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.