The Pope's Crown - Triple Tiara

When Pope Pius IV agreed to go to Paris to anoint Napoleon as Emperor of the French in 1804, no Tiara of appropriate magnificence was available. Napoleon made good this omission by presenting to the Pope a new Tiara costing over 180,000 francs.

Besides being richly jewelled, it bore three inscriptions glorifying Napoleon, plus the great emerald which had originally decorated the Tiara of Julius II. This emerald had come into Napoleon's possession in 1797 and was placed at the top of the Tiara.

After the fall of Napoleon, Cardinal Consalvi, the Secretary of State for Pius IV, who had been incensed at Napoleon's lack of tact, particularly in the way the emerald had been returned, caused the inscriptions relating to the Emperor to be removed.

The Triple Tiara is still in the Papal Treasury but, with the exception of the emerald and eight small oriental rubies used in its setting, all of the precious stones have been replaced by imitations.