The regalia
The sceptre
A part of the regalia
The orb
The orb is a part of the Danish regalia. It was used in coronation and anointing ceremonies until the end of absolutism, in 1848.
The orb symbolises the globe and the king's power.
A symbol of world domination
The orb consists of a hollow sphere made of wood and clad with a sheet of gold. Dark blue, diamond-studded bands divide the orb into three parts, and on the top is a diamond-studded cross. The Danish orb weighs 900 grams.
The word 'orb' comes from the Latin word 'orbis', meaning globe; at the time, this referred to the entire world. The use of the orb as a symbol of world domination dates back to the Roman emperors, who used it to symbolise that they held the world in the palm of their palm. The later Christian kings continued the tradition but added a cross on top to indicate that Christ is the true ruler of the world – that Christianity reigns supreme.
From early Christianity, the orb was divided into three parts, symbolising the prevailing understanding of the known world. At the time, the world was believed to consist of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa, separated by oceans. As early as during the second century BCE, scholars knew that the earth was round. Even though this insight was forgotten for a time, the orb survived as a symbol of the earth – the world.
Part of the Danish regalia
The Danish orb was created for the coronation of Frederik III in 1648. Before the introduction of absolutism, in 1661, Danish kings were both crowned and anointed. During these coronation ceremonies, the king sat on the narwhal throne holding the sceptre in one hand and the orb in the other before he was anointed by the Bishop and, finally, had the crown placed on his head by four members of the Council of the Realm.
The orb and the other regalia were last used in this way for the anointing of Christian VIII in Frederiksborg Castle Chapel in 1840.
Today, the regalia are only used at the death of a monarch, when the Orb and the other regalia are placed in front of the monarch's coffin during the castrum doloris ceremony.
In addition to the orb, the Danish regalia consist of the coronation sword, the sceptre and, of course, Christian V's crown. All the regalia are on display in the Treasury under Rosenborg Castle.
