Coronet vs. Crown — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on March 10, 2024
A coronet is a small crown worn by lesser nobility, while a crown is a traditional symbolic headwear worn by monarchs as a symbol of sovereignty and power.
Difference Between Coronet and Crown
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A coronet, often less elaborate than a crown, signifies the rank of lesser nobility, such as dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons, within the hierarchy of a monarchy. It is characterized by its smaller size, less ornate design, and the specific arrangement of its ornaments, which indicate the wearer's rank. In contrast, a crown is a more elaborate and often larger headpiece that symbolizes the highest authority in a monarchy, typically worn by a king, queen, emperor, or empress.
While coronets are used to denote nobility and are part of formal regalia worn at significant state functions or ceremonies, crowns hold a deeper symbolic meaning, representing the continuity of monarchy, the legitimacy of authority, and the ruler's role as a unifying figure for the nation. Crowns are central to coronation ceremonies and other state occasions, embodying the history, tradition, and cultural identity of a monarchy.
The design elements of coronets and crowns vary significantly, with coronets having distinct features according to noble rank, such as the number and type of ornamentations like leaves, pearls, or crosses. Crowns, however, may feature iconic elements like crosses, fleurs-de-lis, and orbs, symbolizing religious, historical, and national significance.
Despite their differences, both coronets and crowns serve as important symbols within the context of a monarchy, representing a visual hierarchy of authority and the structured nature of noble and royal ranks. They are both integral to the ceremonial dress and regalia that define the visual spectacle of monarchy and its traditions.
In summary, while a coronet and a crown may serve similar symbolic functions within the framework of a monarchy, their distinctions in terms of design, symbolism, and the ranks they represent underscore the nuanced hierarchy and traditions that have evolved over centuries in monarchical systems.
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Comparison Chart
Symbolism
Signifies nobility below the monarch.
Represents sovereign authority and power.
Worn by
Lesser nobility (dukes, earls, etc.).
Monarchs (kings, queens, emperors, empresses).
Design
Less elaborate, with specific ornaments indicating rank.
More elaborate, often featuring precious stones and metals.
Occasions
Worn at formal ceremonies and state functions.
Central to coronation ceremonies and significant state events.
Symbolic Elements
Ornaments vary by rank (e.g., pearls, leaves).
May include universal symbols of monarchy (e.g., orb, scepter).
Compare with Definitions
Coronet
A symbol of lesser nobility.
The duke wore his coronet at the royal ceremony.
Crown
A symbol of sovereign power.
The monarch's crown is a key symbol of authority.
Coronet
Rank-specific design.
The coronet's pearls signified an earl's rank.
Crown
Central in coronations.
The crowning ceremony featured the historic crown.
Coronet
Part of formal attire.
Nobles don their coronets for state functions.
Crown
Elaborate and precious.
The crown was adorned with diamonds and gold.
Coronet
Indicates nobility hierarchy.
The coronet visually denotes the wearer's noble rank.
Crown
Represents the state.
The crown embodies the continuity of the monarchy.
Coronet
Lesser in elaboration.
Compared to the crown, the coronet is simpler.
Crown
Universally recognized.
Crowns are globally acknowledged symbols of royalty.
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. By one definition, a coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara does not.
Crown
A circular ornamental headdress worn by a monarch as a symbol of authority, usually made of or decorated with precious metals and jewels.
Coronet
A small crown worn by princes and princesses and by other nobles below the rank of sovereign.
Crown
The top or highest part of something
The crown of the hill
Coronet
A chaplet or headband decorated with gold or jewels.
Crown
The part of a tooth projecting from the gum
A thin layer of enamel covers the crown
Coronet
The upper margin of a horse's hoof.
Crown
A British coin with a face value of five shillings or 25 pence, now minted only for commemorative purposes.
Coronet
A small crown, such as is worn by a noble.
Crown
A paper size, 384 × 504 mm.
Coronet
The ring of tissue between a horse's hoof and its leg.
Crown
Ceremonially place a crown on the head of (someone) in order to invest them as a monarch
He went to Rome to be crowned
She was crowned queen in 1953
Coronet
The traditional lowest regular commissioned officer rank in the cavalry.
Crown
Rest on or form the top of
The distant knoll was crowned with trees
Coronet
Any of several hummingbirds in the genus Boissonneaua.
Crown
Be the triumphant culmination of (an effort or endeavour, especially a prolonged one)
Years of struggle were crowned by a state visit to Paris
Coronet
A species of moth, Craniophora ligustri.
Crown
Fit a crown to (a tooth)
Simple fillings no longer suffice and the tooth has to be crowned
Coronet
An ornamental or honorary headdress, having the shape and character of a crown; particularly, a crown worn as the mark of high rank lower than sovereignty. The word is used by Shakespeare to denote also a kingly crown.
Without a star, a coronet, or garter.
Crown
Hit on the head
She contained the urge to crown him
Coronet
The upper part of a horse's hoof, where the horn terminates in skin.
Crown
(of a baby's head during labour) fully appear in the vaginal opening prior to emerging
I was able to see our baby's head crowning
Coronet
The iron head of a tilting spear; a coronel.
Crown
An ornamental circlet or head covering, often made of precious metal set with jewels and worn as a symbol of sovereignty.
Coronet
A small crown; usually indicates a high rank but below that of sovereign
Crown
The power, position, or empire of a monarch or of a state governed by constitutional monarchy.
Coronet
Margin between the skin of the pastern and the horn of the hoof
Crown
The monarch as head of state.
Crown
A distinction or reward for achievement, especially a title signifying championship in a sport.
Crown
Something resembling a diadem in shape.
Crown
A coin stamped with a crown or crowned head on one side.
Crown
Abbr. cr. A silver coin formerly used in Great Britain and worth five shillings.
Crown
Any one of several coins, such as the koruna, the krona, or the krone, having a name that means “crown.”
Crown
The top or highest part of the head.
Crown
The head itself.
Crown
The top or upper part of a hat.
Crown
The highest point or summit.
Crown
The highest, primary, or most valuable part, attribute, or state
Considered the rare Turkish stamp the crown of their collection.
Crown
The part of a tooth that is covered by enamel and projects beyond the gum line.
Crown
An artificial substitute for the natural crown of a tooth.
Crown
(Nautical) The lowest part of an anchor, where the arms are joined to the shank.
Crown
(Architecture) The highest portion of an arch, including the keystone.
Crown
The upper, spreading part of a tree or shrub.
Crown
The part of a plant, usually at ground level, where the stem and roots merge.
Crown
The persistent, mostly underground base of a perennial herb.
Crown
See corona.
Crown
The crest of an animal, especially of a bird.
Crown
The portion of a cut gem above the girdle.
Crown
To put a crown or garland on the head of.
Crown
To invest with regal power; enthrone.
Crown
To confer honor, dignity, or reward upon.
Crown
To surmount or be the highest part of.
Crown
To form the crown, top, or chief ornament of.
Crown
To bring to completion or successful conclusion; consummate
Crowned the event with a lavish reception.
Crown
(Dentistry) To put a crown on (a tooth).
Crown
(Games) To make (a piece in checkers that has reached the last row) into a king by placing another piece upon it.
Crown
(Informal) To hit on the head.
Crown
To reach a stage in labor when a large segment of the fetal scalp is visible at the vaginal orifice. Used of a fetus.
Crown
A royal, imperial or princely headdress; a diadem.
Crown
A wreath or band for the head, especially one given as reward of victory or a mark of honor.
Crown
(by extension) Any reward of victory or mark of honor.
The martyr’s crown
Crown
Imperial or regal power, or those who wield it.
Crown
(metonym) The sovereign (in a monarchy), as head of state.
Crown
The state, the government (headed by a monarch).
Treasure recovered from shipwrecks automatically becomes property of the Crown.
Crown
The top part of something:
Crown
The topmost part of the head.
Crown
The highest part of a hill.
Crown
The top section of a hat, above the brim.
Crown
The raised centre of a road.
Crown
The highest part of an arch.
Crown
The upper range of facets in a rose diamond.
Crown
The dome of a furnace.
Crown
The upper part of certain fruits, as the pineapple or strawberry, that is removed before eating.
Crown
(architecture) A kind of spire or lantern formed by converging flying buttresses.
Crown
Splendor; culmination; acme.
Crown
Any currency (originally) issued by the crown (regal power) and often bearing a crown (headdress); (translation) various currencies known by similar names in their native languages, such as the koruna, kruna, krone, korona.
Crown
(historical) A former pre-decimalization British coin worth five shillings.
Crown
(botany) The part of a plant where the root and stem meet.
Crown
(forestry) The top of a tree.
Crown
The part of a tooth above the gums.
Crown
(dentistry) A prosthetic covering for a tooth.
Crown
(nautical) A knot formed in the end of a rope by tucking in the strands to prevent them from unravelling
Crown
(nautical) The part of an anchor where the arms and the shank meet
Crown
(nautical) The rounding, or rounded part, of the deck from a level line.
Crown
(paper) In England, a standard size of printing paper measuring 20 × 15 inches.
Crown
(paper) In American, a standard size of writing paper measuring 19 × 15 inches.
Crown
(chemistry) A monocyclic ligand having three or more binding sites, capable of holding a guest in a central location
Crown
(medical) During childbirth, the appearance of the baby's head from the mother's vagina
Crown
(firearms) A rounding or smoothing of the barrel opening
Crown
(geometry) The area enclosed between two concentric perimeters.
Crown
(religion) A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure.
Crown
A whole bird with the legs and wings removed to produce a joint of white meat.
Crown
A formal hat worn by women to Sunday church services; a church crown.
Crown
The knurled knob or dial, on the outside of a watch case, used to wind it or adjust the hands.
Crown
Of, related to, or pertaining to a crown.
Crown prince
Crown
Of, related to, pertaining to the top of a tree or trees.
A crown fire
Crown
To place a crown on the head of.
Crown
To formally declare (someone) a king, queen, emperor, etc.
Crown
To bestow something upon as a mark of honour, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify.
Crown
To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect.
Crown
To declare (someone) a winner.
Crown
(medicine) Of a baby, during the birthing process; for the surface of the baby's head to appear in the vaginal opening.
The mother was in the second stage of labor and the fetus had just crowned, prompting a round of encouragement from the midwives.
Crown
(transitive) To cause to round upward; to make anything higher at the middle than at the edges, such as the face of a machine pulley.
Crown
To hit on the head.
Crown
(video games) To shoot an opponent in the back of the head with a shotgun in a first-person shooter video game.
Crown
(board games) In checkers, to stack two checkers to indicate that the piece has become a king.
“Crown me!” I said, as I moved my checker to the back row.
Crown
(firearms) To widen the opening of the barrel.
Crown
(military) To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach.
Crown
(nautical) To lay the ends of the strands of (a knot) over and under each other.
Crown
(slang) being about to take a poop (usually trying to hold it in, derived from obstetric use: metaphor of "giving birth" to solid poo)
Crown
(archaic) crow
Crown
A royal headdress or cap of sovereignty, worn by emperors, kings, princes, etc.
Crown
The person entitled to wear a regal or imperial crown; the sovereign; - with the definite article.
Parliament may be dissolved by the demise of the crown.
Large arrears of pay were due to the civil and military servants of the crown.
Crown
Imperial or regal power or dominion; sovereignty.
There is a power behind the crown greater than the crown itself.
Crown
Anything which imparts beauty, splendor, honor, dignity, or finish.
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.
Crown
Highest state; acme; consummation; perfection.
Mutual love, the crown of all our bliss.
Crown
The topmost part of anything; the summit.
The steepy crown of the bare mountains.
Crown
The topmost part of the head (see Illust. of Bird.); that part of the head from which the hair descends toward the sides and back; also, the head or brain.
From toe to crown he'll fill our skin with pinches.
Twenty things which I set down:This done, I twenty more-had in my crown.
Crown
The part of a hat above the brim.
Crown
The part of a tooth which projects above the gum; also, the top or grinding surface of a tooth.
Crown
The vertex or top of an arch; - applied generally to about one third of the curve, but in a pointed arch to the apex only.
Crown
Same as Corona.
Crown
That part of an anchor where the arms are joined to the shank.
Crown
The upper range of facets in a rose diamond.
Crown
The dome of a furnace.
Crown
The area inclosed between two concentric perimeters.
Crown
A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure.
Crown
A size of writing paper. See under Paper.
Crown
A coin stamped with the image of a crown; hence,a denomination of money; as, the English crown, a silver coin of the value of five shillings sterling, or a little more than $1.20; the Danish or Norwegian crown, a money of account, etc., worth nearly twenty-seven cents.
Crown
An ornaments or decoration representing a crown; as, the paper is stamped with a crown.
Crown
To cover, decorate, or invest with a crown; hence, to invest with royal dignity and power.
Her who fairest does appear,Crown her queen of all the year.
Crown him, and say, "Long live our emperor."
Crown
To bestow something upon as a mark of honor, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify.
Thou . . . hast crowned him with glory and honor.
Crown
To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect.
Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill.
One day shall crown the alliance.
To crown the whole, came a proposition.
Crown
To cause to round upward; to make anything higher at the middle than at the edges, as the face of a machine pulley.
Crown
To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach.
Crown
The Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy;
The colonies revolted against the Crown
Crown
The enamel covered part of a tooth above the gum
Crown
A wreath or garland worn on the head to signify victory
Crown
An ornamental jewelled headdress signifying sovereignty
Crown
The part of a hat (the vertex) covering the crown of the head
Crown
An English coin worth 5 shillings
Crown
The upper branches and leaves of a tree
Crown
The top point of a mountain or hill;
The view from the peak was magnificent
They clambered to the summit of Monadnock
Crown
The award given to the champion
Crown
The top of the head
Crown
The center of a cambered road
Crown
Invest with regal power; enthrone;
The prince was crowned in Westminster Abbey
Crown
Be the culminating event;
The speech crowned the meeting
Crown
Form the topmost part of;
A weather vane crowns the building
Crown
Put an enamel cover on;
Crown my teeth
Common Curiosities
How is a coronet different from a tiara?
A coronet signifies noble rank, while a tiara is more of a decorative headpiece without specific rank symbolism, often worn by women.
Do coronets have a religious significance?
Coronets are more secular, symbolizing noble rank, whereas some crowns may have religious symbolism, reflecting the monarch's divine right to rule or protector role in the state religion.
How often are crowns and coronets worn?
Both are typically worn only at significant ceremonial occasions, with crowns being reserved for particularly solemn or important state events.
Are coronets used in all monarchies?
The use of coronets varies, being more common in some European monarchies and less so in others.
Can a coronet be worn by a monarch?
Typically, a coronet is reserved for the lesser nobility, not a reigning monarch.
Can anyone commission a coronet?
Generally, the right to wear a coronet is a privilege of nobility, and its design must conform to heraldic standards reflecting the wearer's rank.
What materials are crowns and coronets made of?
Both can be made from precious metals like gold or silver, but crowns are often more elaborate, featuring jewels and intricate designs.
What's the significance of the crown at state functions?
The crown symbolizes the government's continuity and legitimacy, often displayed at significant state functions even when not worn.
Can crowns be inherited?
Yes, crowns, especially those with historical significance, are often passed down through generations as part of the regalia.
Are there rules for designing a coronet?
Yes, the design of a coronet is often regulated by heraldic laws or traditions, indicating the wearer's precise rank.
What happens to a monarch's crown when they pass away?
A monarch's crown typically becomes part of the national regalia, preserved as a historical artifact or used by successors in coronation ceremonies.
Are replicas of famous crowns and coronets made?
Replicas are often created for public display or educational purposes, allowing people to appreciate their artistry without risking the originals.
Is there a female equivalent to a coronet?
Women of noble rank may also wear coronets, with the design often similar to their male counterparts', signifying the same rank.
How is the crown protected?
Crowns, especially those of historical and cultural significance, are heavily guarded and often displayed in secure locations like national treasuries or museums.
How are new designs of crowns and coronets approved?
New designs usually require approval from heraldic authorities or the monarchy itself, ensuring they adhere to traditional standards and symbols.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
