The coronation ceremony of Rudolf of Habsburg in 1273 at Aachen cathedral is one of the most memorial coronations in history. When the time came to place the scepter in his hand, no one could find it anywhere!

One can imagine the frustration and confusion that ensued. But Rudolf himself was not disturbed. He simply reached for a nearby cross, and held that in the place of a scepter.

The ceremony continued, but it left an impression that stood the test of time. In the centuries to follow, the monarchs of the Habsburg dynasty would henceforth wear a cross at the summit of their crown.