Royal Focus: Royal Family Order

Since the reign of King George IV, most sovereigns have created a form of royal family order for members of the royal family, usually female, to wear on formal occasions. Two monarchs who did not create orders (as we know them today) are William IV and Edward VIII. Edward abdicated before he could do so and William IV's order consisted of two square crowned buckles with the ciphers of him and his consort, Queen Adelaide.

William IV & Queen Adelaide Family Order
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

The order as we know it today features a portrait of the sovereign surrounded by diamonds and suspended from a silk bow which changes color upon each new reign. Some versions vary in size depending on the recipient. For instance, King Edward VII gave his wife Queen Alexandra a larger and more elaborate version of his order. Lesser versions of these orders exist for Mistresses of Robes and Ladies-in-waiting.

Orders are normally worn with evening dress, and if more than one order is worn, they are layered with the more recent order is at the top. They are usually pinned to the left shoulder but there have been some exceptions to this. In C.R. Leslie's painting, The Christening of Victoria, The Princess Royal, Queen Adelaide, the Duchess of Kent and the Duchess of Gloucester can be seen wearing the George IV order on their right shoulder.  In the past, family orders have been worn by royal brides (Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent), funerals, coronations, day-time events and State Openings of Parliament. Since King George IV's time, the appearance of the order has changed and evolved:

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

King George IV regarded his order as a personal memento rather than a state decoration. His order is made of gold and silver and features diamond frame of oak leaves and acorns. The King is depicted in his Field Marshal's uniform, Golden Fleece, stars of Garter, Holy Spirit, Black Eagle and St Andrew on a dark background with a white, fringed bow.

Sovereign's badge of the Order of Victoria & Albert
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

Unlike King George IV, Queen Victoria did not create an royal family order. Instead, she created her own Victoria and Albert order. The order began as a family token given to her elder daughters at their confirmations. However, after Prince Albert's death, as a way to honor his memory, Victoria established the order on February 10, 1862, her twenty-second wedding anniversary.

Unlike other sovereign family orders, both the Queen and Prince Albert appear on the cameo badge. The badge is made of white on brown onyx, silver gilt, enamel, diamonds, rubies and emeralds on a white silk ribbon. The Queen's own badge features Prince Albert's head above her own. For recipients, the Queen's head is in front of Prince Albert's.

The order was divided into four classes and was granted to the Queen's daughters, daughters-in-law, grand-daughters who were British princesses and other European Queens. Classes were in a descending order for members of the Royal Family and Royal Household and the design varied depending on the Class. The second class featured a shell cameo instead of stone and set with pearls rather than diamonds. The First Class order was given to her daughter in law, Princess Alexandra (future Queen Alexandra), the day before her 1863 wedding and she wore it on her wedding dress the following day. Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) also wore the Victoria and Albert badge, along with the Order of the Crown of India, on her wedding day in 1893.

 Although there was no official register, a list of known recipients by class is here. The last holder of this order, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, died in 1981.

King Edward VII Family Order
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

King Edward VII's family order was maintained as an informal family gift rather than an official order. It depicts the King wearing a Field Marshal's uniform with Garter sash and Bath badge on a brown background. The badge is suspended on a blue, yellow and red striped ribbon - the King's racing colors. His portrait is painted on enamel and this is the form it the badge has taken ever since. Queen Alexandra, his daughter's, daughter-in-law and his sisters were amongst the recipients.

Order of Queen Alexandra
Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

His wife, Queen Alexandra had her own unofficial order given to family members and those in her service. The design of the badge is inspired by a miniature portrait of King Christian IX and Queen Louise given out to mark their Silver Wedding anniversary. Like Alexandra's, it is set in an oval frame of pearls and diamond crosses set with diamond chips and suspended from a red and white bow. Alexandra's own version (above) has Edward VII in Field Marshal's uniform with Garter sash and ribbons in front of Queen Alexandra who wears a white dress, pearl choker and crown. Alexandra's Danish heritage is also reflected in the red and white ribbon; the colors of the Danish flag.

View image | gettyimages.com

In the image above, the Queen wears the orders of her father, King George VI and her grandfather, King George V. The King George V order was established in 1911 and came in four sizes, the largest for Queen Mary and smaller badges for his sisters, aunts, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. The King is wearing the uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet and he wears the Star and Riband of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Chain. His miniature is surrounded by brilliant cut diamonds and surmounted by a diamond imperial crown, which has a crimson enameled cap of maintenance. The pale blue silk ribbon is the same color as King George IV's. The Queen is the only surviving recipient of King George V's family order.

The King George VI family order was established in 1937. Like his father, the King wears the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, the Star and Riband of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Chain. King George VI's riband color is pale pink. The Queen and Princess Alexandra (received in 1951) are the only surviving recipients of this order.

View image | gettyimages.com

Queen Elizabeth II's family order was established in 1952 and given to several royal ladies on Christmas day of that year. Her miniature portrait is based on a photograph by Dorothy Wilding and bordered by baguette and brilliant cut diamonds and surmounted by a Tudor Crown in diamonds on a red enamel cushion. Her riband bow is chartreuse yellow. The Queen is wearing the King George IV State Diadem and the Star and Riband of the Garter. The jewels she is wearing are the Nizam of Hyderabad diamond necklace and her diamond and pearl drop earrings; a wedding gift from the Sheikh of Bahrain. The Queen never wears her own order. The queen has lesser versions of her order, given to her Mistress of the Robes and Ladies-in-waiting.

Given at the discretion of the sovereign, there is no specific timeline for when a royal lady receives the royal family order, nor is it automatic for those marrying into the royal family. There is also no specific age for recipients and even children have received it. In 1826, at the age of seven, Princess Victoria, (future Queen Victoria), received the order from her uncle, George IV. The present Queen received the orders of her grandfather, King George V and her father, King George VI as a child and can be seen wearing them at her parent's coronation in 1937.

Princess Anne received her mother's order in 1969, the Duchess of Gloucester in 1973, Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, reportedly not long after her marriage in 1961 and Sophie Wessex in 2004 (five years after her marriage). Despite marrying the Queen's (reportedly) favorite son, Sarah Ferguson never received the order nor has Princess Michael of Kent.

As it is never announced in advance, it is difficult to know exactly when an order is given. Therefore, we have to go by when it was worn in public for the first time. Despite being a senior royal, Diana did not wear a royal order when she attended her first or second State Opening of Parliament in November 4th, 1981 and November 3rd, 1982 respectively. Diana wore the order a few weeks later, for the first time on November 18, 1982 (16 months after her marriage) at a banquet honoring Queen Beatrix at Hampton Court palace.

Camilla Parker Bowles married Prince Charles in April 2005 and attended her first state banquet in October of the same year. She is not wearing the order at that event, instead she wore something more striking, the Delhi Durbar tiara. She reportedly received the order two years after her marriage and can be seen wearing it in October 2007. This was widely interpreted as a visible sign of acceptance by the Queen.

At present, there is speculation about whether Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has received the order. Rumors abounded that she would wear it at the October 2015 banquet to mark the Chinese State visit but this turned out to be false. Should Catherine wear it in the near future, it will likely provoke some deeper scrutiny by the media and royal watching community, with various possible interpretations. Could Catherine having the order be seen as a sign of approval and support of the current status quo of her not being a full-time royal? Or could it be the Queen's form of a 'nudge' to finally step up to the plate? We will only learn when we see her in public wearing it.

© Marilyn Braun 2016

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Sources:

Royal Orders by Hugo Vickers
Royal Insignia in The Royal Collection
The Royal Encyclopedia
The official website of the British Monarchy
The Royal Collection Website
The Queen's Jewels
Wikipedia
Project Gutenberg
Victoria & Albert in Love
Five Gold Rings: A Royal Wedding Souvenir Album

Royal Book Challenge: Queens' Jewels by Vincent Meylan

Queens' Jewels by
Vincent Meylan

Book 1/500

Queen's Jewels by Vincent Meylan
Published 2002
208 Pages

After announcing my royal book challenge, I wasn't entirely certain where to begin. With so many books it's a lot of pressure to choose the right one. Inspired by a question about this particular book from @kemalnagdy who runs the blog The Royal Couturier  I thought it would be an appropriate one to start with.

I've always had a love of royal jewels and their history. Looking at the cover you might automatically assume this is devoted entirely to the British royal collection, but this is not the case. Queens' Jewels
covers the history of jewels worn by the Queens and Empresses of Russia, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Iran, Austria, Belgium, The Balkans, and Great Britain.

It would be easy to stare at the photographs and illustrations, admiring the craftsmanship of these jewels but that would ignore the history behind them. Unfortunately, for various reasons, most of the royal jewels in this book have been sold at auction, ending up in private collections and museums. Many have been altered from their original form and some have disappeared without a trace. Queens' Jewels documents the interesting, complex and occasionally tragic history behind these jewels in a fascinating manner.

© Marilyn Braun 2012 

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

So, where do you wear a diamond polar-bear brooch anyways?

Many years into the future, and a young woman steps onto Canadian soil. This is her first visit. The first in line to the throne, she has her mother's style and her father's blond hair. On her lapel she wears a polar bear brooch. Journalists of the day rush to research this unusual piece. Canadians are flattered that she is paying a subtle compliment to them. After all, her mother, great-grandmother and great-great grandmother had done the same before her.

So, where did this striking piece come from?

Way back 2011, when her parents (now King and Queen) went on their first tour of Canada, her mother was presented with this brooch. A Harry Winston pave polar bear silhouette beneath a semi-circle representing the northern lights. A lovely memento of their visit. As the years go by, Catherine will wear this brooch on future visits to Canada and loan it to her daughter; heiress apparent to the throne (succession laws having been changed by this point).  

Wearing jewels given during previous visits is a royal tradition. It's difficult to gauge exactly when it started but there is a certain charm in knowing that this gift is not gathering dust in the vault. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was given a maple leaf brooch, which was worn many times by her daughter, the Queen. Her daughter-in-law, William's mother, rarely wore brooches herself and it does not appear that she wore this piece on her own Canadian visits. Instead she seemed to prefer wearing red and white - another royal tradition.

William and Catherine's daughter will also be given her own jewels, representing something exclusive to Canadian history and culture. Yet another striking jewel, which will have limited fashion appeal outside of the country that gifted it to her.  She will then wear it on subsequent visits of her own, eventually loaning it to her own daughter. And so the royal tradition will continue.

Right now if you're wondering, where do you wear a diamond polar-bear brooch?

During future visits to Canada.

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal Focus: Kate Middleton's Royal Engagement Ring

When Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement to the world on November 16th, they revealed the much speculated engagement ring. This ring, once belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales, caused some controversy, one of the few times in royal history that a piece of jewellery has done so.

I have written about this ring before in my post called Royal Engagement Rings. The ring, an oval 18-carat, sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, is interestingly enough, it was not unique. Featured in the catalogues of Garrards Jewellers, the royal family's official jeweller, it cost $65,000 at the time. Choosing a sapphire for a royal engagement ring is not unusual, The Princess Royal's and the late Queen Mother's original engagement ring were both sapphires.  Regarding the ring, Diana herself recalled: 'A briefcase comes along on the pretext that Andrew is getting a signet ring for his 21st birthday and along comes these sapphires - I mean 'nuggets! - I suppose I chose it, we all chipped in. The Queen paid for it.'

The choice has provoked discussion amongst royal watchers as to whether it is appropriate for Kate to wear the ring.  Some feel that just because Diana wore the ring, it should not be seen as a bad omen or curse. Others feel that the couple should have made a fresh start. The ring, beautiful though it is, is so strongly associated with Diana, that for the rest of Kate's life she will have the constant reminder of Diana whether she likes it or not. Comparisons are inevitable, the ring more than guarantees that.

When asked why he had chosen to give his fiancee his mother's ring, William replied: 'it was my way of making sure that my mother didn’t miss out on today, all the excitement and the fact that we are going to be spending the rest of our lives together.' Thus making the choice a moot point for the rest of us.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Focus: The Duchess of Windsor's Jewels

When the Duchess of Windsor's jewels were auctioned off by Sotheby's in Geneva in 1987 the two-day sale raised a record $50,281.887, seven times the Sotheby's presale estimate. At the request of the late-Duchess, the money raised went towards the Pasteur Institute, the medical research centre in Paris.

On November 30th, some of the jewels will again be auctioned by Sotheby's.

These jewels were more than just beautiful craftsmanship, they are priceless symbols of love.

This Diamond Cartier bracelet, circa 1935 was designed as a single row of spectacle-set brilliant-cut diamonds, supporting nine gem-set Latin crosses made from Platinum, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Ruby, Baguette Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Aquamarine, and the marriage cross,comprised of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Each cross, inscribed with affectionate phrases, marked special or significant events in the couple's relationship, including their wedding, a birthday, an assassination attempt on King Edward VIII, and the Duchess' appendectomy surgery in 1944,  This jewel was worn at their wedding in 1937.

This Emerald, Ruby and Diamond brooch was made by Cartier in 1957. The brooch is heart-shaped and is pave-set with circular-cut-diamonds, surmounted by a gold and calibre-cut ruby crown. At the center of the heart, the initials W.E. are marked in emeralds. Just below the initials, are the roman numerals XX in rubies.  This brooch was made to commemorate the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's twentieth wedding anniversary.

This Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Citrine and Diamond clip was mounted by Cartier in 1940. Created by Jeanne Troussaint for Cartier it was made by breaking up a necklace and four bracelets in the Duke's collection. Designed as a flamingo, the plumage is set with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. The beak is set with a cabochon citrine and the head, neck, body and legs with brilliant-cut diamonds. The Duke reportedly gave the Duchess this clip as a birthday gift on June 19, 1940.

The Duchess of Windsor had a fascination with animals and it is no surprise that this fondness was expressed through her jewels. This item is one of several panther jewels in her collection. The Cartier 'Great Cat' Jewels were inspired by Jeanne Toussaint for Cartier, this Onyx and Diamond panther bracelet was made in 1952 and is designed to encircle the wrist, assuming a stalking attitude. It is pave-set with circular-cut diamonds and calibre-cut-onyx, and the eyes are set with marquise-shaped emeralds.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal Focus: The Cullinan V Heart Brooch

The diamond in the Cullinan V Heart Brooch is part of the famous Cullinan cleavings.

The original Cullinan diamond was named after the owner of the Premier mine, Sir Thomas M. Cullinan. The stone was discovered in 1905 by the Superintendent of the mine, who originally thought the stone was nothing more than a piece of broken glass, he dug the rock out. The diamond weighed 3,106 carats and was given to King Edward VII as a 'token of loyalty'. The King accepted the stone 'for myself and sucessors'.

The stone was cleaved into two pieces weighing 1,977.5 carats and the other weighing 1,040 carats. A further cleaving  resulted in nine major stones, known as 'chips'. Some of the chips became part of the Crown Jewels: the pear-shaped Star of Africa (Cullinan I) set into the royal sceptre and the other set into the Imperial State Crown (Cullinan II) . The Cullinan III and Cullinan IV - known as the Lesser Stars of Africa were set as a brooch and is the single most valuable item in the Queen's collection.  She refers to them as 'Granny's chips'. Other stones were set into the Cullinan VII and Cullinan VIII brooches, as well as a marquise shaped ring (Cullinan IX).

One of the chips was used to make the Cullinan V Heart Brooch. The diamond, an 18.8 carat heart-shaped stone, was put into a heart-shaped platinum setting , the collets in the brooch designed to accentuate the shape of the diamond. It was worn frequently by Queen Mary and is said to be one of The Queen's favorite pieces.  

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Focus: The Prince Albert Brooch

This large oblong sapphire is surrounded by twelve round diamonds. It was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha the day before their wedding. For their wedding she wore the brooch with a diamond necklace and earrings and always referred to the jewel as 'Albert's brooch'.

While Prince Albert was alive, Queen Victoria wore it constantly and inexpensive reproductions of it were made for those subjects who wanted to purchase a version of the brooch.  After his death in 1861 she rarely wore it. In her she instructed that it be considered a Crown piece of jewellery, held in trust for all future Queen consorts. Queen Alexandra wore it pinned to her shoulder for her coronation in 1902. Queen Mary wore it often, but Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was rarely seen wearing it. The brooch is a favorite of the present Queen. Prince Albert made copies of the brooch for his daughters and the present Queen gave one of these to her daughter, Princess Anne.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Focus: The Queen's flame lily brooch

It goes without saying that The Queen has one of the most remarkable collection of jewels in the world. Many of the brooches have a history behind them, such as the Flame lily brooch she wears in this photo.

The Flame lily brooch was amongst the gifts that The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, received for her twenty-first birthday during her tour of Southern Africa in 1947. Set with three hundred diamonds, the platinum 'Flame lily' brooch was a gift from forty-two thousand Southern Rhodesian school children, who had each donated a week's pocket money.

The shape of the brooch was appropriate, as the flame lily was the national emblem of Rhodesia. In order to make a perfect replica of the lily, which varies in color, a flower had to be specially flown to South Africa where an artist worked against time to complete the reference drawings before it wilted.

It was presented to her during the royal tour at Government House. The next day the Princess wore the brooch on her left shoulder, a compliment that was appreciated by all of those involved in making it. During Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh's trip to Kenya in 1952, her father King George VI died. When the new Queen returned from South Africa, she wore the brooch pinned to the lapel of her black coat.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour 2010 - The Queen's Jewels

One of the noticeable things about the Queen's appearance is her ubiquitous pearl button earrings, her multi-strand pearl necklace and her brooches. Brooches may have long gone out of fashion as an everyday fashion staple, but not so with the Queen, who has worn several different brooches during her tour of Canada.

During a reception in Halifax, The Queen wears what appears to be a newer brooch from her collection. Paying a compliment to Canada, the gold brooch is a branch with red enamel maple-leafs and at the bottom of the branch is a small pearl. A lovely piece, almost shaped like a corsage, she would wear it again later on in the tour during a visit to the Research in Motion Blackberry factory in Waterloo, Ontario. 

Fittingly enough for Canada Day the Queen wore her Maple Leaf brooch - the national symbol of Canada. The large diamond-encrusted maple leaf brooch, was originally presented to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother when she first visited Canada in 1939. The gift of a maple leaf brooch follows a long-standing tradition. In 1901, the future Queen Mary, visited Canada on a seven-month-long tour where she was given an enamel maple leaf spray. In 1923, Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother received as a wedding gift a gold maple leaf brooch set with diamonds.

Not as easily visible in this photo the Queen wears the Duchess of Cambridge's Pendant brooch for her private meeting with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. A baroque pearl in a diamond-set Mount hangs from a diamond pendant below a large round pearl framed by fourteen brilliant-cut diamonds. The brooch, originally belonged to Queen Mary's grandmother, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, who was painted wearing it as early as 1877. This brooch was one of Queen Mary's favorites and the present Queen inherited it in 1953.

In this photo, taken in Winnipeg, the Queen wears the Williamson diamond brooch, made for The Queen by Cartier in 1952, as a setting for the world's largest 54.5-carat pink diamond she had been given as a wedding gift in 1947 by John T, Williamson. The diamond had been discovered in Dr Williamson's mine in Tanganyika in the month before the royal wedding. In 1948 it was cut into a 23.6-carat brilliant in London and later set into this daffodil flower brooch - rumored to be one of the Queen's favorite flowers.  

In this photo, taken just outside of St James Cathedral in Toronto the Queen appears to be wearing the Jubilee brooch.  Originally given to Queen Victoria from  'The Ladies and Gentlemen of Her Majesty's Household in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It is a festoon design of diamonds with a pearl centre. It had a pearl drop hanging from a looped chain of diamond collets but this appears to have been removed. Queen Victoria left the brooch to the Crown in 1901. It was frequently worn by the present Queen's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who had an affinity for diamonds and particularly pearls.

In this photo, the Queen wears Queen Mary's 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' tiara. She received this as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1947 and it has been referred to affectionately as 'Granny's tiara.'

She is wearing Queen Victoria's Collet Necklace and the King George VI diamond Chandelier Earrings. Ending in three drops, these earrings show every known modern cut of diamond. Like her tiara, she received these as a wedding gift in 1947. In this photo she is most definitely wearing the Jubilee brooch, this time with the pearl drop pendant attached.

In this photo, taken during her brief visit to New York City, she wears her Aquamarine and diamond Cartier clips. Combining baguette, oval and round stones, these clips were given to the Queen in 1944 as an eighteenth birthday present by her parents. They can be worn as a single brooch or as two separate matching clips, as she wears them in the photo.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

All photos via PicApp

Royal Focus: Swedish Cameo Tiara

On her wedding day, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will continue a Bernadotte royal wedding tradition by wearing the Cameo tiara, one of the oldest jewels in the Swedish royal family's collection . UPDATE: Victoria wears the tiara at left

The tiara was made for Empress Josephine, first wife of Napoleon I, by the French Crown Jeweller Marie-Etienne Nitot in Paris in 1811. The gold and seed pearl tiara is set with seven portrait cameos.  The centre oval depicts Venus and cupid. On either side is a portrait of a man and on the other side a portait of a woman, both facing the centre cameo. The hardstone cameos are believed to have been supplied by the jeweller to the Empress Josephine in 1809. Napolean himself was fascinated by cameos and the diadem is an example of the revival of the antique style popular in France in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

In 1823 the diadem became part of the dowry of Josephine of Leuchtenberg, who received it from her grandmother and namesake, Empress Josephine, upon her marriage to the future King of Sweden, Oscar I. She is wearing it in the portrait at right.

After the death of Queen Josefina of Sweden in 1876, her jewelry collection was divided up and the cameo diadem was bequethed to King Oscar II of Sweden who gave it to his wife, nee Princess Sophie of Nassau. Queen Sophie gave the cameo diadem to her youngest son, Eugene, who in turn gave it to Princess Sibylla, mother of King Carl XVI. She lent the tiara to her daughter Princess Birgitta who wore the tiara as her bridal crown for her wedding with Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern in 1961.Thus starting a tradition.  It has since been worn by royal brides Princess Désirée in 1964 and Queen Silvia, pictured on her wedding day in 1976.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

The Royal Report for Sunday April 11, 2010 - Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels have an illustrious history dating back centuries.

Learn about them on this episode.

Articles discussed

Vanity Fair - Grace Kelly's Forever Look by Laura Jacobs

Blog mentioned

The Royal Report

From My Royal Collection

The Royal 100 A who's who of the first 100 people in line of succession to the British throne by Alan Hamilton

Resources used to research this episode

Official Site of the British Monarchy - The Crown Jewels

Historic Royal Palaces - The Tower of London

The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menke

The Queen's Jewels - The Personal Collection of HM The Queen by Leslie Field

Coronation: From the 8th to the 21st Century by Roy Strong

Royal Treasures: A Golden Jubilee Celebration by Jane Roberts

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday April 18th, 2010 at 9:00PM EST.

The topic will be: Royal Weddings

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday March 14, 2010 - Royal Jewels

They're shiny, they're priceless, they're an object of fascination. On this episode I discuss Royal Jewels.

Listen to the episode here

Films mentioned

Royal Journey (1951)

Canada at the Coronation

From my royal collection

All about the royal family - An illustrated guide compiled and researched by Pheobe Hichens

Blog Posts mentioned

Royal Engagements

Jewels fit for a Queen

Resources used to research this episode

The Queen's Jewels - The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II - by Leslie Field

The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes

Tiaras a History of Spendor by Geoffrey C Munn

Queens Jewels by Vincent Meylan

Tune in live to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday March 21, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America)

The topic will be: Is Kate Middleton a public figure?

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Question: The Duchess of Windsor's Engagement Ring

Hello, do you know anything about the engagement ring given to Wallis Simpson from Edward? I think is was an emerald but have never found a photograph of it.




Yes, it was an emerald ring. The ring itself is a rectangular step-cut emerald with cut-corners weighing 19.77 carats within a stylized leaf border set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It was purchased in 1936 from Cartier and originally had a platinum mount, inscribed: We are ours now 27 x 36. It was remounted in a gold setting by Cartier in 1958.


This is one image listed in the public domain. There are better photographs of the ring in various books, including: The Sotheby's auction catalogue: The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor sold for the benefit of The Pasteur Institute. There is another book, with a similar title called The Jewels of The Duchess of Windsor by John Culme and Nicholas Rayner. Note that if you want to buy the auction catalogue it needs to have 'sold for the benefit of the Pasteur Institute' in the title. The book by Culme and Rayner is not the catalogue. Both books are well worth the price if you are interested in royal jewels.

Strand books in New York City sometimes has copies of these books, at affordable prices and shipping. I wouldn't go through Amazon or Alibris as they charge exorbitant prices for their rare books.

Also, if you're interested in all things relating to the Duke and Duchess you might want to check out the following website: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor Society.

I hope this has answered your question.

© Marilyn Braun 2009


Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Related articles:

Question: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor's wedding rings

Royal Engagement Rings

Question: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor's wedding rings

....I have not found, anywhere, any information on the wedding rings of the Duke and Duchess, and this is my query: Is there a photograph, or description of the rings – somewhere? Were the Duke and Duchess buried wearing the rings, or, were the rings auctioned at Sotheby’s with the Duchess’ jewelry (after her death)?

Thank you for your questions!

You're right, there doesn't seem to be a lot of photos of the wedding rings out there. But given the fabulous collection of jewels that the Duchess owned, this is not surprising. While there are some photos of her with a plain ring on her wedding finger, they're not close up. For the most part she seems to have been photographed with her engagement ring; a large flawless emerald cut from the size of a bird's egg that belonged to a Mogul Emperor. So while she might have worn her wedding ring everyday, the size of her engagement ring would have dwarfed it. Looking at wedding photos some of them show her wearing just the wedding ring. Incidentally, the gloves she wore for her wedding were designed to open on the ring finger of the left hand. In some photos during the Second World War, where she is contributing to the war effort, you can see her wearing just the wedding ring. Anything larger would have been inappropriate. Many photos show her wearing gloves so the rings would not be seen. She was said to be rather meticulous about her grooming and she had manicures everyday, but her hairdresser recalled: She hated her hands. She always sat with her hands between her knees trying to hide them. Interesting then that she wore such extravagantly large rings that drew attention to them.

In most books about her there is very little reference to the wedding rings. Considering the circumstances, that would have been a minor detail. One book refers to it as being made from gold mined from the Welsh hills with a platinum copy auctioned in 1987 at Sotheby's. There are several wedding rings listed in the Sotheby's sale: lot #142 lists a 'platinum wedding ring, English, 1937, inscribed 'Wallis 18-10-35 Your David 3-VI-37' the two dates commemorate when the Prince proposed and the date of their marriage. In lot #177 there are 'Four wedding rings, all inscribed'. In photos the Duke of Windsor wears two rings on the fifth finger of his left hand, which seems to be the place royal men wear their wedding rings. Why there are five wedding rings in the auction, and whether one of them would have belonged to the Duke of Windsor is anybody's guess. Maybe he was buried with his but I highly doubt it.

Unfortunately I cannot locate photos specifically of these rings. Your best bet would be to see if you can purchase the auction catalogue which is rare and depending on where you look, very expensive, Sotheby's The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor sold for the benefit of the Pasteur Institute. Or The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor, by John Culme and Nicholas Rayner, written after the auction and a more affordable option. You might find photographs there.

Update: Although it's an interesting book, The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor by John Culme and Nicholas Rayner (written after the auction) does not have a photo of the wedding rings. Nor does the official auction catalogue.

Sources:

The Windsor Style by Suzy Menkes

The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes

Famous Jewelry Collectors by Stefano Papi & Alexandra Rhodes

The Windsor Years by Lord Kinross

Edward VIII - The Road to Abdication - by Frances Donaldson

The Secret Life of The Duchess of Windsor by Charles Higham

The Windsor Story by J. Bryan III and Charles J.V. Murphy

Related Articles:

Royal Engagement Rings

Jewels fit for a Queen

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Recommended Books: Royal Jewels

I'll be honest. While I've collected royal books since I was a teenager, it wasn't until about 10 years ago that I developed an interest in Royal Jewels. Royal Jewels were the Crown Jewels - interesting, but who wants to stare at that all day? Royal Orders were just ribbons with pictures on them. Tiara's were just things royal brides wore on their wedding day. Luckily I've changed my views since then.

My article called Jewels fit for a Queen remains the most popular article I've ever written, followed closely by Royal Weddings. There are blogs and websites devoted to royal jewels, people just can't seem to get enough of them. Since I started my blog I've received some questions about royal jewels, here's one as an example. But sometimes I find that the question goes beyond my level of expertise (Yes, it's true, I don't know everything there is to know about royalty!). So if you want to know about royal jewels, where do you go for information? Thankfully there are some wonderful books out there.

The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes. This was the very first book I ever bought on the subject and it really and truly inspired me. Covering royal jewels from Queen Victoria's time to 1988. It is fairly comprehensive in terms of the highlights of the wearer, towards the end it features several Appendix, one of which lists all of the jewels worn by The Queen on State and Semi-State Occasions.


The Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of HM Queen Elizabeth II by Leslie Field.
I have poured over this book more so than any other book in my collection. That's how fascinated I am with it. This book features the personal jewellery collection of HM The Queen. If you've ever been curious about what she keeps in the vaults, this book will give you a very good idea. I would highly recommend this book as a good starting point on the subject.


Tiara's: A History of Splendour by Geoffrey C. Munn. If you're interested in tiara's and their history then this is the book for you. Covering tiaras from 300 BC to 2001, you could look at this book just for the close-up photographs alone. But there's more to it than that. It shows the evolution of tiara's. There's an entire chapter alone on how to wear tiara's in your hair! I won't lie though, this book is expensive but well worth the price if you're truly interested in the subject. There's also a more condensed version of this book which accompanied the exhibition at the Victoria & Albert museum.

Queens' Jewels by Vincent Meylan. Unlike the previous books I've mentioned, along with British jewels, it also covers royal jewels from Russia, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Iran, Austria, Belgium and The Balkans. Yes there are more jewels out there than the British ones! It has a lot of intriguing, rarely seen photos and presents the various jewels and their history in vivid style.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Royal Wedding Trivia

In honor of the Diamond wedding anniversary of The Queen and Prince Philip on November 20th. Some royal wedding trivia.

• The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Diamond wedding anniversary

• This was the first and only time in British history that an heir presumptive to the throne had been married.

• The Queen was the 10th member of the Royal family to be married in Westminster Abbey.

• An identical copy of her wedding bouquet was made and presented to The Queen on her Golden wedding anniversary in 1997.

• The two Royal kneelers, used during the wedding service, were covered in rose pink silk. They were made from orange boxes, due to war time austerity, and date stamped 1946.

• Trumpet fanfares were introduced for the first time at a Royal wedding in the Abbey.

• The Duke of Edinburgh is only one of a few consorts to reigning female Queens in British history

© Marilyn Braun 2007

Original trivia source: Official site of the British Monarchy

Related articles:

Royal Weddings
Royal Wedding Dresses
Royal Engagement Rings

Royal Focus: The Spencer Family Tiara

Out of the almost 200 posts I've made on this blog, my article Jewels fit for a Queen is the most popular. In fact, anything on royal jewellery, particularly tiaras, seems to be a popular subject. Not a day goes by where someone doesn't find my site by searching for those terms.

Although worn by several Spencer women, this tiara is most associated with Diana, Princess of Wales. Worn most famously at her wedding in 1981 as her something borrowed. She also wore it all through her official life as a member of the royal family, for state banquets, openings of Parliament, and diplomatic receptions. Diana regarded this tiara as her 'spare', the other being the Lover's Knot Tiara, which she received as a wedding gift from the Queen.. Throughout the later part of her married life, she wore the Spencer tiara more often, taking pride in her Spencer heritage, and also because it wasn't as heavy as the Lover's Knot tiara.

Mounted in gold in the form of scrolling tulips and star shaped flowers, it is decorated with diamonds in silver settings. It has been reported that this tiara is a family heirloom from the eighteenth century, but this is a misconception. Instead, it is a composite of several elements. Of the entire tiara, only two elements at the end are old, and are said to have come from a tiara owned by Frances, Viscountess Montagu and left to Lady Sarah Spencer in 1875. The tiara is thought to have been made in 1767, but the style suggests the 1830s. The central element was a wedding gift from Lady Sarah Spencer to Cynthia, Viscountess Althorp (Diana's grandmother) in 1919. In the 20th century, it was remounted and four other elements were made to match it.

Along with Diana, some of the other brides to wear it on their wedding day include Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes in 1978, and Victoria Lockwood, the first wife of her brother Charles Spencer, in 1989.

© Marilyn Braun 2007


Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Question: The Queen's Pearls

Can you tell me the history of the Queen's pearls?

With the exception of State dinners, if you see the Queen on any public occasion, she will rarely be without her pearl-and-diamond button earrings, a brooch, and her pearls (she wears all three in the photo at right).

The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, received her first set of pearls, a triple strand, as a young girl. They were given to her in 1935 by her grandfather, King George V, to celebrate his Silver Jubilee. Today, she usually wears these pearls in the daytime.

The other pearl necklaces, that I'm aware of at least, are the ones she received as a wedding gift from her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The one string is said to have belonged to Queen Anne, last of the Stuart monarchs. The other to Queen Caroline, wife of King George II. She wore these necklaces on her wedding day in 1947, and they are now worn on informal evening occasions.

An oft told anecdote about the pearls. Having received them as a wedding gift, they were put on display at St. James Palace, along with the rest of the gifts. As she was getting ready for her wedding, she wanted to wear the pearls and realized they were still on display. Shortly before the Princess was to leave for Westminster Abbey, she sent John Colville, her Private Secretary, to collect the pearls.

He rushed down the seemingly endless corridor, hurtled down the Grand Staircase, and ended up in the quadrangle, where he commandeered King Haakon VII of Norway's large Daimler. Although traffic had been stopped since early morning, the crowds were so deeply packed across Marlborough Gate, that the car, even flying its royal flag, had to halt while he fought his way through on foot. When he arrived at the Friary Court entrance to the State Apartments there was only an elderly janitor to listen to his odd story, but he finally allowed Colville upstairs to explain his mission to the men who were guarding the 2,660 presents. The dilemma was: if they accepted is story and he turned out to be a clever jewel thief who had made off with the Crown pearls, they were in trouble; but if they refused to let him have the necklace and it all turned out to be true, they were equally in trouble. There was no one to consult; time was running out, and only after they found his name in the wedding programme as one of the Household officials in attendance on the Princess did they allow him to remove the pearls. *

Thanks for your question!

© Marilyn Braun 2007

Sources:

The Queen's Jewels by Leslie Field *
The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes
Official Site of the British Royal Family

More on royal jewels:

Jewels fit for a Queen
Camilla's Tiara
Royal Engagement Rings
Royal Focus: The Poltimore Tiara

Photo: Camera Press/Snowdon

My Favorite Royal Books

I have an extensive collection of books on the royal family. One look at my bookcases, floors and and bedside table, you will note that my tastes are anything but highbrow. I prefer informative, easy to understand books with nice pictures. So, to prove this point, I thought I would compile a short list of my favorite books. As a helpful aside, you can click on the titles to order them.

The Royal encyclopediaThe authoritative book of the Royal Family - Edited by Ronald Allison and Sarah Riddell. Sometimes the word for word source for Wikipedia articles this A to Z book covers Abbey Court, Holyroodhouse to Zoological Gardens, Regent Park and everything in between. 632 pages of royal information, no royal collection is complete without it. If you don't have it, then too bad for you. So rare, I can't even locate a picture of it. Suffice to say that it's heavy, has the title in gold letters and a nice close up of the Imperial State Crown. Some would say it's wine colored...Merlot?..Bordeaux?..oh never mind.


Queen Victoria's Family: A Century of Photographs by Charlotte Zeepvat. I love old photos and this book is chock-full of them. I'm surprised my copy isn't dog eared for all of the time I've..uhh..spent "reading" it. For me, one very interesting aspect of this book is watching various descendants grow from babies to old age.


The Complete Idiot's Guide to British Royalty A good standby, this book has rescued me from many a confused look when someone asks me a serious question about the relevance of the royal family and what they actually do. Hopefully the recently published The British Monarchy For Dummies will fill in any blanks and cover me in all awkward situations.


Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandraby Peter Kurth. Beyond the connection to the Brit's, the Russian royal family is not my forte. This book has beautiful pictures of the various palaces, and the royal family before it all went horribly wrong. The last chapter details the discovery of the Romanov remains and the process to authenticate them. It also has a modern day section on DNA analysis and attempts to answer the question: Was Anna Anderson the Grand Duchess Anastasia?


The Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II: Her Personal Collection by Leslie Field.This is one of my all-time favorite books. Authorized by Buckingham Palace it details the collection of Her Majesty The Queen. Broken down by type of stone, it has gorgeous photos of tiaras, brooches, necklaces, bracelets, along with the history behind these pieces.

Queen Elizabeth II: A Celebration of Her Majesty's Fifty-Year Reign
by Tim Graham. Released to coincide with the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Want to know where the Queen gets her shoes, hats, and coats made? Information on the endless round of engagements the Queen performs? How the Garden Parties are organized? Released in 2002 to coincide with the Golden Jubilee celebrations, this wonderful book tells you about this and much much more!

I could list many many more, but that's another article!

© Marilyn Braun 2007