Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch

August 31st will mark the 20th Anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, one of the most iconic women of the last century. In honour of her death anniversary, we are featuring 20 of her most iconic jewels. Today’s feature is her Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant-

The Jewels of Diana, Princess of Wales | The Jewels of the Princess of Wales

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A wedding gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark from the ‘Ladies of North Wales’ when she married the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1863. It is composed of an oval of 18 brilliant-cut diamonds accented with tiny emeralds, encircling the Prince of Wales ostrich feathers and a scroll inscribed with the Prince of Wales’ motto “Ich Dien” (German for “I serve“). A detachable cabochon emerald pendant is suspended from the bottom of the circle. After Queen Alexandra’s death in 1925, the brooch/pendant ended up with the Queen Mother.

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In 1981, she gifted the Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant/ Brooch to Lady Diana Spencer to mark her engagement to the Prince of Wales. The new Princess first wore it, suspended from the diamond tennis necklace of the Saudi Sapphire Suite, as a pendent on a visit to the Royal Opera House in 1982.

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The Princess wore the pendent frequently during her early royal tours, including a gala performance of ‘Coppelia’ in New Zealand in 1983…

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a reception in Hobart a few days later…

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… and an official dinner at Rideau Hall in Ottawa few months later.

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A famous appearance came in 1984, when the pregnant Princess wore the Prince of Wales pendant at dinner at the Royal Academy in London.

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In 1986, she wore the pendant, with the cabochon emerald, at the Vienna Burgh Theatre, during a tour of Austria

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…at a state banquet held by the King of Morocco at Claridges Hotel in 1987…

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… and a Banquet during the Italian State Visit in 1990.

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The last time the Princess of Wales was pictured in the ‘Ladies of Bristol’ Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant was at an official dinner in Toronto in 1991. Soon afterwards, the Prince and Princess separated, and she stopped wearing many engagement/wedding gifts. After the divorce or her death, the pendant seems to have returned to the Prince of Wales. UPDATE- Thanks to Franck, it seems the Princess wore the Pendant for a a private piano recital in 1996, so it must have been returned to the Prince after her death..

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The Duchess of Cornwall first wore the ‘Ladies of Bristol’ Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant as a Brooch for the film premiere of ‘The History Boys’ at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square in 2006.

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In 2012, she wore the brooch at the Cheltenham racecourse…

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…and at Royal Ascot in 2013, when a picture from that day was used for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s Christmas Card.    

 

The current Princess of Wales first wore the Brooch for the South African State Visit to Britian in 2022.

The Jewels of Diana, Princess of Wales | The Jewels of the Princess of Wales

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