Happy Platinum (70th) Anniversary to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh! With one of the largest jewellery collections in the world, the Queen is always adorned with valuable and historic jewels. In honour of this very special anniversary, we are taking a look at the Queen’s most special jewels- her Wedding Gift Bracelet from the Duke of Edinburgh.
When Princess Alice of Battenberg, daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse, married Prince Andrew of Greece, son of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece, in Darmstadt in 1903, she received this spectacular Aquamarine and Diamond Parure given by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, the uncle and aunt of the bride. Likely made by Fabergé, the Parure consisted of a Tiara topped with large Aquamarines, an Aquamarine and Diamond Necklace, a pair of Earrings, a Bracelet and a large Brooch.
Princess Alice was close to her uncle Tsar Nicholas II and after the three three separate Wedding ceremonies in Darmstadt, hit him on the head with a shoe:
Shoes were tied to the back of the carriage. When they set off, rice and slippers were thrown at them. Ernie and the Tsar were to the fore, rushing after them into the crowd, hotly pursued by excited policemen and plain- clothes Russian detectives, clutching umbrellas. Mark Kerr told the tale:
The Emperor went straight for the backs of the people, who were anxiously awaiting the passing of the Royal carriage. Putting his head down, he rammed them and gradually pushed his way through the six files of human beings, shedding the children from his coat-tails on the way, and reached the street at the moment when the carriage was going by with Princess Alice bowing her acknowledgments to the cheering crowd. At this moment she received the full bag of rice, which the Emperor had carried, in her face, followed by the satin shoe. Casting dignity aside she caught the shoe, and leaning over the back of the carriage hit the Emperor on the head with it, at the same time telling him exactly what she thought of him, which so over-came him that he stood still in the middle of the road shrieking with laughter.
After this the bride and groom transferred into their new Wolseley car, a gift from the Tsar in a soberer moment before he began to enjoy the wedding, and departed for the Heiligenberg.
Princess Alice most notably wore the Aquamarine Tiara and Parure for a series of portraits taken in the years soon after her marriage, when the couple were settled in Athens.
Princess Alice took the Aquamarine Tiara and Parure with her when exiled from Greece in 1921, most notably wearing them for a portrait around the time of the Wedding of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and her sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten, in 1923.
The Aquamarine Tiara and Parure were among the jewels deposited by Prince Andrew in a bank in Paris when Princess Alice was admitted into an asylum, remaining there through the Second World War until being retrieved by Princess Alice in early 1947.
Her jewels had been deposited in the Paris branch of the Westminster Bank in Andrea’s name since 1930 when she went to Kreuzlingen and the house at St Cloud was closed down. Signatures were needed from Philip and the three daughters, after which she could take possession of them. Theodora and Sophie signed promptly, while Margarita demurred, even making a claim on the estate. Eventually she too signed.
In the summer of 1947, when her only son, Prince Philip, was about to propose to the future Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Alice had the Aquamarine Tiara dismantled to create the Engagement Ring.
In June she was involved in the matter of an engagement ring. Alice took some of her diamonds to the jeweller Philip Antrobus at 6 Old Bond Street and had these designed as an engagement ring, a large diamond in the middle, surrounded by a cluster of five smaller stones, as Philip dare not show his face at jewellers, for fear of being recognized. I think the ring is a great success.’ The jeweller was later quoted in the press saying that he had no idea for whom the ring was intended.
She visited Louise in Sweden and in October she went to Paris once more to collect her dress and finally her jewels. When the jewels were valued, there were some nasty surprises: Andrea’s star of the Elephant of Denmark was missing and another star proved to have paste diamonds (Andrea having sold the originals and replaced them). At least Alice’s Imperial Russian Order was in good condition. ‘My St Catherine’s star had exceptionally fine, white diamonds, much finer than Auntie Ellen’s even,’ she wrote to Philip.
By the time of the wedding in November, the soon-to-be Duke of Edinburgh used the remaining diamonds to create this large, geometric, Art Deco bracelet, crafted by Philip Antrobus, with the design dictated by the groom.
In the early years of her married life, the then Princess Elizabeth wore her Wedding Gift Bracelet on a variety of occasions, not just for Banquets, but also for all sorts of Portraits and Galas.
After becoming Queen in 1952, and gaining access to one of the world’s largest private jewellery collections, the Wedding Gift Bracelet was worn in an early series of portraits, along with some more historic royal heirlooms.
The Wedding Gift Bracelet remained a favourite over the following decades, worn for a wide variety of occasions including their 25th Anniversary Portrait, until a final notable appearance in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Portrait in 2012, when it served as a sentimental nod to her long-serving consort.
At the Chinese State Banquet in 2015, the Duchess of Cambridge surprised everyone when she wore the Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet, a rare move, as the Queen was known to retain personal jewels, but reflective of the high regard in which she held the now Princess of Wales.
The then Duchess of Cambridge also wore the Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet the following year for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace.
The next year, the Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet was also worn by the Duchess of Cambridge for the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, following which it has not been publicly seen, but lets hope it reappears again soon!
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara
Plunket Tiara
Five Aquamarine Tiara
Imperial State Crown
George IV State Diadem
Coronation Necklace and Earrings
The Cambridge Emerald Parure
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace
King George VI Sapphire Suite
Queen’s Three-Strand Pearl Necklace
King George VI Festoon Necklace
Queen’s South African Diamonds
Queen’s City of London Fringe Necklace
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
Greville Ruby Necklace
Queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker
Kent Amethyst Parure
Queen’s Emerald Tassel Suite
Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker
Greville Emerald Necklace
Queen’s Dubai Sapphire Suite
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
Pakistani Turquoise Necklace
Queen’s Jordanian Turquoise Suite
Andamooka Opal Necklace
The Queen’s Sapphires
Earrings
Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings
Duchess of Gloucester’s Pendant Earrings
Queen Victoria’s Pearl Earrings
Queen’s Bahrain Pearl Earrings
Antique Diamond Earrings
Queen’s Pear-Drop Diamond Earrings
Queen’s Silver Jubilee Earrings
Brooches
The Cullinan Diamond
Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches
Queen’s Williamson Pink Diamond Brooch
Duchess of Cambridge’s Pearl Pendant Brooch
Queen Mary’s Diamond Stomacher
Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch
Queen Victoria’s 11 Pearl Brooch
Queen Adelaide’s Diamond Brooch
Queen Mary’s Diamond Thistle Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch
Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Wheat Ear Brooches
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In 1903, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia gave a large aquamarine and diamond tiara and parure to their niece Princess Alice of Battenberg when she married Prince Andrew of Greece, the fourth son of King George I and Queen Olga. Managing to hold on to her parure through the frequent periods of exile and turmoil experienced by the Greek Royal Family, when her only son, Prince Phillip, was going to propose to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Princess Alice gave him her Tiara to create some jewels for his soon-to-be fiancé.
Among the 2,500 presents received by the couple from around the world, this bracelet was perhaps the most special to the Queen. Months after giving his fiancé an engagement ring made from some diamonds in his mother’s tiara, the soon-to-be Duke of Edinburgh used the remaining diamonds to create this large, geometric, Art Deco bracelet, crafted by Philip Antrobus, with the design dictated by the groom.
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In the early years of her married life, the then Princess Elizabeth wore her Wedding Gift Bracelet on a variety of occasions, not just at banquets, but also in portraits and at hotels.
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After becoming Queen in 1952, and gaining access to one of the world’s largest private jewellery collection, her Wedding Gift Bracelet was worn in an early series of portraits, along with some more historic heirlooms.
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The Wedding Gift Bracelet remained a favourite in the decades since, worn for a vide variety of occasions including their 25th Anniversary portrait. The last time the Queen wore her bracelet was in 2012, for her Diamond Jubilee Portrait, when it a sentimental nod to her long-serving consort.
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At the Chinese State Banquet in 2015, the Duchess of Cambridge surprised everyone when she wore the Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet, a rare move, as the Queen is known to retain personal jewels, while loaning out others. Worn by the Duchess twice since that date, at the Diplomatic Reception last year and the BAFTA awards earlier this year, the Wedding Gift Bracelet is thought to be a permanent loan to the Duchess, as a mark of the Queen and Duke’s affection.
I wish the Queen and Duke a very Happy Anniversary and many more to come!
I would like to express my sincere condolence for the loss of Prince Philip. I still remember the Queen’s word, “The Crown comes first”. It has been announced that Prince Charles will assume The Duke of Edinburgh after Prince Philip’s death. May prosperity of the Kingdom, Royal Family and the people of Britain continue to reign.
May The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge become a wonderful couple like the Queen and Prince Philip.