Princess Anne’s Festoon Necklace

~ Saad719

Happy Birthday to the Princess Royal, who turns 68 today! As the only daughter of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, and one of the most hardworking members of the family, the Princess Royal has a large jewellery collection, with one of the most worn pieces being this diamond Festoon Necklace, an 18th Birthday Gift given exactly 50 years ago today

To mark her 18th Birthday in 1968, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh gifted their only daughter ‘an antique diamond festoon necklace with ribbons and bows, and pendant drops,’ that was accompanied by a pair of matching diamond pendant earrings.

In the first few years after she received it, Princess Anne often paired the Diamond Festoon with Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara and the Cartier Halo Tiara for several Gala occasions.

In 1973, Princess Anne received her Diamond Festoon Tiara from the World Wide Shipping Group when she christened one of their ships, and it became a lovely ‘married’ parure with the Festoon Necklace, first worn for a series of spectacular portraits taken by Norman Parkinson of her and Mark Phillips at Windsor Castle, released in the weeks leading up to their Wedding in November 1973, and also on the cover of their Wedding Service.

Princess Anne notably wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara and a Diamond Bow Brooch she received as a Wedding Gift from her brother, for a Banquet during the Swedish State Visit to Britain in 1975, and for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Gala at Covent Garden in 1977 as well as the Oman State Visit to Britain, the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1982 and during the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 1986.

Princess Anne also often wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the  Diamond Bow Brooch for numerous Black Tie Gala Dinners, notably on a visit to Paris in 1980,  the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Dinner at Windsor Castle in 2002, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa’s Silver Anniversary in 2006, and a series of Official Portraits.

The Diamond Festoon Necklace and Tiara were also worn for the Polish State Visit to Britain in 1991, the Brunei State Visit to Britain in 1992, and for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s Silver Wedding Anniversary Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 1993.

Princess Anne also wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara for the Jordanian State Visit to Britain in 2001 and during the French State Visit to Britain in 2008, as well as for the Guildhall Banquet held during the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 2017 and the Queen’s Commonwealth Dinner at Buckingham Palace held the following year.

More recently, Princess Anne has worn her Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara and Diamond Bow Brooch for the South Korean State Visit to Britain in 2023 and the French State Banquet in 2025, as well as the Portrait released to mark her 75th Birthday. There is no doubt the Necklace will be worn for years to come!

The Royal Family shared a new Official Portrait of the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence ahead of her 75th Birthday, which was taken by Getty Images Photographer Chris Jackson ahead of the State Banquet held by the British Royal Family for French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle last month.

 

Diamond Festoon Tiara 

Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara 

Cartier Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara

Cartier Halo Tiara

Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

Festoon Necklace

Modern Diamond Necklace

Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker

Queen Mary’s City of London Choker

Pakistani Turquoise Necklace

Queen Alexandra’s Edwardian Choker

Princess Anne’s Sapphire Brooch

Princess Anne’s Grima Pearl Earrings

Princess Anne’s Diamond Cluster Earrings

Princess Anne’s Ruby Suite

Diamond Bow Brooch

Diamond Star Brooch

Princess Anne’s De Beers Diamond Brooch

Diamond Festoon Tiara | Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara | Cartier Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara | Festoon Necklace | Modern Diamond Necklace | Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker | Queen Mary’s City of London Choker | Turquoise Necklace | Diamond Bow Brooch | Diamond Star Brooch | Queen Alexandra’s Edwardian Choker | The Jewels of Princess Anne | Princess Anne’s Tiaras

Embed from Getty Images

To mark her 18th Birthday in 1968, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh gifted their only daughter ‘an antique diamond festoon necklace with ribbons and bows, and pendant drops,’ that was accompanied by matching pendant earrings.

In the few years after she received it, Princess Anne often paired the necklace with Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara and the Halo Scroll Tiara. However, in 1973, Princess Anne received her Festoon Tiara from the World Wide Shipping Group when she christened one of their ships, and it became a wonderful ‘married’ parure with her Festoon Necklace, first worn for her Engagement Portraits by Norman Parkinson.

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

That same year, Princess Anne also received a stylised diamond bow brooch with two tassels, a wedding gift from her brother, the Prince of Wales, which also compliments her ‘married’ parure. In the five decades that she has worn the piece, the Festoon Necklace has remained a staple in the Princess Royal’s jewellery collection, most recently worn at the Guildhall Banquet for the Spanish State Visit last year and the Queen’s Commonwealth Dinner at Buckingham Palace in April. I have no doubt we will see this necklace on the Princess for years to come.

 

Zara Tindall wore the Brooch for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Diamond Festoon Tiara | Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara | Cartier Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara | Festoon Necklace | Modern Diamond Necklace | Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker | Queen Mary’s City of London Choker | Turquoise Necklace | Diamond Bow Brooch | Diamond Star Brooch | Queen Alexandra’s Edwardian Choker | The Jewels of Princess Anne | Princess Anne’s Tiaras

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