Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Mary, the Queen’s grandmother, who died on this day in 1953. While a lot of her jewels are frequently seen on the Queen these days, to mark the anniversary to day, we are featuring a jewel now frequently worn by Lady Sarah Chatto, the Queen’s niece.
Poltimore Tiara | Turquoise Parure | Cartier Halo Tiara | Lotus Flower Tiara | Diamond Lozenge Bandeau | Snowdon Floral Tiara | Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace | Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière | Diamond Earrings | Ruby Earrings | Emerald Earrings | Pearl Earrings | Sapphire Earrings | Diamond Star Earrings | Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch | Princess Margaret’s Tiaras
Composed of alternating collet diamonds and round pearls, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière has no known provenance, but it was likely an older heirloom that appeared on Queen Mary by the mid-1920s, who notably wore it in a portrait with her young granddaughter, now the Queen.
Queen Mary continued to wear the Pearl and Diamond Rivière through the 1930s and 1946, with another notable appearance in a series of portraits in 1946. After her death in 1953, the Pearl and Diamond Rivière was among the jewellery inherited by her granddaughter, Princess Margaret.
Unlike her grandmother, Princess Margaret predominantly wore Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for evening events through the 1950s and 1960s, usually paired with the Lotus Flower Tiara and the Greville Pearl Earrings, often alongside one of her other Diamond Rivières.
Princess Margaret continued to wear Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for evening events through the 1970s and 1980s, still paired with the Greville Pearl Earrings.
Even before Princess Margaret’s death in 2002, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière was among the jewels given to her only daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, again often paired with the Greville Pearl Earrings. Like Queen Mary, Lady Sarah has worn the Rivière primarily for daytime events but has also worn it on evening occasions, like the Queen’s 80th Birthday Dinner in 2006.
In 2011, Lady Sarah notably wore Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and also the Wedding of Zara Phillips in 2011, before a more recent appearance at Royal Ascot in 2014. There is now doubt we will continue to see this favoured heirloom for years to come!
Poltimore Tiara | Turquoise Parure | Cartier Halo Tiara | Lotus Flower Tiara | Diamond Lozenge Bandeau | Snowdon Floral Tiara | Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace | Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière | Diamond Earrings | Ruby Earrings | Emerald Earrings | Pearl Earrings | Sapphire Earrings | Diamond Star Earrings | Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch | Princess Margaret’s Tiaras
Poltimore Tiara
Turquoise Parure
Cartier Halo Tiara
Lotus Flower Tiara
Snowdon Floral Tiara
Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau
Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace
Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière
Diamond Earrings
Ruby Girandole Earrings
Emerald Earrings
Greville Pearl Earrings
Snowdon Diamond Flower Tiara
Greville Pearl Earrings
Diamond Star Earrings
Queen Mary’s Diamond and Pearl Riviere
Sapphire Earrings
Emerald Earrings
Ear-of-Wheat Brooch
Star Brooch
Floral Spray Brooch
Queen Mary’s Crown
George IV State Diadem
Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet 
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Delhi Durbar Tiara
Cambridge Emerald Parure
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Adelaide’s Fringe Tiara
Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara
Cambridge Sapphire Parure
Teck Turquoise Tiara
Iveagh Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau
Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau
Crochet Bandeau Tiara
Diamond Bandeau Tiara
Queen Mary’s Amethyst Tiara
Queen Mary’s Ladies of England Tiara
Queen Mary’s Surrey Fringe Tiara
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Featuring alternating collet diamonds and round pearls, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière has an antique appearance, but no known provenance, and was probably bought at Auction. The Rivière was in Queen Mary’s possession by the late 1920s, when wore wore it in a portrait with her young granddaughter, now the Queen. It was also later worn for a daytime event.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
After her death in 1953, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière was inherited by her granddaughter, Princess Margaret, alongside an important Diamond Rivière. The piece was frequently worn, often with a pearl pendant, at a plethora of State and Gala events, up until the 1980s.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images
After that time, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière has been worn by Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, often with her mother’s Pearl Earrings. It has been worn for evening events, but like on Queen Mary, the Rivière has often provided a glittering touch at daytime events. It also avoided the famous Auction of Princess Margaret’s jewels in 2006. There is now doubt we will continue to see this favourite heirloom for years to come.
I am so glad that this necklace didn’t go to auction. That necklace along with the diamond and pearl triangular earrings both Princess Margaret and Lady Sarah are wearing in the photos are some of my all-time favorite pieces of royal jewelry. They’re special favorites because they’re the kind that anyone can wear to a nice event but versatile enough to look perfectly at home at a white-tie gala. Perfection!