Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bar Brooches

This month, we are marking the Bicentenary of the Birth of Queen Victoria by featuring her Top 20 Jewels, one for each decade since the Birth of 2nd-longest reigning British Monarch, in the 20 days leading up to the Anniversary itself, and today’s feature is her Diamond Bar Brooches-

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Queen Victoria often wore this two row Diamond Bar Brooch, featuring 10 round diamonds, which she used to secure her Sash of the Order of the Garter, and considered it a part of her Garter insignia, keeping it with the Star, likely having commissioned along with her other insignia from Rundell and Bridge in 1838.

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The Diamond Bar Brooch was later worn by Queen Alexandra and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who frequently wore it to secure her Sash, and it passed to the Queen upon her death in 2002, though she has not yet been publicly seen wearing the piece.

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The Queen has worn another Diamond Bar Brooch, featuring 14 diamonds, which may also come from Queen Victoria, but was pictured on Queen Mary. It passed to the Queen in 1953, and has been worn not only to secure her Garter Sash, but also worn as a regular brooch or on a tartan sash.6

One thought on “Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bar Brooches

  1. I cannot possible find this brooch among the incredible amount or jewelry Queen Alexandra is wearing! Queen Mary used to pile it on too, but Queen Alexandra wins, hands down! 🙂 It is a nice brooch, quite appropriate for the job of holding a sash in place.

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