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 Bow Brooches.
After she lost many family heirlooms to the King of Hanover in 1858, Queen Victoria commissioned these three Diamond Bow Brooches, two large and one slightly smaller, from Garrard using over 500 diamonds she had in her collection.
These Diamond Bow Brooches no doubt replaced Queen Charlotte’s Diamond Bow Brooches which were given to the Hanoverian Royal Family. While she was not pictured wearing her new Brooches, Queen Victoria designated the Diamond Bows as Heirlooms of the Crown upon her death in 1901, meaning they pass “to be worn by future Queens in right of it”.
Queen Alexandra hung rows of diamonds from the Diamond Bow Brooches and hung them down her skirt for the State Opening of Parliament in 1901 and also hung them down as a girdle for the Coronation of King Edward VII and herself in 1902.
Queen Mary wore the three Diamond Bow Brooches suspended from the massive Diamond Cockade for her Coronation and the official Coronation Portrait in 1911.
Over the years, Queen Mary suspended various Diamond Pendants and wore the Brooches as a part of a long Diamond Stomacher on various occasions, most notably the Wedding of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia in Berlin in 1913.
Queen Mary creatively hung diamonds as pendants from the Bow Brooches and used them as stomachers and skirt ornaments, often wearing all three together.
Later, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother wore just one of the Diamond Bow Brooches more conventionally on her left shoulder, though she did sometimes wear a Diamond Bow on her hat in the 1930s and 40s.
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooches passed to the late Queen in 1952 and early in her reign, she notably wore one of the Diamond Bows on the Sash of the Order of the Garter for the New Zealand State Opening of Parliament and the Australian State Opening of Parliament during her 6-month Commonwealth Tour, though she later preferred to wear her other, larger, Diamond Bow Brooches for gala events afterwards.
The Queen wore Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooches frequently on countless occasions over the years or all manners of Tours, Visits and Services in addition to several portraits and private events.
In 1986, the Queen loaned one of Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches to the newlywed Duchess of York for the Braemar Games, a very unusual gesture but very much appreciated by the Duchess who is a well-known fan of Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooches continued to be among the Queen’s most regularly worn jewels, worn notably on the day she superseded Queen Victoria and became the longest reigning monarch in Britain in 2015, with an average of 3-5 appearances of the Diamond Bow Brooches every year in the last decade of her life, ranging from audiences and visits to Remembrance events.
In 2022, the Queen notably wore one of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooches when she appeared on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace for a final time after the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, where we had the honour of seeing her.
Just a few days later, the Queen wore one of the larger of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooches on the Sash of the Order of the Garter for the Order of the Garter Service at Windsor Castle, just a few months before her death. The Diamond Bow Brooches have yet to appear on Queen Camilla, but let’s hope they will be seen 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 | The Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II
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
Queen Mary’s Celtic Knot Brooch
Teck Flower Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch
Maple Leaf Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Brooch
Queen’s Welsh Guards Leek Brooch
Queen’s Brigade of Guards Brooch
Queen’s Cartier Gold and Sapphire Flower Brooches
Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bar Brooches
Bracelets
Queen’s Engagement Ring
Queen’s Wedding Gift Bracelet
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bracelet
Queen Mother’s Cartier Bracelets
Regalia and Honours
Imperial State Crown
George IV State Diadem
The Coronation Regalia
Honours of Scotland
British Royal Orders
The Commonwealth Royal Orders
Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
The British Royal Tiaras
Tiaras | Necklaces | Earrings | Brooches | Bracelets | Regalia and Honours
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
The Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Greville Tiara
Delhi Durbar Tiara
Cubitt-Shand Tiara
Queen’s Five Aquamarine Tiara
George IV State Diadem
Queen Mary’s Crown
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
King George VI Festoon Necklace
Greville Festoon Necklace
Coronation Necklace
King George VI Sapphire Suite
Modern Diamond Suite
Diamond Serpent Necklace
Turquoise Suite
After she lost many family jewels to the King of Hanover in 1858, Queen Victoria commissioned these three diamond brooches, two large and one slightly smaller, from Garrard using over 500 diamonds she had in her collection. While she was not pictured wearing them, Queen Victoria designated the Bow Brooches an Heirloom of the Crown upon her death in 1901, meaning they pass from Queen to Queen “to be worn by future Queens in right of it”.
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Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary creatively hung diamonds as pendants from the Bow Brooches and used them as stomachers and skirt ornaments, often wearing all three together. Later, Queen Elizabeth (better known as the Queen Mother) wore just one brooch more conventionally, though she sometimes wore them on her hat.
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Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches passed to the Queen in 1952, and have been regularly worn since then, always just a single brooch. Early in her reign, the Queen did wear the brooch to affix the front of her sash, at the New Zealand State Opening of Parliament and the Australian State Opening of Parliament during her 6-moth Commonwealth Tour, but she has generally worn them on her lapel at daytime events, or at the back of her sash, where they aren’t pictures.
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In 1986, the Queen loaned one of Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches to the newlywed Duchess of York for the Braemar Games, a very unusual gesture but very much appreciated by the Duchess who is a well-known fan of Queen Victoria.
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Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches have continued to among the Queen’s most regularly worn jewels, worn most notably recently on the day she superseded Queen Victoria and became the longest reigning monarch in Britain in 2015. There is no doubt we will continue to see it for years to come.
I’m all for wearing brooches in your hat à la Queen Mother. In fact, I’m all for wearing them on your hair as well! Queen Victoria’s brooches are very pretty, substantial, and versatile. I’m glad she designated them as heirlooms of the crown so that they can’t be gifted to anyone and maybe possibly sold.
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