Queen Mary’s City of London Choker

~ Saad719

The Princess Royal celebrates her 70th Birthday this week! The only daughter of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, who has been a working member of the Royal Family for over 50 Years, Princess Anne possesses an impressive collection of jewels, and to mark the occasion, we are featuring her Top 7 Jewels, continuing with with Queen Mary’s City of London Choker.

When Princess May of Teck married her late fiancé’s brother, the future King George V in 1893, she received Seven Tiaras, Fifteen Necklaces, Twenty-Six Bracelets, and Forty-Four Brooches among the 130 spectacular pieces of Jewellery given by Family, Friends, Cities, Institutions and Counties from various parts of the United Kingdom and the British Empire.

From the Lord Mayor and the City of London, Princess May received a pair of Pearl and Diamond Bracelets in a lattice design, which could be worn together as a choker (h/t to the wonderful Beth). Similar Pearl and Diamond Chokers belonged to the Marchioness of Cambridge and Princess Marie Louise.

The City of London Choker was a lifelong favourite of Queen Mary, often worn with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara or the the Ladies of England Tiara in the years after her Wedding.

In later years, Queen Mary wore the City of London Choker with the  Vladimir Tiara and also her  Delhi Durbar Tiara and Lover’s Knot Tiara.

The City of London Choker was one of the rare jewels that was not modified by Queen Mary and remained in her possession her until her death in 1953. The Choker was inherited by the late Queen, and since she never wear chokers, it remained unworn for decades.

However, in 2001, when Princess Anne wore the City of London Choker to the annual “Festival Of Trees” Gala at the Natural History Museum, which raises funds for Save The Children. (A huge credit to Franck and Beth of the History of Famous Jewels Message Board for this amazing find).

Princess Anne wore Queen Mary’s City of London Choker at the same “Festival Of Trees” Gala at the Natural History Museum again in 2005, and now we await its next appearance!

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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

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

 Cullinan Diamond

Queen Mary’s Art Deco Emerald Choker

Queen Mary’s City of London Choker

Queen Mary’s Diamond and Pearl Riviere

Queen Mary’s Diamond Choker Bracelet

Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker

Queen Mary’s 11-row Pearl Choker

Coronation Necklace and Earrings

Queen Mary’s Love Trophy Collar

Queen Mary’s Diamond Stomacher

Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch

Queen Adelaide’s Diamond Brooch

Queen Mary’s Diamond Thistle Brooch

Countess of Snowdon’s Diamond Clips

Diamond Pendant

Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch

Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch

Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bracelet

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bar Brooches

Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Brooch

In 1893, Princess May of Teck received a pair of Pearl and Diamond Bracelets in a lattice design, which could be worn together as a choker, and were a Wedding Gift from the Lord Mayor and the City of London to mark her Wedding to the future George V (as illustrated by this sketch of the wedding gifts found by the wonderful Beth).

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The Choker was a lifelong favourite, often worn with the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara, the Vladimir Tiara, and her Lover’s Knot Tiara, being one of the rare jewels that was not modified and remained with her until her death in 1953.

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Queen Mary’s City of London Choker was inherited by the Queen, and since she doesn’t wear chokers, it remained unworn until 2001 (a huge credit to Franck and Beth of the History of Famous Jewels Message Board for this amazing find), when Princess Anne wore the City of London Choker to the annual “Festival Of Trees” Gala at the Natural History Museum, which raises funds for Save The Children. She wore Queen Mary’s City of London Choker at the same Gala again in 2005, and now we await its next appearance.

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RJWMB | HFJCMB

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