Happy Birthday to Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, who turns 85 today! The only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Princess Alexandra is the Queen’s only paternal female cousin and has worn some spectacular jewels over the past seven decades as a working royal, among which are her spectacular Pearl and Diamond Necklace!
Ogilvy Tiara | Golden Jubilee Necklace | Pearl Corsage Brooch | Pearl Earrings | Pearl and Diamond Necklace | Emerald Brooch/Choker | Pearl Circle Bandeau | Crochet Bandeau | City of London Fringe Tiara | Festoon Tiara
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Consisting of two rows of diamonds, from which three pear-shaped pearls and two diamond pendants are suspended, this necklace is of unknown provenance, but may have been inherited from Queen Mary, who was pictured in a similar piece (as Beth notes), though it is also likely that the necklace was acquired for Princess Alexandra, or may have even come from the legendary Vladimir Collection, with all the Pearls inherited by Princess Alexandra’s grandmother, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Princess Nicholas of Greece. The necklace first made an appearance on the then 16-year old Princess Alexandra at the Coronation of her cousin Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and was also worn for a series of portraits taken by Cecil Beaton around that time.
#RoyalFlashback | Royal Guests and Relatives at the Wedding Gala of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy at the the Palace Hotel in Estoril #OnThisDay in 1955: https://t.co/rHcSwGaozF pic.twitter.com/WlbMFhYaC6
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) February 10, 2021
#RoyalFlashback | Royal Guests and Relatives at the Wedding Gala of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy at the the Palace Hotel in Estoril #OnThisDay in 1955: https://t.co/rHcSwGaozF pic.twitter.com/WlbMFhYaC6
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) February 10, 2021
As Princess Alexandra grew up and became a full-time working member of the Royal Family, the Pearl and Diamond Necklace was often worn with Queen Mary’s Crochet Bandeau or the Kent Circle Bandeau for a plethora of splendid occasions, including the Wedding Gala of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy in 1955, her famous Tour of Australia, and the French State Visit to Britain in 1960.
Princess Alexandra continued to wear her Pearl and Diamond Necklace into the early 1960s, most notably with the Kent Festoon Tiara and Empress Frederick’s Pearl Brooch for when she gave Independence to Nigeria in 1960. The Necklace was also worn with her Pearl Earrings and Queen Olga’s Diamond Stars for a series of portraits taken by Cecil Beaton. Around the time of her marriage, despite getting her pearl and diamond Ogilvy Tiara, which would have coordinated well with the necklace, the piece seems to have disappeared from public view, and was not worn again publicly. It might have been sold, stolen, or broken up to create other jewels, but the eventual fate of the Pearl and Diamond Necklace remains unknown.
Ogilvy Tiara | Golden Jubilee Necklace | Pearl Corsage Brooch | Pearl Earrings | Pearl and Diamond Necklace | Pearl Circle Bandeau | Crochet Bandeau | City of London Fringe Tiara | Festoon Tiara
This is a very unusual necklace and it suits Princess Alexandra very well. But let’s be honest, she’s such an elegant lady that anything and everything looks good on her! Happy Birthday to the Princess! I wish her joy!