Greville Diamond Bow Brooch

Next week marks the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Dame Margaret Greville, the Hon Mrs Greville The illegitimate daughter of a brewery millionaire, she married the son of a Baron, and became a noted Society Hostess, from her magnificent home at Polesden Lacey, getting close to the Queen Mother, to whom she left her enormous Jewellery Collection, so we are featuring several of her jewels, continuing with the Greville Diamond Bow Brooch!

In 1900, Mrs. Greville went to Boucheron in Paris with an old Diamond Knot Tiara, which was dismantled to create another Tiara and this striking Diamond Knot Brooch which was described by Hugh Roberts as ‘large and lively, despite being of exceptional size.’

Dame Margaret Greville, the Hon Mrs Greville was not pictured wearing the Diamond Bow Brooch, and on her death in 1942, the majority of her magnificent Jewellery Collection, all pieces valued over 100 pounds, was inherited by Queen Elizabeth. In 1942, the Queen wrote to Queen Mary:

I must tell you that Mrs Greville has left me her jewels, She has left them to me ‘with her loving thoughts,’ dear old thing, and I feel very touched, I don’t suppose I shall see what they consist of for a long time, owing to the slowness of lawyers & death duties etc, but it is rather exciting to be left something, and I do admire beautiful stones with all my heart.”

When the jewels arrived to the Queen a few months later, there was much unwanted press attention on the contents of the initialled black trunk, which included the Greville Diamond Tiara, an Emerald Tiara, the Festoon Necklace, the Diamond Chandelier Earrings, a Ruby Necklace, two Emerald Necklaces, Ivy Leaf Clips, and a pair of Pearl Earrings, alongside several spectacular Diamond Earrings, Necklaces, Brooches and Bracelets, the true extent of which has never been publicly revealed.

A few years later, Queen Elizabeth wore the Diamond Bow Brooch for the first time at the State Opening of Parliament in 1948, paired with Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara, the Coronation Necklace and Earrings, the Coronation Rivière and Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch.

The next appearance of the Diamond Bow Brooch came on the Queen Mother in 1961, at the Royal Film Performance of ‘The Facts of Life’, paired with the Greville Diamond Tiara.

After the Queen Mother’s passing in 2002, the Bow Brooch, like all of her other jewels, were inherited by her daughter, the Queen, though it was never publicly worn nor loaned to other members of the Royal Family. The Greville Diamond Bow was, however, photographed for The Queen’s Diamonds in 2012.

Earlier this month, Queen Camilla wore a striking Diamond Stomacher from the Queen Mother, which was probably a part of the Greville Bequest, for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. The Stomacher looks to be from the same period as the Brooch (the early 1900s), and was likely made by Cartier (which has been confirmed). Now that she is wearing such splendid heirlooms, let’s hope we see the Greville Diamond Knot Brooch worn soon!