Tomorrow 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, which we are rounding up today!
Click on the highlighted links/images below to see the article on each piece, and the highlighted terms above to get to each jewel category!
Greville Tiara
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1921, later altered by the Queen Mother in 1953
Notable Appearances: Royal Visit to Paris in 1938, Tour of South Africa in 1947, numerous Galas and Official Portraits, the Japanese State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 1971, the Wedding Gala of the Prince of Wales in 1981, the Ghillies Ball at Balmoral in 1991, the CHOGM Banquet in Uganda in 2007, at Queen Beatrix’s Abdication Dinner in 2013, and the State Visit to Germany in 2023!
Current Location: In the possession of Queen Camilla
Greville Emerald Tiara
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1919
Notable Appearances: A Concert at the Austrian Embassy in London in 1937 and the Wedding of Princess Eugenie of York
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Greville Festoon Necklace
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Cartier in 1929, with the three smaller strands added later
Notable Appearances: the Dutch State Visit in 1950, the French State Visit in 1960, 100th and 101st Birthday Celebrations the CHOGM Banquet in Uganda in 2007, the Waterloo Bicentenary Banquet in 2015, and the the Prince of Wales’ 70th Birthday Concert at Buckingham Palace in 2018
Current Location: In the possession of Queen Camilla
Greville Ruby Necklace
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1907
Notable Appearances: A Banquet at Rideau Hall in Ottawa in 1951, a Banquet held by the Foreign Office at Lancaster House in 1953, the British State Visit to Sweden in 1956, the Greek State Visit to Britain in 1963, the State Banquet for King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain in 2017, and the Commonwealth Dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2018.
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Greville Emerald Necklace
Origin: Unknown but rumoured to come from the collection of either Empress Joséphine or Queen Marie Antoinette
Notable Appearances: A Concert at the Austrian Embassy in London in 1937, the Belgian State Visit to Britain in 1963, the Wedding of her goddaughter, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1968, the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1972, the Swedish State Visit to Britain in 1975, and the Queen’s ‘Dance of the Decades’ in 1990
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Diamond Peardrop Earrings
Origin: Ordered by Dame Margaret Greville from Cartier in London in 1938
Notable Appearances: The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the French State Visit to Britain in 1960, the Wedding of Princess Margaret in 1960, the Wedding of Princess Alexandra of Kent in 1963, the Ghillies Ball at Balmoral in 1971, the Wedding of Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the Wedding of Duke of York in 1986, the Queen’s 60th Birthday Concert in 1986, and her 100th and 101st Birthday Celebrations
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville from Cartier in London in 1918, with further alterations in 1922 and 1929
Notable Appearances: The State Visit to Denmark, the State Visit to Paris, and the State Visit to the United States in 1957, the State Visit to the Netherlands in 1958, the Danish State Visit to Britain in 1974, the Swedish State Visit to Britain in 1975, the State Visit to Luxembourg in 1976, and the British State Banquet at the White House in 1976, the State Visit to Norway in 1981, State Visit to Sweden in 1983, the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 1986, the Wedding Banquet of Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan and the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
Current Location: In the possession of the Princess of Wales
Greville Emerald Necklace
Origin: Unknown but rumoured to come from the collection of either Empress Joséphine or Queen Marie Antoinette
Notable Appearances: A Concert at the Austrian Embassy in London in 1937 and the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Diamond Stomacher
Origin: Likely commissioned at Cartier in the early 1900s
Notable Appearances: The Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
Current Location: In the possession of Queen Camilla
Greville Pearl Earrings
Origin: Unknown, possibly date from the 1930s
Notable Appearances: Princess Margaret in Canada in 1958, the Jamaican Independence Celebrations in 1962, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon in America in 1965, the Japanese State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 1971, the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1972, the Wedding of Lady Sarah Chatto in 1994, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 2002, the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and the Wedding of Zara Phillips in 2011, and the Funeral of her uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021
Current Location: In the possession of Lady Sarah Chatto
Greville Emerald Earrings
Origin: Ordered by Mrs Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1923
Notable Appearances: A Concert at the Austrian Embassy in London in 1937, the Belgian State Visit to Britain in 1963, the Wedding of her goddaughter, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1968, the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1972, the Swedish State Visit to Britain in 1975, the Queen’s ‘Dance of the Decades’ in 1990, and the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Greville Ivy Leaf Clips
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville from Cartier in London in 1930, with the matching Brooch commissioned in 1937
Notable Appearances: A Dance in Malta in 1951, Tour of Canada in 1951, visit to Washington, D.C, in Kenya in 1952, and on the 70th Anniversary of her Accession in 2022
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Diamond Bow Brooch
Origin: Commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1900
Notable Appearances: The State Opening of Parliament in 1948 and a Gala in 1961
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
Greville Scroll Brooch
Origin: Ordered by Mrs Greville at Cartier in London in 1929
Notable Appearances: 100th Birthday Gala in 2000, Church at Balmoral in 2017
Current Location: In the possession of King Charles III
