Happy Birthday to Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who turns 70 today! The accomplished chatelaine of Broadlands, who is High Steward of Romsey, a patron of many charities, and has remained close to the Royal Family over decades, Lady Mountbatten wears several illustrious family heirlooms, which include Queen Louise of Sweden’s Diamond Brooch!
Happy Birthday to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who celebrates her 83rd Birthday today! The exuberant Danish Queen has many splendid Heirlooms from the Swedish, British and German Royal Families, but among the highlights of her historic collection is the spectacular Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who passed away on this day in 1969! The elegant Queen had a splendid and diverse jewellery collection, piled with family heirlooms, as well as contemporary acquisitions and commissions. Some of her jewels remained within the Spanish Royal Family, and are now worn by Queen Letizia but today we are featuring an exquisite piece, whose fate and current whereabouts are involved in mystery: her Turquoise Tiara, which was featured previously, but now has much more additional information that we can now reveal!
King Charles III is presiding over the 200th Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 14th. The Sovereign’s Parade at the end of each term marks the passing out from Sandhurst of Officer Cadets who have completed the Commissioning Course, a year’s intensive training for 169 officer cadets from the UK and 25 from 19 overseas countries.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco are on a visit to Florence to attended a Gala at the Palazzo Vecchio marking the 160th Anniversary of the Principality’s Consulate in Florence, following a visit to the Andrea Bocelli Foundation with Maestro Bocelli and Veronica Berti Bocelli. Continue reading
The British Royal Family hosted King Olav V of Norway on his State Visit to Britain on this day in 1988, following a visit in 1959 and a State Visit to Scotland in 1962. The British and Norwegian Royal Families are very closely related through the British-born Queen Maud of Norway, a sister of the Queen’s grandfather, King George V. The Queen and Duke’s State Visit to Norway in 1955 was the first outgoing State Visit of her Reign, followed by another in 1981, and one in 2001, and they hosted the Norwegian Royal Family in 1959, 1962, 1988, 1994, and 2005. The Royal Family have also frequently holidayed with the Norwegian Royal Family, most notably in 1969.
Happy 20th Anniversary to Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium, who got married on this day in 2003! The British-Belgian bride received some splendid gifts when she married the youngest son of King Albert and Queen Paola, the most spectacular of which was her Wedding Tiara!
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, on their two-day State Visit to The Netherlands on April 11th and 12th to promote and celebrate diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties, and deepening of cooperation, in which France and the Netherlands strive for a stronger, greener and safer Europe. The Dutch King and Queen went on a State Visit to France in 2014.
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Empress Auguste Viktoria of Germany, who died on this day in 1921! The last Kaiserin of Germany, the Empress possessed a plethora of important jewels, of which not much is publicly known, so to mark the day, we are featuring the splendid Prussian Aquamarine Earrings!
The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family attended the annual Easter Sunday Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 9th, which is also the Anniversary of the Wedding of the King and Queen and the Death of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.
Today marks the 70th Anniversary of the Wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium, who got married on this day in 1953! The Belgian Princess received many spectacular jewels, when she married the Heir of the world’s only Grand Duchy, and since we have already featured the Belgian Scroll Tiara, today we are featuring the jewel worn for the wedding, the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara!
Royal Guests and Relatives gathered from around Europe to join the Spanish Royal Family for rhe Funeral of HRH Don Juan of Borbón and Battenberg, Count of Barcelona on this day, 30 years ago. For several years, the Count battled stoically against laryngeal cancer, which eventually defeated him. He died in a hospital in the city of Pamplona with his son, King Juan Carlos I, daughter-in-law, Queen Sofia, elder daughter, Infanta Pilar, and younger daughter, Infanta Margarita, at his bedside. Continue reading
King Charles III, the Head of the Church of England, and Queen Camilla presided over their first Royal Maundy Service at York Minster on April 6th. Last year, the then Prince of Wales represented the Queen at the Royal Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Continue reading
It has recently been announced that next month, Christie’s Geneva will be auctioning the collection of the late philanthropist and billionaire art collector, Heidi Goess-Horten, which is said to be the largest and most valuable private jewellery collection to ever come to auction. The highlight of the sale is the legendary ‘Briolette of India’ Diamond.
Today marks the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, who was born on this day in 1863! Queen Victoria’s Hessian granddaughter who was the sister of the last Empress of Russia and married her Battenberg Cousin, becoming the mother of Earl Mountbatten and Queen Louise of Sweden, and the grandmother of the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria possessed some spectacular jewels, including the Hesse Sapphire Necklace!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria of Sweden, who died on this day in 1930! Born Princess Viktoria of Baden, she brought a plethora of jewels into the Swedish Royal Family when she married the future King Gustav V of Sweden in 1881, including this Pearl and Diamond Ivy Brooch!
Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk, who was born on this day in 1893! The granddaughter, niece and cousin of Kings, who was made a Princess by King Edward VII, and married a Scottish Earl, Princess Maud possessed some spectacular Royal Heirlooms, including Queen Alexandra’s Sapphire Necklace!
Royalty from around Europe joined the Greek Royal Family in Athens for the magnificent Funeral of King George I of Greece at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens on this day in 1913, following the Assassination of the first Greek King just days before his Golden Jubilee.
