Showing posts with label Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet. Show all posts

19 March 2016

"Our Queen at 90" Preview: 2015 Diplomatic Reception

It wouldn't be a milestone occasion for The Queen without a new documentary. Her Majesty's big birthday year brings us Our Queen at 90, airing on Easter Sunday on ITV, which has been making headlines since it was revealed that it would feature a sit-down solo interview with The Duchess of Cambridge. Previews just released promise fun tidbits from interviews with many members of the Royal Family (Kate reveals that George calls The Queen "Gan-gan") and a look inside the year's most elusive tiara engagement: the Diplomatic Reception.

Though the Buckingham Palace Diplomatic Reception is a staple on the annual royal calendar for December, photos are only rarely shown from inside. Documentary crews, however, have proven to be the exception. Let's take a look at what we can see in this short clip:

The Duchess of Cambridge made headlines when she was spotted heading to the reception wearing the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara for the first time, together with a pair of diamond earrings on loan from The Queen. She may have also worn same set of bracelets from The Queen that she did for October's Chinese state banquet, The Queen's Wedding Gift Bracelet and Queen Mary's Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet, although a better look is needed.

This is our first proper look at Kate in that iconic tiara. I have to say, she wears it extremely well. She seems to cover the base more than her late mother-in-law did, which is definitely to her advantage. This is also our first good look at this pale blue Alexander McQueen dress, and it is not what I thought it would be, but I think I like it.

This is a very formal occasion, and it is one at which you see the a part of the Order of the Garter insignia not often seen elsewhere: the actual Garter. The gentlemen are wearing knee breeches with the Garter attached just below the left knee.

Perhaps the most exciting thing here - as far as this blog is concerned - is that we get to see The Queen, finally! Her unseen tiara occasion for 2015 delivered the Garter insignia as well as her Royal Family Orders.

A favorite suite of diamonds was present as well: the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, the Coronation Necklace and Earrings, the Baguette and Brilliant Bracelet, and her current favorite Diamond Evening Watch. Combined with one very sparkly dress, this is as classic a look as you can get from The Queen today.

Our Queen at 90 airs Sunday, March 27, at 8 pm on ITV. ITV and the Mirror offer more quotes and clips.

Photos: Oxford Film & Television / ITV video screencaps
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

20 October 2015

State Visit from China, State Banquet

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, with other members of the Royal Family present, gave a State Banquet in honor of the President of The People’s Republic of China at Buckingham Palace. 


Many guessed The Queen would wear rubies this evening as a nod to her Chinese guests, but she went for a different colored stone surprise: sapphires! All the better to coordinate with her Order of the Garter sash.

It's been quite a while since she wore her Modern Sapphire Tiara, and I'm glad to see her in any colored stone tiara at all. She paired it with the suite of sapphires given to her by her father. She was also wearing a bracelet and presumably a diamond watch as usual, but these items were worn under her gloves.




Video: Don't miss a chance to see other guests in tiaras milling around before the banquet!


And now for the other members of the family:

The Duchess of Cambridge made her State Banquet debut wearing a tomato red Jenny Packham gown with a gorgeous flowing skirt and a sequined top, plus the Lotus Flower Tiara (from The Queen Mother, via Princess Margaret). This is the second time she's worn this pearl and diamond tiara. She also wore diamond pendant earrings on loan from The Queen, which she has worn in the past, and a sparkly bracelet on each wrist.
One of her bracelets appears to be The Queen's Wedding Gift Bracelet - this would be quite a surprising loan, as The Queen still uses it, but the shape is distinctive.The other looks to me like a bracelet worn by The Queen Mother, which started out as a choker for Queen Mary, Queen Mary's Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet (see here for more). To my knowledge, we haven't seen this piece since The Queen Mother's passing.
What she didn't wear was The Queen's Royal Family Order. It may have been widely reported that she was given the honor, but personally, I didn't think we'd see her in it yet for one very simple reason: the other royal women that currently have the order are all full-time working royals, and The Duchess is not (yet). She'll have plenty of time for order-wearing later on.


We got just a peek at The Duchess of Gloucester, in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara in its diamond setting, and Princess Alexandra of Kent, in the pearl setting of the Ogilvy Tiara. (For everyone asking why Princess Alexandra wore her Royal Family Orders on the opposite side, no, we don't know why. She's worn them on top of her Garter sash in the past.)
The Princess Royal was also present (unpictured here, but wearing the Festoon Tiara), as was (I believe) Princess Michael of Kent; The Duchess of Cornwall was absent along with her husband, and The Countess of Wessex had an engagement elsewhere for the evening.


And last but not least, a couple gents, for good measure. Others such as The Duke of York were also present and are unpictured.



Photos: via Getty Images as indicated / Telegraph and BBC video screencaps
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Queen Mary’s Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet

Queen Mary wearing Queen Mary's Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet
This necklace, featuring a series of diamond bars or links, was one of several diamond chokers in Queen Mary’s collection. It is included in The Queen’s Diamonds book where it is labeled as Queen Mary’s Chain-Link Bracelets, so there’s a bit of confusion between these two similar jewels. Also like the Chain-Link Bracelets, this choker later appears to have been used as a bracelet. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore it in her charming 75th birthday portraits by Norman Parkinson (which are among my favorite royal portraits). It now appears to be worn once again by The Duchess of Cambridge, who has likely been loaned the piece by The Queen.

Appearances (on The Duchess of Cambridge):
17 March 2017: Visit to Paris
22 June 2016: Houghton Hall Gala Dinner
8 December 2015: Diplomatic Reception
20 October 2015: State Visit from China, State Banquet

Photos: Popperfoto via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)