Queen Mary's Pearl and Diamond Floral Bracelet

Queen Mary's Pearl and Diamond Floral Bracelet

One of several pearl bracelets in The Queen's collection, Queen Mary's Pearl and Diamond Floral Bracelet has five strands of pearls in graduated sizes and a diamond clasp. The clasp is a diamond flower featuring five petals around a diamond center. Each petal has a large central diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds to form a petal with curved dimension.

Queen Mary

As the name indicates, this bracelet came from the collection of The Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary. It is likely she inherited it with many of the rest of Queen Mary's personal jewels when Mary died in 1953.

The bracelet is worn together with other pearl and diamond jewelry in the Queen's collection for formal occasions.

Appearances: 
8 May 2013: State Opening of Parliament
2010: State Visit from Qatar
2000: State Visit to Italy, Papal Audience 

Photos: PA

The Greville Tiara

The Greville Tiara

The Greville Tiara, also often known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, was part of the Greville bequest to Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother. The top of the tiara was altered by the Queen Mum, who counted this among the two tiaras she wore in her later years. It passed to the Queen in 2002. She never wore it, but loaned it to the Duchess of Cornwall following her 2005 wedding to the Prince of Wales. It has become the Duchess' most-worn tiara.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances (all prior to 2002 on Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, all after 2005 on The Duchess of Cornwall):
11 December 2019: Diplomatic Reception
14 October 2019: State Opening of Parliament
23 October 2018: State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet 
5 December 2017: Diplomatic Reception
12 July 2017: State Visit from Spain, State Banquet 
8 December 2016: Diplomatic Reception
1 November 2016: State Visit from Colombia, State Banquet
18 May 2016: State Opening of Parliament
27 November 2015: Visit to Malta, Day 2, CHOGM Dinner
18 June 2015: The Duke of Wellington's Waterloo Banquet
27 May 2015: State Opening of Parliament 
3 March 2015: State Visit from Mexico, State Banquet 
4 June 2014: State Opening of Parliament
8 April 2014: State Visit from Ireland
15 November 2013: CHOGM Dinner (plus previous years)
8 May 2013: State Opening of Parliament
29 April 2013: Dutch Pre-Inauguration Dinner (at Order of Splendor)
27 November 2012: State Visit from Kuwait (at Order of Splendor)
24 May 2011: State Visit from the United States (at Order of Splendor)
2010: State Visit from Qatar  
2010: State Visit from South Africa
2009: State Visit from India
2008: State Visit from France
2007: CHOGM Dinner
1998: State Visit from Japan
1991: Balmoral Ghillies Ball
1986: State Visit from Spain 
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands
1972: State Visit from the Netherlands
1960: State Visit from France   
1958: State Visit from Germany

Royal Windsor Horse Show

The Queen attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show (May 8-12) on various days.

The horse show is usually a time for the Queen on casual duty - a single strand of pearls peeking out from under her headscarf and coat, with her rings and casual watch - but there are glimpses of the duty uniform. This year, an emerald and an amethyst came out to play.

Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch
Kent Amethyst Brooch
Single Strand Pearl Necklace
Black Strap Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Photos:Getty Images/PA/PacificCoastNews

Temple Church Organ Rededication

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were present for the rededication of the newly refurbished Temple Church Organ during Choral Evensong at Temple Church, London.

Click above for an article and video from ITV.

Today's engagement is not the news of the day, obviously: Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen would be represented by the Prince of Wales at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, the first CHOGM meeting she's missed in 40 years. Inevitable...and yet a touch surprising at the same time.

Queen Victoria's 11 Pearl Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Photo: ITV screencap

Flashback: The State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament is one of the most formal and ceremonial items on the Queen's agenda for the year. It's an event filled with history - nearly everything about it is symbolic in some way. She opens a new session of Parliament by traveling to the Palace of Westminster (home of Parliament) and reading a speech outlining the government's agenda for the new session. The speech is written for her by the government.

The State Opening usually happens once a year, though there are exceptions (including 1974, when there were two - one of which was a "dressed down" version - and 2011, when no State Opening fell during the year). It has often occurred at the end of the year (November, December), but starting in 2012 it falls in May. The Queen has missed only two of these ceremonies, in 1959 while expecting Prince Andrew and 1963 while expecting Prince Edward.

When it comes to jewels, the State Opening offers us a chance to see some things we don't see at any other events. The Queen always departs Buckingham Palace wearing the George IV State Diadem, the only time she uses it apart from selected portrait sittings. When she arrives at the Palace of Westminster, she changes into her parliamentary robe and the Imperial State Crown, which has previously been retrieved from its home with the rest of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and has traveled to Parliament in a coach ahead of the Queen. This is the only time, apart from the coronation, when the crown is used. Prior to departure, she will change back into the George IV State Diadem. (In 1952, before her crowning, she simply kept the state diadem on for the ceremony.) This is also one of the only times we get to see her wear the Collar and Great George of the Order of the Garter, which is draped over her shoulders.

The Queen wears a dress in white or gold and selects a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and evening watch to go with. These are usually pearl and diamond, but there are years where colored jewels have made the cut. Thanks to this preference for white, the Queen's appearance can look near identical from one year to the next, and getting the year accurate can be a trial (you'll have to forgive any mistakes here). This flashback of selected State Opening appearances will focus on the necklaces and earrings. The wrist elements are harder to identify, particularly from past years; Queen Mary's Chain-Link Bracelets, the Wedding Gift Bracelet, and Queen Victoria's Bracelet are popular, as are various pieces from her collection of diamond evening watches, including her current favorite.

State Openings Covered In Depth:

2019
2017 (A "dressed down" version) 
2016
2015
2014
2013

2012

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace and Queen Victoria's Pearl Drop Earrings

As her favorite pearl and diamond necklace, it's no surprise that the Jubilee Necklace is perhaps the most often worn item for the State Opening. It was her pick for her first year as Queen, in 1952, paired with the pearl drop earrings.

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace and the Gloucester Pendant Earrings

The necklace has been particularly popular in her later years. Her pairing with the Gloucester Pendant Earrings is so much a favorite, it's practically a parure of its own.

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace and Queen Alexandra's Wedding Parure Earrings

She has, however, used the smaller pearl earrings from Queen Alexandra on a few occasions, which is not a pairing we see as often. 

The Coronation Necklace and Earrings

The Coronation Necklace is a popular choice with the Queen at any formal occasion, obviously including this most formal of events. The necklace is usually paired with the matching earrings, and such is the case here.

The George VI Festoon Necklace and Various Earrings

It's unusual to see the Coronation Earrings paired with something besides the Coronation Necklace, but they've been paired with the Festoon Necklace here (1954, 1969). Other earring matches include the Antique Girandole Earrings (1968, 2002), Queen Mary's Floret Earrings (2007), and the Diamond Pendant Earrings (2012).

The Baring Ruby Necklace and Queen Mary's Ruby Cluster Earrings

When a colored stone is selected, it's usually rubies, which pick up on the red of the robe and the Black Prince's Ruby (which is actually a spinel) at the front of the crown. The Baring Ruby Necklace is the most popular choice, usually paired with Queen Mary's Ruby Cluster Earrings.

The Ruby Swag Necklace and the Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace

Other ruby choices less frequently worn include the Ruby Swag Necklace and matching earrings (feature to come), and the large Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace, which was even paired with the Coronation Earrings in 1965.

Other Choices

Emeralds have been chosen for the State Opening at least once, in 1955, when the Queen wore the Delhi Durbar Earrings and the Delhi Durbar Necklace. And 2010 brought a surprise in a primarily pearl necklace, a double strand necklace which may be the Hanover pearls, very old indeed.

Many parts of the State Opening of Parliament are precisely the same today as they were when the Queen started her reign, and for many years before that. But one thing that has changed is the number of members of the royal family in attendance alongside the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The ceremony used to be attended by a large royal contingent including Princess Margaret, the Gloucesters, Kents, and so on, but royal attendance has been largely cut back.

The late Princess of Wales' attendance at the ceremony revealed a few other pieces from the Queen's jewelry collection: the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, in 1981 and 1991, and the King Khalid Diamond Necklace in 1982. When Princess Anne attended as a young princess, she did so on occasion in the Halo Scroll Tiara.


Photos: PA/Getty Images/Corbis/ITNSource/CSPAN/British Pathe

Recent Portrait Releases

Two new portraits of the Queen have recently been revealed.

Poor portrait painters. Most portraits just get criticized, and praise seems rare. Such is the case with the two most recent portraits of the Queen. The first (above) was commissioned by the Royal Mail - the first time they've commissioned one - to cap a special collection marking the 60th anniversary of the coronation. Click here to read more at the Royal Mail's site and here for more on the painting itself. For this painting, the Queen is wearing Queen Victoria's Pearl Drop Earrings and one of her three strand pearl necklaces in addition to her Garter robes.

The second was commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union, again in honor of the 60th anniversary of the coronation. Click here for more. This is your daily Queen look: her button earrings, three strand pearl necklace, gold watch, and presumably twisting her engagement ring. The brooch could be the Diamond Bouquet Brooch, allowing for hefty amounts of artistic license, of course. UPDATE: This is the Daffodil Spray Brooch.

Photos:Royal Mail/PA

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court in Surrey.

Click above for an article and video from The Telegraph.

Well, this is a lovely visit. And one of my favorite outfits to boot!

Jardine Star Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Photo: Telegraph screencap