07 April 2015

Flashback: The Wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, 2005

In honor of their 10th wedding anniversary, we're looking at the guests at Charles and Camilla's wedding on the other blog (and we've looked at Camilla's wedding ensembles there in the past), but a jewel flashback is in order over here. We've been focusing on some of the main pieces from the couple's engagement and wedding since we added Camilla's jewels to the blog, and now we'll round them up as they were worn on that big day. And we won't forget about The Queen, either!
Video: The civil wedding
The long-awaited day finally came on April 9, 2005 - just one day later than planned, after things were postponed so that Prince Charles could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome.
For their civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall in front of a close family group, Camilla donned an oyster Robinson Valentine dress and coat with a Philip Treacy hat. She pinned on her petite Pearl and Diamond Prince of Wales Feather Brooch, a perfect choice as it was both her husband's symbol and also a gift from him that she had been wearing for some time. To this, she added her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings.
After a change of dress (a Robinson Valentine coat dress for the bride), it was off to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the larger blessing ceremony. Her Diamond Flower Pendant Earrings added a small touch of luxury without going over the top for a daytime affair, and the rest of the accessorizing was accomplished by her golden Philip Treacy headpiece. Of course, her heirloom diamond engagement ring and new gold wedding band were in place throughout the day.
Also in attendance at the blessing ceremony: Her Majesty, looking resplendent in a yellow and cream outfit that was a perfect showcase for the yellow and white diamonds of the Australian Wattle Brooch. The Queen does have a tendency to increase her diamond wattage for big royal weddings, and this was no exception. It's a testament to how much she enjoys her Australian gift, that she would wear it to such a prominent occasion, and I do love that she wore what is perhaps her most noted Commonwealth gift to the wedding of the future king. A gorgeous choice for a happy day, wouldn't you say?

Photos: via Getty Images and Hugo Bernand/Clarence House
Posted by at
Labels: ,

06 April 2015

The Duchess of Cornwall's Pearl and Diamond Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch

The Duchess of Cornwall's Pearl and Diamond Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch
The Duchess of Cornwall has a handful of jewels at her disposal that depict the triple feather heraldic badge of her husband, The Prince of Wales, and this brooch was an early addition to her collection. It's a small diamond rendition of the Prince of Wales' feathers stemming from a single gray pearl in a diamond surround. According to a feature in Hello! magazine, it was given to Camilla in the late 1990s and has been seen in public since at least 1999. The magazine wrote that the brooch was among a group of Prince of Wales feather pins Charles had made to give to close friends.
The brooch's most significant appearance came when it was pinned to her Robinson Valentine coat for the couple's civil wedding ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005 - a subtle touch, but perfectly fitting for the occasion. It is one of the smaller brooch options from the section of her jewel collection that relates specifically to the Prince of Wales title, and she continues to wear it regularly.

Appearances:
11 June 2016: Trooping the Colour
7 June 2016: Visit to Wales 
19 May 2016: Buckingham Palace Garden Party
16 December 2015: Buckingham Palace Family Christmas Luncheon
2005: The Wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall  

Photos: via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

05 April 2015

Easter Service

The Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, attended Easter Service in Windsor.
We'll be covering the royal Easter fashions on the other blog tomorrow, but for now, a brooch. The Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch, specifically, one of the earliest brooches given to Her Maj. I half expected the Aquamarine Clips when I saw this outfit from afar, so this was a nice surprise!


Photos:WPA Pool via Getty Images, ITNSource video
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

03 April 2015

The Duchess of Cornwall's Diamond Flower Pendant Earrings

The Duchess of Cornwall's Diamond Flower Pendant Earrings
The earrings worn by The Duchess of Cornwall for the blessing ceremony on the day she wed The Prince of Wales were a pair from her personal collection. Designed in diamonds, they have an arched pendant with a flower and stem inside hanging from a small flower stud. The hoop of the pendant has a line of single round stones on one side and a chevron or leaf pattern on the other. 
On her wedding day
The wedding was their highest profile outing, but they predate that important day in her collection; she has been seen wearing them since at least 2002. The Duchess also loaned them to her daughter, Laura Parker Bowles, who wore them for her 2006 wedding to Harry Lopes:
Laura Parker Bowles
Interestingly, another pair of these earrings also received a high profile wedding show. Lady Tamara Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, wore an identical pair for her 2004 wedding to Edward van Cutsem:
Lady Tamara Grosvenor
An obvious conclusion here would be that they were a retail piece from a jeweler at one point in time (if you have more information, please let me know).
As for Camilla, these earrings were a particular favorite to wear with her diamond serpent necklace early on (as seen above, at a 2005 White House dinner). She does continue to use them, though we naturally see them less often as the variety in her collection has grown.

Appearances:
2005: Official Visit from Norway
2005: The Wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall 

Photos: via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

02 April 2015

Royal Maundy Service

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, attended the Royal Maundy Service at Sheffield Cathedral, Sheffield.
Well, this is a nice surprise: the Mappin & Webb Orchid Brooch, seen for only the second time! Almost exactly a year after its debut, too. (See the link below for more info on this recent gift.) And it has a whole new life on a slightly darker background, which allows the transparent petals to stand out and really shows off the size of the piece. My appreciation for this jewel continues to grow.


Photos:via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

01 April 2015

The Duchess of Cornwall's Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings

The Duchess of Cornwall's Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings
Currently The Duchess of Cornwall's favorite pick for day-to-day wear, these earrings feature a pierced round pearl pendant hanging from a detailed silver-toned disk. It appears there may be some type of stone in the top portion, but it's difficult to tell.
It's doubly difficult to see the details because in regular use, you can't see the top portion of the earrings anyway. They remain covered by The Duchess' signature hairstyle, and are primarily identifiable by the round pearls which just peek out from below her hair. These are currently her everyday earrings, worn to most engagements, but they're worn to some evening events too. They were also her pick for her civil wedding to The Prince of Wales on April 9, 2005.

Appearances: These are, as stated, worn nearly every day. Individual appearances will not be listed separately, but those that have been covered on this blog are tagged and can be seen by clicking here.

Photos: via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

George III Project Launch

The Queen attended the launch of a project to make the letters of George III available to the public digitally at the Royal Library, Windsor Castle.
And here's Cullinan V, looking smashing in its fourth appearance for the year, and on its way to making the end of the year favorites list.


Photo: WPA Pool via Getty Images
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)