31 December 2018

2018: The Year in The Queen's Jewels

For the seventh (!) year in a row, it’s time to finish out The Queen’s year in jewels with a look back at 2018’s favorite brooches, tiara appearances, loans, and more. (Previously: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.)

The Most Popular Brooches 
The Queen wore around 50 identifiable brooches in 2018, which is a decrease from last year’s 65. (As always, these tallies are inevitably underestimated because they include only those events which are a) cataloged here and b) featured an identifiable brooch.) The brooches we did see were pretty evenly distributed in terms of number of sightings, meaning that a bunch of ties top the list for the most appearances in 2018.


New to the favorites ranking this year are the Diamond and Pearl Navette Brooch and the Triple Diamond Bar Brooch. Meanwhile, some of the usual favorites are nowhere to be found: the Frosted Sunflower Brooch is absent for another year after zero 2018 appearances, and the Aquamarine Clip Brooches were spotted just once this year.

The Brooch Debuts and Rare Brooches 
Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall
In 2018, we saw the first public appearance of one known gift, the Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch, and the return (and first appearance beyond its original outing at the time of the gift) of the American State Visit Brooch. We were also treated to the reappearance of the Multi-Color Pendant Brooch.

The Most Significant Brooch of the Year 
BBC
2018 brought us two appearances of the Cullinan III and IV Brooch. (I honestly thought we’d seen the last of it in use, so this was a serious treat!) Both appearances held special significance: once for The Coronation documentary and once for the Dutch State Banquet, honoring Dutch ties because the Cullinan was cut in Amsterdam.

The Tiara Appearances
Royal Family
The Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara returned in 2018 after a couple years’ break, and it quickly made up for lost time. The Queen wore it for all three of her 2018 tiara appearances: the CHOGM Dinner, the Dutch State Banquet, and the Diplomatic Reception.

The Loans of the Year 
BBC/ITV
Of course, the two biggest tiara surprises of the year came in the form of loans, as The Queen used a double royal wedding year to confirm the existence of two mysterious tiaras: Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara and the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, worn by The Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie, respectively, on their wedding days.
 
Loans of other pieces of jewelry continued apace as well, including Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace for The Duchess of Cambridge at the Dutch State Banquet. One of the most exciting loans was one we didn’t even get to properly see: Princess Eugenie wore one of Queen Victoria’s Wheat-Ear Brooches in her hair for her wedding reception.

And that's a wrap on 2018! Here's to more sparkling surprises in 2019...

What was your favorite sparkly moment in The Queen's year?
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30 December 2018

Church at Sandringham

The Queen and members of The Royal Family attended church at Sandringham, Norfolk.
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No brooch! Again! Here's hoping this trend doesn't carry over into 2019.

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

This brooch-free appearance should wrap up Her Maj's year in brooches, though, so stay tuned for our annual wrap up post!
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25 December 2018

Christmas Service and Christmas Broadcast, 2018

Merry Christmas! We'll be chatting about the other fashions from the British royal family's Christmas church gathering at the other blog tomorrow. But first, The Queen:

The Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, attended Christmas service at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham.
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Interesting outfit choice from Her Maj today, perhaps overdoing it with the festive trimmings - that's a loud pink trim on the coat and some Camilla-level feather overload on the hat. She accented the bright pink with her pink sapphire.

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Three Strand Pearl Necklace


The Queen's annual message was broadcast on Christmas Day.
Royal Family screencap

The Grima Ruby got the nod for this year's Christmas broadcast. A somewhat puzzling choice to me, given the dress seems to have some blue in it, but certainly a family-themed one (as a gift from Philip). That fits right in line with all the family events of the year, which were represented in the photographs on display and in the content of the speech (which you can view here).

Royal Family screencap

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23 December 2018

Church at Sandringham

The Queen and members of The Royal Family attended church at Sandringham, Norfolk.
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From what I can see (there are more pics here, at The Sun), it looks like Her Maj is going brooch-less again. I hope she's saving up a good one for Christmas service...

Three Strand Pearl Necklace (most likely, but under the coat collar)
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20 December 2018

Train to Sandringham

The Queen traveled to Sandringham for the Christmas holiday.
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Another year, another brooch-less ride to Sandringham. Let the Christmas festivities officially begin...
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13 December 2018

Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn Visit

The Queen visited the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn to officially open the new Ashworth Centre and re-open the recently renovated Great Hall. She was accompanied by The Duke of York, Royal Bencher of the Inn.
Royal Family

The rubies in this brooch look extra pink on this most vibrant of pink outfits, and the gold picks up the buttons nicely. Well matched, this combo.

Royal Family
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11 December 2018

Christmas Staff Luncheon

The Queen hosted a pre-Christmas lunch for close staff at the Goring Hotel, London.
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I think some pearls would have been splendid on this light blue suit, but the Palm Leaf - in just its third appearance for the year - does the job well as always.

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05 December 2018

Coram Center Opening

The Queen opened the Queen Elizabeth II Centre at Coram, the United Kingdom's oldest children's charity.
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I don't really keep track of Her Maj's outfits, but even I can't help but notice this is the second appearance for this outfit in a month! And each time, it makes a wonderful canvas for an impressive diamond brooch.

Royal Family
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04 December 2018

The 2018 Diplomatic Reception and Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen hosted the annual Diplomatic Reception for ambassadors at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of Cambridge, and The Duchess of Cambridge were also present.
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The release of photos from inside this year's reception warranted coverage on the other blog, where you can check in with all The Queen's diamonds and the pearls of The Duchesses. Click here to check it out.


The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.
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Her Maj had some diplomats to welcome before the fancy reception, and this brooch is open for your guessing.

Engagement and Wedding Rings 

 
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30 November 2018

RAF Regiment Portrait Presentation

At Windsor Castle, The Queen viewed a new portrait commissioned by the RAF Regiment to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The Queen, Air Commodore in Chief of the RAF Regiment, was painted by artist Stuart Brown in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
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Her Maj in Windsor mode, with a double strand of pearls. (Tough to tell if she's wearing her usual earrings here; sometimes she goes for pearl studs instead.) And there's something of a double brooch situation: the Pearl Trefoil in real life and an RAF Regiment Badge in the painting. That brooch was presented to her by the regiment and shows the Astral Crown and crossed Lee Enfield rifles.

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27 November 2018

Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.

It's been almost a year since we've spotted the Cambridge Pearl Pendant - but given how popular it usually is for audiences, it wouldn't surprise me if it's been a hidden audience brooch this year.

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23 November 2018

Audiences at Buckingham Palace

November 22: The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.

Looks like we have the Ruby and Gold Flower Brooch here, which makes another interesting color match for this brooch. We've previously seen it on green and purple outfits.

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20 November 2018

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 150th Anniversary

The Queen, Patron, visited the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London to mark the organization's 150th anniversary.
Royal Family

Amazing how different a brooch can look when it's just worn differently, no? I nearly thought this one was something new, before a better look revealed that it is simply the Modern Ruby Brooch worn upside down from its normal position. That's the easiest sort of brooch variety, and it's a nice change.

Royal Family

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15 November 2018

Anglo-Norse Society Centenary

The Queen and The King of Norway, Joint Patrons, attended a centenary reception for the Anglo-Norse Society in London.
Royal Family

A handy little joint engagement while the extended fam's in town for Charles' birthday party, how about that?

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It's a brooch treat, too. We haven't seen the Dorset Bow Brooch used outside of the Cenotaph remembrance service and one state banquet since this site's been in existence. (I like to think she had it out as a contender for Remembrance Sunday and then decided to give it a consolation appearance when it didn't make the final cut.) The size works really well here, balancing the bow at the waist nicely.

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Royal Family

A bonus bunad alert in Britain! I like this whole engagement very much.
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14 November 2018

The Duchesses at The Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Party

The Queen hosted a 70th birthday party for The Prince of Wales tonight at Buckingham Palace.
Chris Jackson/Clarence House

Tonight's party for Prince Charles was deemed a private event and no pictures were released from inside, mainly leaving us with a few car photos of guests arriving - except, of course, for the birthday boy himself. Charles and Camilla posed for a portrait before leaving Clarence House. 

The Duchess wore a new navy gown by Bruce Oldfield with her Pear Drop Diamond Demi-Parure and her favorite diamond bracelet. The necklace and earrings have been among her favorite jewels in her marriage, and with good reason. A fabulous glittering look for them both!


The Royal Family did publish The Queen's touching birthday toast to her son:

 “It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday. It means that you have lived long enough to see your child grow up.

 It is rather like - to use an analogy I am certain will find favour - planting a tree and being able to watch it grow. My mother saw me turn 70, of course. And she was heard to observe that 70 is exactly the age when the number of candles on your cake finally exceeds the amount of breath you have to blow them out. 

Over his 70 years, Philip and I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader - a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history - and a wonderful father. Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative. 

So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a duchy original. To you Charles. To the Prince of Wales.”


From the other two top duchesses in the family, we got a duo of mystery earrings.

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The Duchess of Sussex wore the pair of earrings she debuted at a dinner in Fiji on the couple's recent tour. It was said that they are borrowed - but the palace declined to specify from whom they were borrowed. Since they usually say when things come from The Queen, I'm inclined to believe these are not from HM's vault. Time might tell, I guess.

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The Duchess of Cambridge wore a big pair of pink-toned earrings last seen at the BAFTA Awards in 2016. There has been some question if these are costume pieces; I don't think so, particularly given their appearance here. These are in Kate's collection, not borrowed from The Queen.

As for the other guests: the Norwegian royal family posed for a photographer on their way to the party. That's about it so far. Car pictures all around! Typical of the Windsors, what can you say.
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Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.
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Something with a pearl, but other than that, I'm turning the guessing game over to you.

Unidentified Brooch
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13 November 2018

Investiture at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace.

We don't get to see the brooch here, but apparently "wonderful diamonds" were involved, according to the post-investiture interview tweeted by the Royal Family .

Unidentified Brooch
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11 November 2018

Armistice Centenary Service

The Queen and members of the Royal Family attended the National Service to mark the centenary of the Armistice at Westminster Abbey, London.
BBC

The Queen was joined by the President of Germany at this evening's service, which the two began by laying fresh flowers at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

Westminster Abbey

The flowers, as you can see, were of bright colors to symbolize celebration at this armistice service, according to Westminster Abbey. (And for the flower lovers among you, the arrangement includes heather, gerbera, lilies, roses, and chrysanthemums.)

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Fittingly, the black dress code we usually see for remembrance gave way to some more colorful attire from the Royal Family. The Queen used the Jardine Star Brooch to hold her poppies on her purple coat.

Three Strand Pearl Necklace


BBC

The Queen was joined by The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent for the Westminster Abbey service. Other members of the Royal Family were dispatched to services around the United Kingdom: The Duke of York was in Belfast, The Earl and Countess of Wessex were in Cardiff, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were in Glasgow.

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The Duchess of Cornwall joined The Queen in purple attire, wearing her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings and the Poppy Collection Women of the First World War Brooch. Her pearl choker is a newer addition to her collection and one we haven't yet covered.

Westminster Abbey

The Duchess of Cambridge repeated her green Catherine Walker coat and added a green velvet Jane Taylor headband. She wore a crystal poppy brooch and her pearl earrings from this morning.

Westminster Abbey

 The Duchess of Sussex joined her husband in the navy suit club with her elegant skirt suit choice. I like her nice big poppy - especially since some were complaining that they couldn't see the poppy she wore at the Festival of Remembrance.

And with that, we cap off a very busy two days of remembrance for the Royal Family.
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Remembrance Sunday

The Queen and members of the Royal Family attended the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, London. The service honors those that have died in armed conflicts.
BBC

As she did last year, The Queen watched the Cenotaph ceremony from one of the Foreign Office balconies while The Prince of Wales laid  her wreath. This year she broke with her tradition of wearing one of her bow brooches to hold her cluster of poppies. She wore The Queen Mother's Shell Brooch instead. The jewelry choices, frivolous as they may seem to discuss given the occasion, can often add additional insight. That is certainly the case with The Queen's brooch choice today.

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We've seen The Queen wear pieces from her mother's collection multiple times for war remembrance events. In the year of the armistice centenary, choosing one of The Queen Mother's favorites seems an additional nod to the four Bowes-Lyon brothers that fought in the First World War, one of whom was killed in action.

This particular brooch offers yet more significance of its own; it was designed by Lord Courtauld-Thomson (its longer name is the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-shell Brooch), who was Chief Commissioner for the British Red Cross during the First World War. The jewel was made in 1919. (As always, full stories on jewel history can be found in the links below.)

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

MOD Crown copyright 2018

The Queen was joined on her balcony The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duchess of Cambridge. The Duchess of Cornwall repeated her jewelry from last year's service; her badge belonged to The Queen Mother and is of special significance to Camilla because her late father served with the 12th Lancers.

9/12th Lancers Badge

The Duchess of Cambridge wore her Poppy Collection Women of the First World War Brooch and repeated pearl earrings by Cassandra Goad.

MOD Crown copyright 2018

The Duchess of Sussex joined Frau Elke Büdenbender, wife of the German president, on another balcony. "Federal German President His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid a wreath on behalf of the German people. It is the first time since the Cenotaph was inaugurated in 1920 that a representative of Germany took part in the National Service of Remembrance and his attendance symbolises the peace and friendship that exists between our two countries today," according to the Ministry of Defence.

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The Countess of Wessex was on another balcony with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. She wore a Rifles badge, because she is Royal Colonel of the 5th Battalion. The Countess of Wessex Blog identified her ceramic poppy brooch; it was made by and given to her by the visually impaired students at St. Vincent's School. The students make these poppy brooches as a campaign to leave "a lasting legacy for those who lost their sight in the Great War." The Countess regularly supports charities for the blind and visually impaired. It's a personal cause for her since her daughter, Lady Louise, was born with an eye condition.

MOD Crown copyright 2018

The Prince of Wales led things on the ground, laying The Queen's wreath on her behalf.

MOD Crown copyright 2018

The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke of Sussex, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal, The Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent all laid wreaths as well. The Duke of Edinburgh's (who was not present at the ceremony today) was laid by his equerry, a Captain in the Grenadier Guards.
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10 November 2018

Festival of Remembrance

The Queen and other members of the Royal Family attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
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The Festival of Remembrance regularly warrants an upgrade to The Queen's usual jewel selections, and the year of the armistice centenary warrants the second appearance of the large Richmond Brooch for the year. (It was also worn to the Sussex wedding.) It's unusual to see it twice in a year, but it has been used to anchor The Queen's cluster of poppies for this event in the past.

BBC

She also wore Queen Alexandra's Wedding Earrings and a double strand of pearls.

Two Strand Pearl Necklace

Royal British Legion

Members of the Royal Family in attendance were The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

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The Duchess of Cornwall continued to use her Poppy Collection Women of the First World War Brooch again, as she did throughout her recent African tour. She also wore her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings.

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We can see from the stem that The Duchess of Cambridge has once again worn the Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch on loan from The Queen on her sleek Roland Mouret dress. She covered up the three pearl leaves with three poppies, which I thought was a clever twist. Her earrings are possibly another loan; from some angles, they look like the earrings from the Qatar Pearl and Diamond Demi-Parure. From other angles, not so much.

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And finally, The Duchess of Sussex made her first appearance at this event in a repeated Stella McCartney coat. She was also wearing a poppy brooch.
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09 November 2018

Audiences at Buckingham Palace

November 6: The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.

Funny how certain brooches become task-specific favorites; this is the Round Cambridge Emerald's fourth audience appearance in a row. (You'll have to use the arrows to click through the gallery on the Instagram post embedded above to see it.)

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