The Duchess of Cornwall at The Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Concert

October 25: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a gala concert in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace to mark The Prince's 70th birthday and to recognize his commitment to, and patronage of, the arts.

Clarence House

Mega diamond alert! I had hoped to see the Greville Festoon Necklace at the Dutch State Banquet - because let's face it, you knew Queen Máxima was going to go big or go home, and this necklace would have fit right in - but The Duchess had other plans for it.

She wore all five glorious diamond strands to Prince Charles' birthday gala concert, with a fabulously flattering velvet dress. This is just the third time we've seen the necklace used by Camilla. It's fascinating to me that she has, thus far, only used all five strands (it's a smaller three strand necklace and a longer two strand necklace). I'm still hoping she'll start using the three strand option with the Greville Tiara.

Embed from Getty Images

She paired it with the earrings from her Pear Drop Diamond Demi-Parure for one serious sparkling appearance.

State Visit from The Netherlands, Farewell, and Audience at Buckingham Palace

The Queen bid farewell to The King and Queen of The Netherlands at the end of their State Visit to the United Kingdom.

Embed from Getty Images

Do you think Her Maj and Her Maj had a nice chat about the importance of dressing to be seen in a crowd? That is one screaming hot pink Oscar de la Renta dress on Máxima!

Royal Family Channel screencap

On the other hand, this is a very smart soft blue suit for QEII. (I think it's new? If it isn't, then I'm sure I've said this very thing in the past.) The black accents tie in those beloved black accessories so well. And the whole lot is a nice background for the Women of Hampshire Brooch.

Women of Hampshire Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings 


The Queen held a private audience at Buckingham Palace today.
Embed from Getty Images

The brooch was also worn on the dress underneath the suit jacket.

State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet

The Queen and members of the Royal Family hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for The King and Queen of The Netherlands during their State Visit to the United Kingdom.

Embed from Getty Images

We've done a deep dive on the Dutch state banquet at the other blog already; here, as we do, we'll take a specific look at the things that emerged from The Queen's jewel vault. Her Maj returned to her favorite tiara, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, for the second time this year; Queen Mary's Cluster Earrings also made their second appearance of the year.

Screencap

Another second 2018 showing? The massive Cullinan III and IV Brooch. That's a brooch chosen to honor the Dutch connection; the Cullinan Diamond was cut by Asscher in Amsterdam.

Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Mary's Cluster Earrings 
George VI Festoon Necklace
Cullinan III and IV Brooch
White and Gray Pearl Bracelet (Not yet covered here)
Evening Watch
Order of The Netherlands Lion (Riband and Star)
Royal Family Orders of King George V and King George VI

Screencap

It's difficult to be out-blinged when one is wearing 158 carats of "Granny's Chips", but one should never underestimate the carat capacity of Queen Máxima. She wore the Stuart Tiara in all its glory.

Embed from Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall still favors the same white dress strategy as her mother-in-law; we've seen this one a few times in the past. She did manage to break up her diamonds and pearls with my favorite pink topaz.

Greville Tiara
Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings
Five Strand Pearl Choker with Pink Topaz Clasp
Brooch, at her shoulder
Diamond Bracelet
Royal Victorian Order (Riband and Star)
Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II

Embed from Getty Images

The most exciting jewel news - on the British side of things - came from The Duchess of Cambridge. This is the first we've seen Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace since Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore it (it was one of her favorites). We also now know that The Duchess of Cambridge has been given Her Maj's royal family order. The gift, which is private and only known when the recipient wears the brooch, was first worn for the 2017 Diplomatic Reception (we just didn't get to see it in the car shots). Because these orders have been made with ivory in the past, it was also clarified that Kate's has been made using glass. (The Duke of Cambridge, as you may know, is very publicly against ivory.)

Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (Queen Mary's)
Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings (from the collection of Diana, Princess of Wales)
Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace
Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Bracelet

Screencap

The Countess of Wessex wore the Five Aquamarine Tiara on loan from The Queen. Her earrings are very large and very sparkly (with a shape similar to The Queen's Emerald or Diamond Pendants), but I don't know if they are also loans at this time.

Again, you can see more from this banquet at Order of Splendor.

State Visit from The Netherlands, Welcome Ceremony

The Queen, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, welcomed King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands at the beginning of their State Visit to the United Kingdom.

Embed from Getty Images

Let the state visit show begin! The Queen started us off with a repeated outfit and brooch selection in my favorite shade.

Amethyst Bouquet Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Embed from Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall also selected a repeated outfit - one of the smartest in her rotation right now, and one I'm always happy to see. She paired it with her tried and true pearl favorites.

Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings
Four Strand Pearl Choker with Small Diamond Clasp 

Royal Family

 
Queen Máxima reliably brought a new outfit for the trip, a soft pink in interesting fabric by Claes Iversen. Looks sparkly. And she definitely sparkled with her suite of pink jewels. These gems are usually reported as kunzite and diamonds; the brooch, which can be worn as independent pieces, is almost an homage to the mega Cullinan III and IV Brooch. The Cullinan, of course, was cut in Amsterdam, and The Queen wore her "chips" for a visit to the jeweler in 1958.

Updates:

Royal Family

 The Queen's brooch was transferred to her dress when the party moved inside for lunch and a look through the Royal Collection's special exhibit of Dutch-related items. Gifts will also have been exchanged; The Queen appointed The King a supernumerary Knight of the Garter, so we'll see him wear that at the state banquet.

Royal Family

Royal Family

Other members of the Royal Family present included The Countess of Wessex and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Clarence House

Later in the day, The King and Queen joined The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House. Camilla wore her Cosmos Clip Brooches.


Coming up tonight: The state banquet! According to reports, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be present and Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau has been invited.

British Champions Day at Royal Ascot

The Queen visited Ascot Racecourse for the QIPCO British Champions Day.

Embed from Getty Images

It's Her Maj's annual autumn Ascot appearance, with the Pearl Triangle and one of my favorite newer outfits. Love this shade of blue with an orange accent.

Pearl Triangle Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Visit to Bracknell

The Queen visited Bracknell to reopen The Lexicon shopping center.

Embed from Getty Images

Although I love this clip brooch, the hat flowers here would be so great paired with the Small Pink sapphire. (Not matchy enough for Her Maj, of course.) We've also seen this minty fresh outfit with The Queen Mother's Shell Brooch.

Royal Family

Perhaps she picked up some new color ideas while having a look around the shopping center, hmm?

Diamond Art Deco Double Clip Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.

Embed from Getty Images

Just the third appearance of the year for the Small Pink sapphire. It's gonna have to step up its game if it wants to make the annual favorites list again.

Small Pink and Diamond Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

RAF Club 100th Anniversary and Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen, Patron, visited the Royal Air Force Club on Piccadilly, London, to mark its centenary year.

Royal Family

Her Maj is fully back in action after her Balmoral break, huzzah. The Flame Lily Brooch is back in action for the first time in over a year, double huzzah.

Embed from Getty Images

The RAF Club commissioned a new portrait for their 100th anniversary. Details from the Royal Family: "Started in February 2018 and set in the White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle, the portrait was painted by Benjamin Sullivan – who won the BP Portrait Award in 2017. The portrait includes a number of RAF elements: in the background is a Spitfire – ‘S’ for ‘Strike’ - from 253 Squadron from which the artist's grandfather, F/Lt JM Sullivan, flew over Albania during WW2. The image on the right is a portion of ‘Hurricanes in Flight‘ (1944), by Eric Ravilous, painted as part of his work for the War Artists’ Advisory Committee. Ravilous lived and worked near Benjamin Sullivan, and in the 1930’s, as a member of the Great Bardfield Artists, whose body of work is now housed at the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden."

Royal Family

The portrait also includes all The Queen's daily essentials: the Three Strand Pearl Necklace, Queen Mary's Button Earrings, the Gold Watch, the Engagement and Wedding Rings, the black Launer handbag. And the brooch, of course: The Queen Mother's Aquamarine Art Deco Brooch.

Flame Lily Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

October 16: The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.
Embed from Getty Images

Thank goodness for pendants; otherwise, we'd miss out on spotting the Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch for the first time this year.

Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Princess Eugenie Wears One of Queen Victoria's Wheat-Ear Brooches

For the private evening dinner held after the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, the bride debuted another loan from her grandmother, The Queen.

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

The catch is that we can't actually see the loan. The Royal Family's press release was kind enough to let us know anyway that Eugenie wore one of Queen Victoria's Wheat-Ear Brooches in her hair:

"Princess Eugenie also wore a hair slide belonging to Her Majesty The Queen. Queen Victoria’s Wheat-Ear Brooches were originally commissioned by William IV in 1830 for Queen Adelaide. They were passed down to Queen Victoria in 1837, and eventually to The Queen in 1952. Her Majesty has worn them as both hair slides and brooches."

I believe this is the first time The Queen has loaned out any of the Wheat-Ear Brooches. It's a significant loan, since these are heirlooms of the Crown and are some of the oldest pieces The Queen still wears. It's lovely to see them in use by a new generation of Queen Victoria's descendants. (Or at least to know one is in use, if not exactly to see.)

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
Boucheron

Boucheron made this tiara for Mrs. Greville in 1919, featuring brilliant and rose cut diamonds pavé-set in platinum with a central 93.70 carat emerald and six emeralds on either side. It was left to Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) as part of the Greville bequest in 1942. The tiara later passed to The Queen and it remained unworn by the Royal Family until 2018, when it was loaned to Princess Eugenie for her wedding day.

Read about the tiara's full story here, at Order of Splendor.

Appearances: 
12 October 2018: The Wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

The Wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, and other Members of The Royal Family attended the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

Embed from Getty Images

The Queen picked a Stewart Parvin ice blue cashmere coat with diamanté buttons and a coordinating blue, peach and gold dress for her granddaughter's wedding today, paired with a matching Angela Kelly hat. Plus a very dapper Duke by her side, of course!

Royal Family screencap

While I always hope big family occasions will bring us something rare in the brooch department, you also can't really complain about an 18.8 carat Cullinan chip. And the Cullinan V was certainly sparkling like crazy in the lights today. Yummy. (The earrings are looking a little bigger to me - will need to seek out some more pics later for confirmation.)

Cullinan V Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Royal Family screencap

Another wedding also brings about another surprise tiara loan! The Queen loaned Princess Eugenie the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, a piece which was obviously part of the Greville bequest but which has not been seen on a member of the Royal Family prior to today. It's one many have been waiting anxiously to see!

This is the first time we've seen Eugenie in a tiara and I believe the first time we've seen her wear jewelry loaned from her grandmother. The earrings were a gift from the groom. The green details are stunning on her!

Embed from Getty Images

We also had a loan on The Duchess of Cambridge, who wore The Queen's Diamond Pendant Earrings again.

Click here for complete wedding coverage at Order of Splendor.

P.S.: The Queen did have an investiture yesterday. Of course, I've yet to see evidence of the brooch, so I didn't cover it separately.