![The Princess Royal attends a national service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on June 10, 2016 (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne01.jpg?resize=1200%2C840&ssl=1)
The Princess Royal celebrates her birthday today, and in her honor, we’re spending our morning with pieces from her jewelry box that have stood the test of time: her modern pearl, gold, and diamond earrings.
![Princess Anne attends a fashion show in Brisbane during the royal tour of Australia in April 1970 (William Lovelace/Daily Express/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne02.jpg?resize=1200%2C1167&ssl=1)
Anne’s been wearing the earrings for virtually her entire adult life. That’s not particularly surprising — Anne is a woman who invests in things she likes and keeps them — but it’s notable that the earrings have managed to remain visually current and interesting for their entire tenure in her jewelry box.
![The Princess Royal attends the wedding of her daughter, Zara Phillips, and Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh on July 30, 2011 (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne07.jpg?resize=1200%2C1726&ssl=1)
Here’s a closer look at the earrings, which are essentially a deconstructed cluster stud earring. Instead of circling the central pearl in a neat halo, the gold and diamonds of the setting are stretched and scattered. The shape of each earring is particularly interesting — sometimes I think I can see a leaf shape in the design.
![Princess Anne attends a royal gala in aid of the World Wildlife Fund on November 11, 1970 (Keystone Press/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne14.jpg?resize=1200%2C1757&ssl=1)
The earrings were made by Andrew Grima, who was one of the family’s favorite jewelers in the 1960s and 1970s. They also have detachable pendant sections, which Anne wore occasionally in her younger years but almost never wears today.
![Princess Anne is pictured at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney during the royal tour of Australia in April 1970 (William Lovelace/Daily Express/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne03.jpg?resize=1200%2C1844&ssl=1)
The earrings accompanied Anne on an early royal tour. She was only 19 when she wore them in Australia with her mother. Here, she pairs them with a floral brooch for a day at the races in Sydney.
![Princess Anne, with Lord Mountbatten, launches the Royal Navy frigate Amazon in Southampton on April 26, 1971 (Leonard Burt/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne04.jpg?resize=1200%2C1424&ssl=1)
In 1971, Anne paired the earrings with another gold, pearl, and diamond jewel, her floral brooch, as she christened a ship alongside her great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten.
![Princess Anne poses for a portrait with her fiance, Captain Mark Phillips, ahead of their royal wedding in November 1973 (Keystone Press/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2024-0618-02-anne15.jpg?resize=1200%2C1371&ssl=1)
The earrings have remained in Anne’s frequent jewelry rotation throughout her life, and they’ve made appearances at some very important personal events. She chose them for her engagement portraits ahead of her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973.
![Commander Timothy Laurence and the Princess Royal are pictured leaving in a car after their wedding ceremony at Crathie Kirk in Scotland on December 12, 1992 (EPA/AFP/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne05.jpg?resize=967%2C527&ssl=1)
In 1992, she wore them for her wedding to Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence at Crathie Kirk near the Balmoral estate in Scotland.
![The Princess Royal attends the wedding of her daughter, Zara Phillips, and Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh on July 30, 2011 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne06.jpg?resize=1200%2C1845&ssl=1)
In 2011, she chose them for the wedding of her daughter, the accomplished equestrienne Zara Phillips, to rugby player Mike Tindall in Edinburgh.
![The Princess Royal attends the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at St. George's Chapel, Windsor on May 19, 2018 (GARETH FULLER/AFP/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne08.jpg?resize=1200%2C1685&ssl=1)
The earrings also made a notable appearance at the royal wedding of the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
![The Princess Royal attends a reception at the Guildhall in London celebrating the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on June 10, 2016 (Hannah McKay - WPA Pool/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne09.jpg?resize=1200%2C1719&ssl=1)
And they haven’t just shown up for weddings: in 2016, Anne wore the earrings for the official national celebrations of her mother’s 90th birthday.
![The Princess Royal attends the first day of Royal Ascot on June 17, 2003 (Julian Herbert/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne10.jpg?resize=1200%2C1392&ssl=1)
But even though they’ve been worn often for personal events, Anne has also chosen them for official engagements. And they also often pop up at one of Anne’s favorite events of the year: Royal Ascot! Here, in 2003, Anne wears them again with her gold, pearl, and diamond floral brooch.
![The Princess Royal attends the third day of Royal Ascot on June 18, 2009 (Julian Herbert/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne11.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&ssl=1)
The same combination was chosen for Ladies’ Day six years later — you can just see the floral brooch peeking up over the top of the carriage during the procession.
![The Princess Royal attends the third day of Royal Ascot on June 22, 2017 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne12.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&ssl=1)
In 2017, Anne wore the earrings with a vibrant green ensemble, a lovely pairing for the gold.
![The Princess Royal attends a garden party for the Not Forgotten Association at Buckingham Palace in London on July 15, 2011 (Dave Parker - WPA Pool/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-0618-02-anne13.jpg?resize=1200%2C1823&ssl=1)
And here, Anne wears the earrings with her magnificent stalactite brooch for a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 2011.
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