Which magnificent necklace of royal pearls will win this round?
The Hanoverian Pearls vs. The Qatari Pearl Necklace
As the name of this necklace suggests, the pearls were allegedly brought to Britain by King George I, the first British monarch from the House of Hanover. Some of the pearls are also said to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots. (George was a direct descendant of Mary via her granddaughter, Elizabeth Stuart.) The two-stranded necklace can be identified easily by its large diamond clasp. Queen Victoria designated the necklace as an Heirloom of the Crown. It’s been worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and now the present Queen.
This imposing necklace features six strands of pearls interspersed by diamond elements. It’s part of a demi-parure that also includes a pair of matching earrings. The set was given to the Queen in 1979 by Sheikh Khalifa, the Emir of Qatar, during a visit to the Middle East. She wears the pearls occasionally, usually for events related to Qatar, but sometimes for other gala occasions. She’s paired the set with both the pearl setting of the Vladimir Tiara and Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik.
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