Queen Camilla’s Royal Rubies (and More Waiting in the Vaults!)

Let’s wrap up July with one more look at the month’s blazing crimson birthstone, the romantic ruby. Specifically, I’ve got a look today at the rubies worn by Queen Camilla, who celebrated her birthday earlier this month, including royal pieces, personal jewels, and rubies we have yet to see her wear in public.

The Burmese Ruby Tiara is the spotlight ruby piece of Queen Camilla’s ventures into the royal vaults so far. Commissioned in the 1970s by Queen Elizabeth II using a cache of rubies she received as a wedding present, the tiara features a modern rose design. Queen Camilla has worn it so far for state banquets in honor of the Emperor of Japan and the President of South Korea, pairing it both times with ruby and diamond earrings from her own collection.

For the South Korean state banquet in 2023, Queen Camilla paired the Burmese Ruby Tiara with a special necklace from the royal family’s collection: the Crown Ruby Necklace. Acquired by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, the necklace was originally set with opals, which were later removed by Queen Alexandra and replaced with large rubies. The necklace, which can be worn with or without a pendant, was treasured by the Queen Mother and later also worn on occasion by Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Camilla has also worn another ruby and diamond jewel that comes from the late Queen Mother’s jewelry box: her ruby and diamond Art Deco-style bracelet, part of a set of five made by Cartier and given to her by her husband, King George VI, in the 1920s. Camilla is fond of these bracelets and has now worn the entire set.

During the first decade of her marriage to King Charles III, the then-Duchess of Cornwall was given two grand sets of ruby and diamond jewelry. The first is this enormous diamond and ruby bib necklace, which she memorably wore for a gala concert in Philadelphia in 2007. It’s thought that the necklace was a gift from the Saudi royal family. On this occasion, she paired the jewel with ruby and diamond earrings, which appear to be the ones owned by her ancestor, Alice Keppel. (More on that below.)

Queen Camilla also received a second ruby and diamond necklace, this time set with pear-shaped rubies, during another visit to the Middle East. This necklace, worn for a film premiere in London in 2015, has a matching pair of earrings, which appear to be the ones Camilla has paired with the Burmese Ruby Tiara.

There’s another “ruby” demi-parure tucked away in Queen Camilla’s personal jewelry box as well: a necklace, with matching earrings, set with diamonds and synthetic rubies. The necklace can also be placed on a frame and worn as a tiara. The set is a legacy from Camilla’s great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, and it may have been acquired for her by King Edward VII. The suite was featured in Geoffrey Munn’s important 2001 book, Tiaras: A History of Splendour. The following year, in March 2002, Camilla wore the jewels as she attended a classical concert hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

There are many more royal jewels set with rubies waiting in the royal vaults for Camilla, too. Chief among them is Queen Victoria’s Indian Circlet, a tiara designed by Prince Albert, who was inspired by motifs he viewed at the Great Exhibition, for Queen Victoria. Originally set with opals, the gems were removed by Queen Alexandra and replaced with rubies. Later, the jewel became a great favorite of the Queen Mother, who wore it from the time of her husband’s accession until her passing in 2002. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, wore it just once in public, for a state banquet in Malta in 2005. The tiara has not been brought out of the vaults since then.

Because the Indian Circlet and the Crown Rubies remained with the Queen Mother for the duration of her life, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned and acquired various ruby jewels during the same period. Among these was a diamond and ruby necklace that was previously part of the Baring Collection. Elizabeth purchased the necklace in 1964 and wore it often for the next six decades.

In 1985, the Queen’s ruby collection grew, thanks to a gift from the Emir of Qatar. He offered her a modern demi-parure set with diamonds and cabochon rubies, including a necklace and a matching pair of earrings. So far, she’s the only person who has worn the suite in public.

Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry collection also included an antique ruby necklace from the collection of Dame Margaret Greville. The ruby and diamond jewel, made by Boucheron, was bequeathed by Mrs. Greville to the Queen Mother in 1942. Five years later, she gave the necklace to her daughter as a wedding present. The younger Elizabeth wore it often in the early years of her reign, and occasionally later as well. She also loaned it on one occasion to her granddaughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, when she was Duchess of Cambridge. I’m guessing we may continue to see it on Catherine, but there’s been more jewel sharing since Charles III’s accession, so perhaps Camilla will give it a try, too.

Queen Camilla has worn the Crown Ruby Necklace, but there’s another part of the parure that she has yet to wear in public: the enormous Crown Ruby Brooch. The classic ruby and diamond cluster brooch is reminiscent of Prince Albert’s Brooch in style, and for good reason: he’s the one who also gave this one to Queen Victoria. The jewel can be worn with or without a large pear-shaped ruby and diamond pendant. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this one on Camilla at Royal Ascot in the coming years. (We won’t see her wear the earrings from the set, though, because she does not have pierced ears.)

During a visit to Australia in 1958, the Queen Mother received a special gift on behalf of the Australian people: a diamond and ruby brooch in the shape of a hibiscus flower. She wore the brooch often throughout her lifetime and bequeathed it to Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. She began wearing it regularly a few years later, both for Australian-related events and more generally. The size and motif of this piece seem right up Camilla’s alley, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this one peek out of the vaults sooner rather than later.

The Queen Mother also owned another special pair of ruby and diamond brooches with a floral design. These clip brooches were made by Cartier and commissioned by Elizabeth herself in the 1940s. She primarily wore them together as a pair, though she sometimes used them as single brooches as well. After inheriting the clips, Queen Elizabeth II usually wore just one at a time. Queen Camilla has demonstrated that she enjoys wearing clip brooches together, and I’m looking forward to seeing her try these out. We’ll all have to wait a bit, though, because the clips are currently dazzling on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of the big Cartier exhibition, which runs through November.