Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World
Today marks the 122nd anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, one of the most important royal figures of the 20th century. To celebrate, we’re devoting the month of August to a survey of her most important private jewelry collection: the Greville Bequest. But first, today we’re looking at the unlikely friendship between Dame Margaret Greville and the royal family, and the way that the jewels made their way from Polesden Lacey to Buckingham Palace.
When King George VI unexpectedly ascended to the throne in the wake of his brother’s abdication in 1936, the Duchess of York had to adjust to her new life as Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. With her new title came new formal portraits—and grand new jewels fit for a queen.
Today, Princess Christina, sister of the King of Sweden, celebrates her 79th birthday! To join in the festivities, we’re jumping in our tiara time machine to take a look at some of the sparkling Swedish royal tiaras that the princess has worn over the decades.
Our Sparkling Spotlight series on some of the early tiara portraits of the Queen Mother continues today with a look at a jewel she fashioned by renovating one of her wedding presents.