Jewels of Elizabeth II: Difference between revisions

Historic collection of royal jewellery

Queen Elizabeth II owned a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the gems and jewels of the Royal Collection, and from the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels.

The origin of a distinct royal jewel collection is vague, though it is believed the jewels have their origin somewhere in the 16th century. Many of the pieces are from overseas and were brought to the United Kingdom as a result of civil war, coups and revolutions, or acquired as gifts to the monarch.^[1] Most of the jewellery dates from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Crown Jewels are worn only at coronations (St Edward’s Crown being used to crown the monarch) and the annual State Opening of Parliament (the Imperial State Crown). At other formal occasions, such as banquets, Elizabeth II wore the jewellery in her collection. She owned more than 300 items of jewellery,^[2] including 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 20 tiaras, 15 rings, 14 watches and 5 pendants,^[3] the most notable of which are detailed in this article.

History[edit]

General history[edit]

Unlike the Crown Jewels—which mainly date from the accession of Charles II—the jewels are not official regalia or insignia. Much of the collection was designed for queens regnant and queens consort, though some kings have added to the collection. Most of the jewellery was purchased from other European heads of state and members of the aristocracy, or handed down by older generations of the Royal family, often as birthday and wedding presents. In recent years, Elizabeth had worn them in her capacity as Queen of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and can be seen wearing jewels from her collection in official portraits made specially for these realms.^[4]

The House of Hanover dispute[edit]

In 1714, with the accession of George I, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Hanover both came to be ruled in personal union by the House of Hanover. Early Hanoverian monarchs were careful to keep the heirlooms of the two realms separate. George III gave half the British heirlooms to his bride, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, as a wedding present. In her will, Charlotte left the jewels to the ‘House of Hanover’. The Kingdom of Hanover followed the Salic Law, whereby the line of succession went through male heirs.

Thus, when Queen Victoria acceded to the throne of the United Kingdom, her uncle Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale became King of Hanover. King Ernest demanded a portion of the jewellery, not only as the monarch of Hanover but also as the son of Queen Charlotte. Victoria flatly declined to hand over any of the jewels, claiming they had been bought with British money. Ernest’s son, George V of Hanover, continued to press the claim. Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, suggested that she make a financial settlement with the Hanoverian monarch to keep the jewels, but Parliament informed Queen Victoria they would neither purchase the jewels nor loan funds for the purpose.

A parliamentary commission was set up to investigate the matter and in 1857 they found in favour of the House of Hanover. On 28 January 1858, 10 years after Ernest’s death, the jewels were handed to the Hanoverian Ambassador, Count Erich von Kielmansegg.^[5] Victoria did manage to keep one of her favourite pieces of jewellery: a fine rope of pearls.^[6]

Ownership and value[edit]

Some pieces of jewellery made before the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 are regarded as heirlooms owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and pass from one monarch to the next in perpetuity. Objects made later, including official gifts,^[7] can also be added to that part of the Royal Collection at the sole discretion of a monarch.^[8] It is not possible to say how much the collection is worth because the jewels have a rich and unique history, and they are unlikely to be sold on the open market.^[9]

In the early 20th century, five other lists of jewellery, which have also never been published, supplemented those left to the Crown by Queen Victoria:^[10]

• Jewels left to the Crown by Queen Victoria
• Jewels left by Her Majesty to His Majesty the King (Edward VII)
• Jewels left to King Edward VII by Queen Victoria, hereinafter to be considered as belonging to the Crown and to be worn by all future queens in right of it
• Jewels the property of King George V
• Jewels given to the Crown by Queen Mary
• Jewels given to the Crown by King George V

• Queen Mary wearing the Delhi Durbar Tiara (since redesigned)

• Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara and the City of…