Portrait by Arthur Trevethin Nowell, 1927. During her time, Queen Mary - the consort of George V, grandmother of the present queen - oversaw a great wealth of jewelry being added to the already brimming royal coffers of the United Kingdom. Both in the collection of "crown jewels", and those held in private possession of the Windsor ladies. Many pieces were new-made, other were redesigns of earlier pieces. And she also purchased important pieces from those royals who had not fared so well post-WWI, most notably, the surviving members of the Russian Imperial family. (Though the Queen was a notorious magpie and "bargain-hunter" - perhaps the lingering result of a royal but embarrassingly debt-ridden childhood - rumors that appeared a few decades back that, during the Thirties, she bought up her Russian relatives' jewelry for less than market value, appear to have been proven false.) Detail of above. The Queen is wearing the "Lover's Knot" tiara she had had made by Garrard in 1914, copied from a tiara owned by her aunt and godmother, Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The uppermost pearls removed, it was later famously worn by Diana, Princess of Wales. During her husband's reign and as a dowager, she was not afraid to display this ever-accumulating bounty on her person and, like her mother-in-law Queen Alexandra before her, she was quite impressive in the sheer quantity of ornamentation she could carry. Indeed, even more so than her petite predecessor, Queen Mary's height and the great expanse of her famously prodigious bosom were able to accommodate a truly mighty jeweled burden. And her husband and the British people took great delight in their queen "all got up like a Christmas tree." This was true even after the Edwardian age that was her heyday had passed, after the fashions changed - and she stayed the same. She was reliably bejeweled and immovable. And has thus remained a royal icon. Portrait by Richard Jack, 1927. The Queen wears the diamond and pendant pearl tiara that had belonged to the Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia. The large brooch centered on the Garter Riband is made up of the third and fourth cuttings from the famous Cullinan diamond; the present Queen has referred to them as "Granny's Chips". Portrait by Simon Elwes, 1933-34. Queen Mary wears the Vladimir tiara with the brooch from the Garrard suite of 1863 which was given as a wedding present to the future Queen Alexandra by her fiancé, then Prince of Wales. A colored illustration from a contemporary periodical, circa 1902. Portrait by Sir William Samuel Henry Llewellyn, 1914. The queen, dressed in Garter robes, wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" tiara. The upstanding pearls later removed, it has become iconic as worn by her grand-daughter, especially early in her reign. Portrait by Arthur Trevethin Nowell, 1935. She again wears the "Lover's Knot" tiara. Portrait by Simon Elwes, 1938. Dressed for the coronation of her son, George VI, she again wears the Cullinan III and IV brooch. Portrait by David Jagger, 1930. A bit more understated, this, the queen is only wearing a few rubies and some pearls. A watercolor sketch done from the group portrait of 1913, by Sir John Lavery, 1914. Oil sketch of the Queen, by Sir John Lavery, done in preparation for or commemoration of the group portrait seen below, 1913. "The Royal Family at Buckingham Palace", by Sir John Lavery, 1913. Portrait by Leonard Campbell Taylor, 1928. The diamond choker was later shortened into a bracelet by her successor, Queen Elizabeth. Coronation portrait by Sir William Samuel Henry Llewellyn, 1911-12. The State Diadem was actually made for the coronation of George IV - though, as it happened, it went unused - but since then has only been worn by queens, consort and regnant. Dressed for the coronation of Edward VII, circa 1902. Miniature based on a photograph by W. & D. Downey. Portrait by Sir Oswald Birley, 1934. The Queen wears the choker as in the portrait by Taylor, above, as well as the "True Lover's Knot" brooch.
From the Queen's purse to why not all the grandchildren appear, we've got all the answers straight from a palace source
The glamorous new portraits of the Swedish royal family were unveiled online this week, with snaps showing Crown Princess Victoria, 44, and Princess Sofia, 37, in full length gowns.
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcome Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who are on a three-day state visit to Belgium, during an official welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace on 16 April 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.
Queen Mary of Denmark inaugurates the the southern part of Jægersborg Hegn as untouched forest and releases deer at Naerum Port on 7 April 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
From Queen Victoria to Princess Charlotte.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Jacques of Monaco during day eight of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters at Monte-Carlo Country Club on 14 April 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcome Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who are on a three-day state visit to Belgium, during an official welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace on 16 April 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.
We're breaking down the three most significant royal weddings of the past 40 years: Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, and now Meghan Markle.
Meghan Markle is often heralded as one of the most fashionable women in the world. And, when she was briefly part of the British royal family, it became known that the former actress wasn't a fan of the strict dress code she had to follow, likely because it stifled her personal style.
Queen Mary of Denmark attends the event marking the 20th anniversary of the “The Specialists”, organisation that promotes social inclusion for people with autism, at the National Museum on 9 April 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
king Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands attend the Four Freedom Award Ceremony at the Abbey on 11 April 2024 in Middelburg, Netherlands.
Queen Mary of Denmark inaugurates the the southern part of Jægersborg Hegn as untouched forest and releases deer at Naerum Port on 7 April 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
king Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands attend the Four Freedom Award Ceremony at the Abbey on 11 April 2024 in Middelburg, Netherlands.
King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Maxima of The Netherlands, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia of The Netherlands and Princess Ariane of The Netherlands during a photo session at Palace Noordeinde on June 24, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.
Queen Mary of Denmark inaugurates the the southern part of Jægersborg Hegn as untouched forest and releases deer at Naerum Port on 7 April 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Princess Eugenie of York attends a reception and panel discussion on the fashion industry's commitment to sustainability, co-hosted by the United States' Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Jane Hartley, and Hearst, at the American Ambassador's Residence on 11 April 2024 in London, England.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Jacques of Monaco during day eight of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters at Monte-Carlo Country Club on 14 April 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Queen Sonja of Norway, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway visit the exhibition “Unifying Threads” at The Queen Sonja Art Stable on 12 April 2024 in Oslo, Norway.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends a charity polo match where Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex participates at the National Polo Center on 12 April 2024 in Wellington, Florida.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Jacques of Monaco during day eight of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters at Monte-Carlo Country Club on 14 April 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcome Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who are on a three-day state visit to Belgium, during an official welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace on 16 April 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcome Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who are on a three-day state visit to Belgium, during an official welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace on 16 April 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Swedenh arrive at the Supreme Court of Sweden in Stockholm on 10 April 2024.