A look back at the OTHER Coronation jewels - the ones on the guests!
If most eyes were on the Crown Jewels this time last year, the May 6 Coronation saw another display of gems and jewellery – from the many distinguished guests at Westminster Abbey.
Here, in case you missed them, are some of the most remarkable…
King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. If most eyes were on the crown jewels at the Coronation, there were many other magnificent gems on display among the guests
Queen Mary of Denmark (as the Crown Princess)
Mary wore a recent birthday present from her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe: an enormous cabochon turquoise and diamond brooch with a similar sized matching pendant suspended, and a pair of identical (but smaller) earrings once belonged to Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at Westminster Abbey. She is wearing a cabochon turquoise and diamond brooch with matching earrings
They came to the Danish royal family in earlier generations through Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, who gave them to her daughter, Queen Ingrid of Denmark – the mother of Queen Margrethe.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
The Queen lived up to her name, as ever, and wore jewels from the Dutch Royal Collection to make maximum impact.
Her enormous earrings were set with diamonds from the Stuart Tiara, which she wore for a recent State Banquet in the Netherlands.
The tiara got its name from the 40-carat diamond that sits at the front apex (between those she wore as earrings). It was originally bought by Queen Mary II of England of the House of Stuart, with her Dutch husband, King William. They were England’s only jointly reigning monarchs.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attends the Coronation. The earrings are set with diamonds from the Dutch monarchy’s Stuart tiara
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears the Stuart Tiara as she poses for a photograph before a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2018
After their deaths, the diamond was returned to the Netherlands.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Letizia wore a pair of large diamond button earrings that also have a connection to the UK.
They had once belonged to Victoria Eugenie, who became the Queen Consort of Spain in 1906, and who was the daughter of Princess Beatrice, fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria.
Queen Ena, as she was known, first wore the earrings at her wedding in May 1906 to King Alfonso XIII. She would wear them throughout her reign and later, when in exile.
They had been a present from her husband.
Queen Letizia of Spain wore diamond button earrings, which had once belonged to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Victoria Eugenie, who later became Queen Consort of Spain
They are each set with a 10 carat round brilliant diamond surrounded by 12 smaller diamonds.
Queen Ena left them as part of the Joyas de pasar jewellery collection, which gets passed down from queen to queen.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Mathilde’s pearl and diamond drop earrings had belonged to the late Queen Fabiola of Belgium and worked perfectly with the seven-strand pearl and diamond necklace on view at the Coronation.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrives at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation
Mathilde’s very pretty butterfly brooch, set with diamonds, was made around 1900 and bought recently at auction. She wore it at the State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Queen Suthida of Thailand
Suthida went for a demi parure of superb sapphires and diamonds that had belonged to her mother-in-law, Queen Sirikit.
The large pendant of the necklace is thought to have come from Van Cleef in the 1960s, and Sirikit then added to it with the rest of the suite in the 1970s, which she wore many times as Queen Consort – including in 1996, during Queen Elizabeth’s State Visit to Thailand.
King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand are pictured at the Coronation
Queen Suthida also wore several diamond brooches and a huge multicoloured gem set and diamond star brooch, which she wore attached to a gold belt at her waist.
Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah of Malaysia
The Malaysian queen wore a long diamond fringe necklace along with several beautiful diamond brooches in various designs.
His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah of Malaysia, Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah of Malaysia
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Anne-Marie’s diamond Swan brooch is beautiful.
In Ancient Greece the swan symbolised grace and love. It was also made sacred by Apollo, who used swans to pull his chariot through the skies.
She wore this piece of jewellery for the wedding of her son, Crown Prince Pavlos, to Marie-Chantal Miller in 1995.
Queen Anne Marie of Greece with Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece. Anne Marie is wearing a beautiful diamond brooch
The Princess of Wales
Catherine’s crystal headpiece by Jess Collett received much attention, not least because of her decision not to wear a royal tiara.
There was further admiration for her daughter Princess Charlotte’s mini-me matching garland.
Kate did, however, wear a pair of favourite earrings, that had belonged to her mother-in law, Diana Princess of Wales; the diamond horseshoe and laurel-leaf earrings, with pearl drop pendants. Diana often wore these but with a far larger pair of pears.
In the official photograph we see Kate in a very special Diamond Festoon necklace that had been commissioned by George VI in 1950 from 105 diamond collets (a type of setting whereby the round diamond is surrounded by a ring of gold, or platinum), that Queen Victoria had left as ‘Heirlooms of the Crown’.
Her late Majesty often wore The Diamond Festoon Necklace at State Dinners.
Princess of Wales arrives at Westminster Abbey having stepped out of the Diamond Jubilee Coach. Catherine chose not to wear a royal tiara, instead choosing a bespoke crystal headpiece
Prince Charlotte’s headpiece was coordinated by that worn by her mother
In this official photograph we see Kate in a very special Diamond Festoon necklace that had been commissioned by George VI in 1950
The Duchess of Edinburgh
Sophie was part of the procession during the Coronation and to complement her Order of the Garter Robes, she wore a pair of Graff diamond and sapphire chandelier earrings, and a diamond and sapphire bracelet.
Her daughter Lady Louise wore a delicate diamond necklace and pair of earrings from Cartier’s Mini Coeur Collection.
Edward and Sophie, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrive by coach
Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex watch an RAF fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on May 6
The King’s nieces
The King’s nieces Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie accessorised their outfits with a combination of old and new jewels.
Zara Tindall is pictured with her husband, former rugby international, Mike, at the Coronation
Princess Beatrice wore earrings were set with pink sapphires, rubellites and opals
Zara borrowed an exquisite antique diamond festoon brooch which the king had given his sister, her mother Princess Anne, as a wedding present in 1973.
While her cousins wore contemporary pieces by Garrard who, as Crown Jeweller created and reset many of the Crown Jewels in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Beatrice’s earrings were set with pink sapphires, rubellites and opals; whilst Eugenie wore a white gold and diamond necklace and matching earrings from the Albemarle Collection.
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