Countess of Wessex Jewellery

[daisygoogles]

Do you happen to know when and where this photo was taken?
Nice necklace. I wish Sophie would wear more jewels but after all this time I must assume that it's not her style.

 

[ayvee]

Check post 82 on this thread:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...urrent-events-9-september-2007-a-13837-5.html

-Ayvee

 

[andrew]

Thanks Ayvee

The Farmers Weekly
Awards at Grosvenor House, London, 31/10/2007

 

[magnik]

Just wonder did she ever recive or borrow the bigger tiara?
I know that she is not the future queen but why not...

 

[ayvee]

Before it disappears, I thought I would put this quote here from The Royal Jewels of the World Message Board regarding the Countess of Wessex aquamarine tiara/necklace:


Posted by lady lavender on October 26, 2007, 4:30 am
[SIZE=-2]80.229.2.77 i was shopping in royal tunbridgewells kent yesterday, and passed the new crown jewellers collins and sons, in the window was sophies aqua tiara/necklace!! has she sold it? is it a copy? was it just on loan from jewellers? i didnt have time to go in, but i think i might phone them and ask, what do you think,lady lavender.
[/SIZE]

Posted by lady lavender on October 26, 2007, 6:43 am, in reply to "Re: Countess of Wessex aquamarine tiara/necklace"
[SIZE=-2]80.229.2.77 dear nellie, just spoke to collins, and thy said it is very similar, but slightly different, £55,000,so it seems thta they made the suite for sophie,i know they have been making some new things for the queen,the rose brooch she gave the queen mother for her hundredth birthday, and they are now the new crown jewellers, so watch out in a couple of weeks, the state opening of parliament, and you will porbably see mr collins with the imperial stae crown, they had some amazing other bits in the windows as well, lady lavender.
[/SIZE]
http://www.gcollinsandsons.com/pressreleases.html
This is website for the new Crown Jewellers.

-Ayvee

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Iceflower posted a picture from Isifa about the Countess with a wonderful ruby necklace!
Could this be a Saudi or other Arab gift? Dont think Edward could afford it....

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/andrewcs/6bk7af4.jpg

It is gorgeous. It could be a gift or loan.

I saw on the last page, some discussion was about the "tiara/necklace" that maybe came from the Crown Jeweller.
I saw this picture on the Monaco enthronement thread. This tiara is really beautiful. OT question about the black order she wears in this pic: Someone in the aforementioned thread asked about it and the answer that came was that it was the St John order. Is it a Dame Grand Cross for the St John?
Last questions: Are there pics of the Countess wearing the aqua tiara as a necklace? And about the gem: Is it really an aquamarine? It's gi-normous!

 

[Sg1fan]

I have an extensive collection of "older" books on different royals and was looking through my copy of "Louisa Lady in Waiting" which looks like a scrapbook of photos and materials by the Countess of Antrium who was a Lady in Waiting to Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.

Inside, there is a photo of Princess Andrew with a tiara (if you have the book, it's page 151, top -- the "Royal Diplomacy" chapter). I believe she is wearing the tiara that has been mentioned as possibly being part of the tiara that was broken up. It is supposedly part of the tiara The Countess of Wessex wore in Denmark.

I will try to scan it, but it does look similar. Does anyone have a copy that is already scanned?

 

[andrew]

is this?

Do you mean this?

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/andrewcs/wessex.jpg

 

[Sg1fan]

That's the tiara, my photo is her as a younger woman -- but yours is much better. The top does look very, very similar to Sophie's!

 

[andrew]

it's

It's frustrating and interesting in the same time that we dont know for sure about many jewels in the British royal family.It keeps us in a constant "tension"!
Which tiara is this? Which tiara is that? Was it dismantled? Where are the chokers? Where is the Rundell tiara? Where is Sophie's acquamarine tiara from? How many hidden jewels are there left in those vaults?

Well....hopefully we'll sort out all those questions.....or maybe not?!

Enjoy the hunt!

 

[Claire]

Try putting in a question at Royal insight, Majesty or Royalty magazines. They might be able to help.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

http://i12.tinypic.com/6bk7af4.jpg

Sophie has been seen wearing this necklace again at a private dinner in St Mortiz in March but this time adapted
the neckalce is much shorter - only the big ruby and one other small one as a drop also she wore 3 ruby drop earrings and a matching braclett and ring

 

[lwbohm]

Queen mary had an enormous collection,
You think that queen elizabeth would have loaned a lot more to the daughters in law i guess she fears loosing a few baubles in settlements.
OOOhh well
Sux to be a royal duchess or countess!

Really,
That looks like something that someone picked up from a new york jeweller!!!
Still to be the daughter in law of the greatest monarch since elizabeth1.
You know im sure they will do better as sophie gets older.
I think she is a gem herself.

 

[muriel]

I have no dobt that in time Sophie will be seen with more jewellery. After the royal divorces of the 1990s, HM was naturally cautious about giving Sophie with too much expensive jewellery. I guess over time as HMs l;evel of comfort with Sophie has increased and Sophie has started to do more engagements, she has gradually been given more jewellery, eg the acquamarine tiara/necklace, the rubies (not sure where they are from)..... O doubt if Sophie will ever receive major pieces of historical significance, but over the next few years, I am sure the Queen will give her more peices so that she is always adequately turned out for state banquets etc

 

[lwbohm]

Yes i agree,
However she will eventually be the duchess of edinbouorgh!
I think that was the queens idea,
And as she proves herself hm may crack the vault so to speak.
Lets hope so.

 

[auntie]

I would have loved to see her with some saphires, not the aquamarine earrings from the tiara/necklace set...

 

[muriel]

I am not sure Sophie has any "serious" sapphires

 

[auntie]

So let the Queen borrow some of her own, she certaily has enough!

 

[muriel]

IMO, not really, not for a small event like this. I am sure the Queen has provided Sophie with a small, but versatile collection of jewellery and she will be expected to use that. Over time, Sophie will receive additional pieces from the Queen, but HM does not ordinarily lend out jewellery to members of the RF

 

[Claire]

Over the years that Sophie has been a member of the royal family - we have been watching her jewelry collection and yes it is not to royal scratch. So either the royal collection doesn't loan out as much as they could or Sophie simply doesn't like jewelry.

 

[muriel]

Over the years that Sophie has been a member of the royal family - we have been watching her jewelry collection and yes it is not to royal scratch. So either the royal collection doesn't loan out as much as they could or Sophie simply doesn't like jewelry.

I don't believe the Royal Collection actually loan out jewellery to Sophie. I think what she has, she has received (largely) from the Queen as presents. Whilst her jewel collection may not be very large, I think it is adequte in view of her stature in the royal family.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Perhaps she should have a modest diamond suite that will go with all her evening wear.

I don't believe the Royal Collection actually loan out jewellery to Sophie. I think what she has, she has received (largely) from the Queen as presents. Whilst her jewel collection may not be very large, I think it is adequte in view of her stature in the royal family.

 

[ada]

Sophie should have more jewellrey. Its very unfair on her, she's doing a great job for the RF

 

[jcbcode99]

I do think that the precedence Queen Mary set with regard to passing down immense amounts of jewelry is not going to be seen from Her Majesty because so many of those pieces were sold or broken up. However, I do think that personal pieces will make their way to Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Some pieces of personal jewelry that we will likely see passed down to HM's younger children would be:
1. engagement ring of HM
2. Engagement bracelet of HM
3. aquamarine twin brooches of HM
4. Flower basket (18th birthday gift one, not the one given to her when Charles was born)
5. various pearl necklaces
6. various brooches not given to her in a royal capacity
7. the sapphire flower clips
8. perhaps the sapphire necklace her father gave her with that sapphire tiara will be passed to Edward
9. Possibly the ruby tiara with the ruby necklace she acquired at auction in the 1960's
10. scroll tiara
11. Queen's fifth anniversary bracelet from Phillip with the interlocking "p's" and "e's"

Just to get started--
I do think that since Edward has a son, assuring the title will pass, that HM will leave some lovely jewelry to the Wessexes. As Andrew's title will likely revert back to the crown, we likely won't see any major pieces pass to him. Anne already has several family pieces (necklace of Queen Alexandra's, Princess Andrew's meander tiara, pine flower tiara that was an anniversary gift to the Queen Mother, etc...) so while I think some pieces will go to her, she already has several pieces and in all truth, none of her children will ever really have need of tiaras. I hope that the Greek key isn't broken apart one day.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

I agree that Edward will probably get the better pieces. He will inherit his father's title of Duke of Edinburough upon his death, and since Edward has a son, it will pass to a third generation. Thus I think it would be likely, and lovely, if some of the pieces more closely associated with Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II were passed on to the future Dukes of Edinburough. Plus, isn't Edward supposed to be the Queen's favorite child?

 

[auntie]

I agree that Edward will probably get the better pieces. He will inherit his father's title of Duke of Edinburough upon his death, and since Edward has a son, it will pass to a thrid generation. Thus I think it would be likely, and lovely, if some of the pieces more closely associated with Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II were passed on to the future Dukes of Edinburough. Plus, isn't Edward supposed to be the Queen's favorite child?

No, Andrew was the love child, the one she fought to have, Edward is meant to be Philip's favourite acc. to a biography I read. Yet I think Edward is the one who has given the Queen the least greif during his adult years and marriage, and the one who has the most stability.

 

[Warren]

He won't become Duke of Edinburgh until Charles becomes King. When Prince Philip dies the Dukedom will pass to Charles as the eldest son. When Charles succeeds his mother the Dukedom of Edinburgh reverts to the Crown. Then Charles can re-create it as a new Dukedom for Edward.

 

[rubies]

Over the years that Sophie has been a member of the royal family - we have been watching her jewelry collection and yes it is not to royal scratch. So either the royal collection doesn't loan out as much as they could or Sophie simply doesn't like jewelry.

I think you might be right. Sophie doesn't seem to like jewels, she is very understated which is fine for her, but I would be bugging my mother in law to death. Please let me borrow some emeralds, rubies, diamonds, etc....ect...ect....

 

[muriel]

Perhaps she should have a modest diamond suite that will go with all her evening wear.

I think that will be a valuable and useful addition. I am no doubt the Queen is aware of the hole in Sophie's jewel box, and will no doubt fill it at some stage, either in herlifetime or thereafter.

 

[muriel]

I do think that the precedence Queen Mary set with regard to passing down immense amounts of jewelry is not going to be seen from Her Majesty because so many of those pieces were sold or broken up. However, I do think that personal pieces will make their way to Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Some pieces of personal jewelry that we will likely see passed down to HM's younger children would be:
1. engagement ring of HM
2. Engagement bracelet of HM
3. aquamarine twin brooches of HM
4. Flower basket (18th birthday gift one, not the one given to her when Charles was born)
5. various pearl necklaces
6. various brooches not given to her in a royal capacity
7. the sapphire flower clips
8. perhaps the sapphire necklace her father gave her with that sapphire tiara will be passed to Edward
9. Possibly the ruby tiara with the ruby necklace she acquired at auction in the 1960's
10. scroll tiara
11. Queen's fifth anniversary bracelet from Phillip with the interlocking "p's" and "e's"

Just to get started--
I do think that since Edward has a son, assuring the title will pass, that HM will leave some lovely jewelry to the Wessexes. As Andrew's title will likely revert back to the crown, we likely won't see any major pieces pass to him. Anne already has several family pieces (necklace of Queen Alexandra's, Princess Andrew's meander tiara, pine flower tiara that was an anniversary gift to the Queen Mother, etc...) so while I think some pieces will go to her, she already has several pieces and in all truth, none of her children will ever really have need of tiaras. I hope that the Greek key isn't broken apart one day.

Thats a very interesting list, J, and I tend to agree that most of the items you have listed could be left to the Wessex, York and Philips children (/ Princess Anne). Most of the items you have listed are personal in nature, and either came from Philip or her parents, and thereforre, would hold sentimental value for the children.

Where I do disagree with you is in regard to the George VI sapphire suite and matching tiara and the ruby necklace acquired in the 1960s from the Barings family and the ruby tiara (are you referring to the Burmese ruby tiara?). I think these are both "substantial" pieces, and as you quite rightly suggested, having watched the impact of Queen Mary's bequests, HM would be disinclined to follow suit. The Queen is no doubt aware that that is the only sapphire tiara her successor will possess, and is unlikely to want to part with it. Similarly, whilst there is a slightly bigger choice when it came to rubies, I doubt she is likely to part with those and reduce choice further. The children will no doubt receive substantial assets and cash, but I doubt if it will extend to serious jewels.