Diana, Princess of Wales Jewellery 1: November 2002-September 2007

[Squidgy]

View attachment 231794 I have never seen this ring before

I posted this picture on the Diana Princess of Wales Part II thread (post # 55)

According to the article I got the picture from, the ring is a saphire ring she received as a wedding present from the Crown Prince of Saudia Arabia. This is the only time that I recall Diana wearing this ring.

 

[Squidgy]

She had a number of rings that she wore occassionally....

Thanks for the info Sassie, and the link to the site on reproductions of her rings. I have never seen a good close up picture of the diamond ring that is suposedly a Spencer family hierloom, so it was nice to see a close up of a reproduction.

As for the ring she wore at polo in 1985 when she is in the green & white striped coatdress, maybe someone can help us here. I believe that at that polo event, she was given the ring as a gift (from Garrards??) and she was forced to return it because I guess it was not appropriate to accept such a lavish gift. I'm not too sure about the details though.

 

[umbrellagirl]

From Time magazine, July 15, 1985:
'As Britons sighed over their still astonishingly golden couple, someone did happen to notice a diamond ring given to Diana by Louis Gerard, a Paris jeweler who sponsored the polo benefit on behalf of Birthright, a charity for unborn children. After a press report describing the gift appeared on Diana's 24th birthday, a palace spokesman swiftly announced, "Given the fact that members of the royal family do not accept gifts of this nature, it has been agreed with the owner that it be auctioned for Birthright." Gerard insisted that the whole affair was much ado about almost nothing. Said he: "To us it is like giving a bouquet of flowers." To some of us, anyway.'
This was the ring she wore with the green and white striped dress.

 

[Lady Jean]

Diana's rings

I believe she also had a Russian wedding ring - 3 thin gold bands, from before her marriage. She wore it on her pinky, but then it seems as she lost weight as she got older she sometimes wore it on her wedding ring finger. I know there are good pictures of it at the events before the wedding, such as the polo game c. 7/24/81 when she cried a little and had to leave - as she is dabbing her eye you get a good view of the ring on her right hand. You can also see the simple diamond (?) band mentioned in another post. The photo is in R. Lacey's "Princess" at least .

 

[Lady Jean]

March 14, 1982 at a concert at the Albert Hall she is wearing what looks like a pearl and diamond ring on her left hand. She wore a red and gold thread gown and her black velvet cape.

 

[Emily]

I am wondering about the circular diamonds in, I think, a platinum setting that she wore several times (one at the auction of her dresses along with an aquamarine ring). I first noticed her wearing it after her divorce. Does someone know that, that is the Spencer family heirloom? The Spencer ring that I am familiar with that she wore prior to her wedding was a sapphire and diamond "eternity" band.

 

[Gaël LE BOLLOCQ]

I am wondering about the circular diamonds in, I think, a platinum setting that she wore several times (one at the auction of her dresses along with an aquamarine ring). I first noticed her wearing it after her divorce. Does someone know that, that is the Spencer family heirloom? The Spencer ring that I am familiar with that she wore prior to her wedding was a sapphire and diamond "eternity" band.

Diana wore her "diamond" band before her wedding and on the britania pictures during the honeymoon (next to the star sapphire ring on her right hand). She then wore it also on her left hand next to her sapphire engagement ring and her gold wedding ring.

 

[Alexander]

Maybe it was because there was the understanding that Charles would inherit the jewels from the Queen Mother through an informal arrangement that was additional to her will which left everything to the Queen so that death duties were not applicable. IMTS, the Queen Mum had the Boucheron, the Strathmore Rose, the Diamond Scroll and heaven knows how many others we haven't seen in years!

Prince Charles as Prince of Wales and later as King would not only inherit the Jewels from the Queen Mother, but the new Queen will receive ALL Jewels wich were left to the Crown by Queen Victoria (William Brooch, Crown Necklace, Ruby Parure...)
So Di would have the choise over a lot of items....

 

[Alexander]

No, Diana never wore it. The only tiara she wore from the royal collection was the lovers' knot tiara. The Delhi Durbar tiara would have been too big for her; even with Camilla's big hair it's rather imposing.[/quote]

it's may because the dehli tiara was the property of Q Mary and went after her death to the queen mother, she only wore it 1947 in south africa.
PCharles inherit it with some other jewels wich the duchess wore (dehli tiara, boucheron tiara, emelad pendand brooch and the square cut emerald brooch)

 

[branchg]

Charles didn't inherit anything from the Queen Mother. All of her personal jewels were left to The Queen, who has given Camilla pieces for her use.

After The Queen's death, all of her jewels and the Crown Collection will belong to Charles as the new Sovereign. Camilla can then wear anything she wants as Queen Consort.

 

[branchg]

Queen Mary gave the Delhi Durbar to The Queen Mother as a gift before her death. Queen Elizabeth only wore it once and then it disappeared from view.

 

[Lady Jean]

I'm wondering about some sapphires that Diana received from the National Assoc. of Goldsmiths (accdg. to Sandra Barwick's book "Diana Mother to Be".
The only things I can think of are: the rarely worn two strand pearl choker with sapphire (?) clasp (worn 5/24/83 w/blue silk dress, and on the day her pregnancy with William was announced, see post 72 of Diana's Hats thread). She wore the choker on 5/24/83 with some diamond and sapphire (it looks ) drop earrings. She didn't wear the earrings too often either. They didn't show up too well against her hair.

 

[Lady Jean]

The all diamond collar-style necklace she wore the night she met Liz TAylor (3/8/82) , the LIttle Foxes premiere, wearing a white fur coat....was that borrowed for the occasion, from a jeweler or the royal collection? I don't remember her wearing it another time.

 

[Lady Jean]

Does anyone else think that the modest gold bracelets she wore c. 1988 - 1991 were gifts from James Hewitt? Since she only wore them during the timeframe when they were together and they were the kind of jewelry he could afford I have always suspected that.

 

[Lady Jean]

Diana's first pearl choker, her 18th birthday present with the turquoise and pearl cluster clasp (post 122 in first Diana jewellelry thread)....she was also seen wearing a choker around 1982 with the same kind of pearl cluster clasp but in all pearl (post 45 in first Diana jewellery thread). Do you think it is two different chokers, or one w/an interchangeable clasp?

 

[Squidgy]

Does anyone else think that the modest gold bracelets she wore c. 1988 - 1991 were gifts from James Hewitt? Since she only wore them during the timeframe when they were together and they were the kind of jewelry he could afford I have always suspected that.

You're on a roll with the questions tonight Lady Jean!

Yes, I think the same thing. And I've always wondered what the letters are on that one bracelet she wore quite often during that period? (below) Sorry the picture isn't so good. It sort of looks like a backwards P and R - maybe it just spells "Princess"? Any ideas? or does anyone know any of the other letters on it?

Photos: Alpha

 

[HRHAmy]

I like her sapphire and diamond earrings in those pictures.

 

[bluebess]

I have wondered the same thing about those bracelets. Also, around the same time Diana wore an additional gold band above her engagement ring so a total of three rings on her ring finger. Anybody know where that extra band came from-it looks to be yellow gold and if I can figure out how I will post a picture of it!

 

[Lady Jean]

She even wore the gold bracelets at evening functions with her dressy bracelets on the same wrist, such as i(I think March 9, 1989) with the light blue stapless lace gown (the converted one) and her hair in a french twist - she wore a multi-row pearl bracelet over them. THey must have meant a lot to her. I figured if the gold bracelets were from "her boys" she would have been wearing them up through 1997.

 

[Squidgy]

March 14, 1982 at a concert at the Albert Hall she is wearing what looks like a pearl and diamond ring on her left hand. She wore a red and gold thread gown and her black velvet cape.

Finally found a picture from that night that shows the pearl ring. I don't recall her ever wearing this ring again. I wonder where it came from?

Photo: New Idea

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I don't think it would be awful if William's or Harry's wife wore Diana's jewels. I think it would be expected that they would wear them because they belong to the boys. Unless William and Harry marry women that are completely hated, I do not think there will be too many comparisons.

I think the media would actually make a big fuss about it each time. There would be many, many comparison photos, side by side: William's wife wearing this headpiece, Diana wearing it. Personally, I think the ones passed down to William and Harry should be donated to a museum. This way they are preserved for posterity and their wives will be able to dazzle us with new, fresh jewels of their own liking. Besides, they will certainly be able to wear the Lover's knot and perhaps even borrow the Spencer tiara if they want, so it's not like they can't ever wear things Diana wore. But I think they should wear things from the Windsor collection and from their own picks, not personal things of Diana.

 

[HRHAmy]

That's a great picture, I've never seen the sapphire in her choker as a brooch before! I know it started out as a brooch. Thanks for the picture!

 

[Lady Jean]

photo: Press Assoc.


Photo: John Shelley

For this event Diana borrowed the Queen's pearl choker. I don't know why since she already owned one - maybe she felt the turquoise and pearl clasp on her 18th birthday choker would have clashed with the Orange sash and huge sapphire?

HRH Amy : I am glad you like the photo! This one is not as rare but I love the way she looked on this night.

 

[ayvee]

Thank you for your photos Lady Jean. I thought Princess Diana only wore that gown twice - in Thailand and I think to a premiere of a show. This is one of my all time favorite gowns and I love that brooch that she has on.

Best wishes,

Ayvee

 

[umbrellagirl]

I agree. I've always liked that sari-style gown, and that is a nice brooch. Did she ever wear it with anything else?

Thank you, Lady Jean. Another event I never knew about!

 

[Lady Jean]

Tim Graham 'The Royal Year 1992'

She wore the brooch at least one other time - this photo is July 3, 1991. I know the photo is not too clear but somewhere (!) I have seen another one where you can clearly see it is the circular diamond pin. Maybe it was a birthday gift, since she wore it twice that July.

I love this dress just slightly more than the sari one. They are both stunning and are good examples of "less is more."

 

[Lady Jean]

That's a great picture, thanks for posting it!
And I don't know if you've checked already but the G7 summit in London in 1991 was July 15 - 17. The night of the reception also had fireworks and a laser show outside BP, but I don't know which night.

 

[Squidgy]

Thanks for the pics Ladies!

I wish we were able to see more pics of Diana at the Economic Summit dinner (the date according to the Court Circular is July 16 1991). But we were lucky to see these. There usually aren't too many pics from these type of events. And the photographers are not allowed to use flash, so it's hard to get a good picture. There was a documentary put out at the same time as the book from which these pics came & it's fun to watch Diana in an animated discussion with the PM's wife.

 

[umbrellagirl]

Thanks to Lady Jean for the G7 summit dates, and to Squidgy for the exact date of the dinner!

With your help, my illustrated record of Diana's calendar is gradually filling up more and more. As one of you has said, we'll never be "done" -- but, oh, what fun we're having in the process.

 

[Lady Jean]

That's a great picture, I've never seen the sapphire in her choker as a brooch before! I know it started out as a brooch. Thanks for the picture!

Here is another occasion, February 2, 1982, pinned at the center of the lace.

Central Press, in "Diana A Celebration."