Queen Elizabeth II - Brooches 1: December 2003-October 2009

[QueenElizabeth]

Again an anonymous brooch for the visit to the new headquarters on Friday?

[PrincessofEurope]

Queen Elizabeth II Pictures - The Queen Attends The Opening Of The New British Legion Headquarters - Zimbio doesnt the Queen wear this brooch quite abit

[GillW]

Originally Posted by PrincessofEurope

Queen Elizabeth II Pictures - The Queen Attends The Opening Of The New British Legion Headquarters - Zimbio doesnt the Queen wear this brooch quite abit

This brooch is worn several times a year. It is well down the list of favourites - usually around 20th place - but get an airing now & again. I am pretty sure it was a wedding present to the Queen.

[joye]

Yes, that brooch is indeed a 1947 wedding gift. I had confirmation the Goldsmiths Guild.

[PrincessofEurope]

http://www.theroyalforums.com/3781-t...linan-diamond/ GillW here is the link to the blog about the Cullinan diamonds

[queenofthelight]

Wow, these diamonds are simply beautiful. They attracted my attention for a long time!!!)))

[Prince of Chota]

So, I'm curious. If there can be a "favourites" list of HM's brooches numbering past 20, what is the actual number that we can count? Anyone tried? I went through a bunch of pictures, but some I can't tell if they are the same or not. I'm sure someone has an estimate; I was curious what number of brooches we know she has access to/owns?

[joye]

Fields or Menkes quotes The Queen having 127 brooches, .... but that was long years ago.
My count is up to

[GillW]

Originally Posted by Prince of Chota

So, I'm curious. If there can be a "favourites" list of HM's brooches numbering past 20, what is the actual number that we can count? Anyone tried? I went through a bunch of pictures, but some I can't tell if they are the same or not. I'm sure someone has an estimate; I was curious what number of brooches we know she has access to/owns?

Yes I've tried - I've been trying for a few years now and have a total so far of 115 but I am sure there are others not seen or included yet. Plus ones which we know HM has received but not worn yet, such as two presented in the last couple of years.

Apart from her own collection, there are also all of those worn/owned by her late mother, and a few of those have popped up in recent years too.
'The "favourites list" you mention is one I create from my data, which simply shows statistically which of HMs brooches is seen most regularly.

My data is now quite extensive and growing all the time as I do more research (working backwards, mostly)

[QueenElizabeth]

Prince of Chota. As far as I am concerned and informed by the photographs covering 2009 activities, the favourite brooch of The Queen this year as far as end of March is the Duchess of Cambridge pendant brooch, which she already wore three times this year: an Ambassadorial Credential at Buckingham Palace, at the Commonwealth Day reception and during the Help the Hospices reception. But looking backwards, we can say that the Jardine Star, the Cullinan heart brooch (worn at the reception for the Navy and Marines Fund) and the gold dahlia brooch (worn in Hull) are amongst favourites of Her Majesty. Am I right, GillW (OBE), if I was assigned for granting OBEs, you GillW would have one 'for services to research in The Queen's jewellery box'. :-) And if you would be nominated for an OBE, GIllW, which brooch would you prefer to be worn by The Queen at your investiture???

[GillW]

Well, I certainly appreciate your nomination - that would be lovely!

This year's data shows so far that in 2009:
Victoria's Bow is number one with 4 appearances
The Cambridge Pearl with drop is second with 3 appearances
Third are the Jardine Star and the Australian Hibiscus flower, jointly with 2 appearances each

There have been a number of one-off appearances, so HM seems to be going for a good mix & match strategy so far...

But, as for which one would I like to see? That is a REALLY hard question!

On reflection I think it would be one which has had only one wearing (27 March 2000) that I'm aware of. It's a lovely spray of gold stems with large oval Opals, and was a wedding gift from the Returned Sailors and Soldiers & Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. It is hard to find any pictures of it at all, although I do have one but I don't have permission (in fact I promised never) to publish it.

I'm going to resist the temptation to start adding more choices by saying "...OR...."

[rubies]

Not that anyone asked my opinion but if Her Majesty was to let me say 'borrow' a brooch I love love love the cabachon emerald brooch from her Magnificent collection of cabachon emeralds!! So beautiful. Its really breathtaking to me!!! Gill, sorry you can't post the opal pic, would love to see it!!

[GillW]

I have actually been very close to the Queen when she was wearing the cabochon emerald! It was many years ago, before I really noticed royal jewels (can you believe that!!!! ) It was the first time I had met a pen-friend although we had been writing for a few months. As the Queen approached our vantage point, my friend gasped "Oh, she's wearing Queen Mary's emerald brooch...!" I looked at her sideways & wondered what kind of extremist knew pieces of jewellery by name....

Well, many years later, this same friend now emails me to ask my opinion on brooches and to verify information about pieces...who would ever have guessed that I would evolve into some minor authority on the subject ...

[QueenElizabeth]

That calla brooch has been on the royal coat again yesterday. I realise that the brooch has been worn very little in the past, and now (since I am studying the royal brooches), we already saw the Calla brooch about three times in the past months: during the Vodaphone visit on the red outfit, during the Flitcham Primary school visit on the pink herringbone wool coat and now again on a coat, which in my opinion (together with the nice hat) has been worn for the last time I think during the golden jubilee celebrations in 2002.

[GillW]

I have one earlier wearing of that coat, with the "knot" hat, and that was 5th Feb 2001 to attend West Newton Church (with the Cambridge pearl brooch on that occasion)

It certainly seems to be an exciting year for a fresh selection being brought out.

[joye]

Originally Posted by joye

Fields or Menkes quotes The Queen having 127 brooches, .... but that was long years ago.
My count is up to

I notice that I didn't finish this post.
My tally of brooches is 144, with more to add.

[GillW]

Originally Posted by joye

I notice that I didn't finish this post.
My tally of brooches is 144, with more to add.

Joye, do you count official badges & insignia for orders in your tally or is it of purely "decorative" brooches?

[GillW]

Oh wow - for meeting the Obama's I see HM has brought out the beautiful Williamson Pink Jonquil - how lucky are they to get to see it, and I bet they never even noticed!

[Prince of Chota]

I saw HM in person once, and I haven't any idea what she was wearing. It was one of the very few times in my life that I have been so starstruck that I basically blanked. I bet it happens a lot when people meet HM for the first time.

Originally Posted by joye

I notice that I didn't finish this post.
My tally of brooches is 144, with more to add.

Wow. Thank you so much for your count. I had no idea it was that high--very amazing.

[PrincessofEurope]

Originally Posted by GillW

Oh wow - for meeting the Obama's I see HM has brought out the beautiful Williamson Pink Jonquil - how lucky are they to get to see it, and I bet they never even noticed!

I saw the brooch when it was on display in Buckingham Palace and it is beautiful especially the very large pink diamond