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

[jcbcode99]

An impressive piece--was it one of Queen Mary's wedding gifts?

 

[GillW]

Indeed it was - from, guess who? - The County of Surrey! It's a very pretty piece isn't it?

 

[jcbcode99]

GillW, you are too funny! I looked it up and actually it is from the Ladies of Surrey Needlework Guild--I wonder if Queen Mary was presented with a beautiful piece of their handiwork as well?

 

[GillW]

Brooch for the 60th Wedding Anniversary service - HM chose to wear one of the gorgeous ruby & diamond brooches left by Mrs Greville to Queen ELizabeth the Queen Mother. This is the first time, I believe, that Hm has been seen to wear this one - and very beautiful it looked too.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It is a really beautiful piece!Great to see Her Majesty opt to wear it for this great occasion. It does really stand out on the white outfit! Maybe in the next few days, we can see Her Majesty in Malta and in Uganda with some more precious pieces of the royal jewel vaults.

 

[GillW]

Oh yes - that would be LOVELY

 

[RubyPrincess168]

Gorgeous brooch! And looked so lovely on her bridal white outfit! I was hoping it was a special gift from Prince Phillip but I guess not.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

According to my database the Wattle brooch currently ranks 11th favourite in order of the number of times I can trace it being worn in recent years (the last 17 years - and counting!)

REALLY? I'm interested in seeing your list!

 

[GillW]

It's a very large ongoing piece of work - what in particular interests you? I'll see if I can answer your questions...

 

[LadyK]

Well, my question is what are the top three favorites?
She has so many gorgeous ones to choose from- I think if she offered to lend me one it'd take me a week to decide!

 

[GillW]

When I started my catalogue it didn't take me long to realise that the top 10 never seem to change places. Their frequency of wearing keeps them in almost identical order constantly. They are (starting with the most favourite & working down the list):

Gold dahlia
Victoria's Bow
Cullinan V Heart
Jardine diamond star
Trefoil (three looped bow)
Double pearl triangle (Long thin bar with 2 large pearls)
Cambridge Pearl with drop
City of London (diamond grasses)
Dorset Bow (Wide lacy ribbon in diamonds)
Albert sapphire

In the events I have listed so far, the top two have been worn on 91 separate occasions each, whereas the Albert sapphire has appeared only 30 times. There are wide differences in the numbers which keep them in this order virtually all the time.

 

[Warren]

I'm sure everyone's keen for a pic, so here's one.

Courtesy Magnolia via Octavius from RJOTWMB,
original pic appears in 'The Royal Jewels' by Suzy Menkes, Third Edition 1988, after page 108.

Mrs Greville's diamond & ruby brooch​

(one of a pair)
 ​

 

[MARG]

Gorgeous brooch! And looked so lovely on her bridal white outfit! I was hoping it was a special gift from Prince Phillip but I guess not.

No, no.... jewels are so, oh how can I say this without being shot? Passe? Passionless? (only in this instance). Lets face it...gems are coals to Newcastle. That wonderful intimate shot of the Royal couple in the limo on their way to the servcice said it all. Jewels are just icing on the cake, and, in this case, absolutely fabulous!

 

[GillW]

It's another "double brooch" day for HM! On her coat this morning she wore the lovely Wattle as discussed above, and on her dress at lunchtime (coat removed) there is the Gold Dahlia (number one favourite) See Polfoto for the pictures
POLFOTO - altid med i billedet

 

[noldorlord]

Here's a clear and close-up pic of one of HM's more sizeable brooches, worn on Remembrance Day 2007.
Courtesy of Lys, from RJOTWMB

Ladies of Surrey diamond & pearl brooch​

​

Thanks Warren, I love this monster and have not seen it for a long time. Do you know when this picture was taken?

 

[Warren]

Do you know when this picture was taken?

The date is in the caption of your quote.

 

[GillW]

A second recent wearing of the Delhi carved emerald brooch for HM - she obviously likes it on this green outfit (I think it would look really stunning on something white)

PresidentofPhillipinesGloriaMacapal.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[jcbcode99]

I'm just happy to see these pieces receiving some attention. I agree, the Delhi Carved brooch would look wonderful on white--but alas, I am growing weary of the frequency with which HM wears all white! I'm happy with the green;

 

[User0501]

Brooch for the 60th Wedding Anniversary service - HM chose to wear one of the gorgeous ruby & diamond brooches left by Mrs Greville to Queen ELizabeth the Queen Mother. This is the first time, I believe, that Hm has been seen to wear this one - and very beautiful it looked too.

For The Diamond Wedding Anniversary service at Westminster Abbey, The Queen wore a Kelly and Pordum dress and coat in a white and silver wool mix with diamanté and pearl buttons. Her Majesty's hat was designed by Rachel Trevor-Morgan. The outfit was complemented by a Cartier diamond and ruby brooch which originally belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

 

[noldorlord]

GillW, you are too funny! I looked it up and actually it is from the Ladies of Surrey Needlework Guild--I wonder if Queen Mary was presented with a beautiful piece of their handiwork as well?

She did. We had an exhibition of some of the work in Australia (Melbourne) in 1992 of work that was done over a150 years period, with photos of work sent from the Australian and British guilds to the Royal Family. A tapestry has been sent as a gift to every queen since Australia’s founding. I have sent an email to the AUS guild, if I can get photos I will post them.

 

[Cordonez]

hibiscus578202AH.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Is

 

[Cordonez]

hibiscus578202AH.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Is it typical for them to be worn so high? When I wear a brooch I wear it further down, like on my collar.

 

[jcbcode99]

She did. We had an exhibition of some of the work in Australia (Melbourne) in 1992 of work that was done over a150 years period, with photos of work sent from the Australian and British guilds to the Royal Family. A tapestry has been sent as a gift to every queen since Australia’s founding. I have sent an email to the AUS guild, if I can get photos I will post them.

noldorlord I think that is exciting! I will have to do a little google search and see if I can find anything before you get the chance to post! Thank you for the information!

 

[MARG]

hibiscus578202AH.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Is it typical for them to be worn so high? When I wear a brooch I wear it further down, like on my collar.

I think HM tends to wear them higher as many of them (and that one in particular) are very large focal points and altogether larger than your average collar.

 

[Cordonez]

Good Point and I wonder...

I think HM tends to wear them higher as many of them (and that one in particular) are very large focal points and altogether larger than your average collar.

Thank you for pointing that out

I wonder if her suits are made with a special reinforced panel at that point so that she can wear those heavy things . Most outfits wouldn't stand up to the strain.

Oh, the challenges of being a royal with gorgeous jewels

 

[GillW]

Thank you for pointing that out

I wonder if her suits are made with a special reinforced panel at that point so that she can wear those heavy things . Most outfits wouldn't stand up to the strain.

Oh, the challenges of being a royal with gorgeous jewels

Certainly her dresses are reinforced to enable her to wear brooches. They have a stronger lining to take the weight. If you look carefully you will notice that her dresses never "sag" under the weight, however large the brooch. (Oh to have couture dresses for every occasion!)

 

[LadyK]

I agree with GillW- QEII's dresses most certainly have to have some reinforcement to support her fabulous brooches. Even when I wear brooches (and believe me, I don't have any Cullinans!), some of my blouses can get a weighed-down sag to them that is not attractive.
QEII also tends to wear a lot of brooches (at least in the wintertime) on her outerwear and coats, which are, by nature, heavier and thus better able to support them. (I'm thinking of some of her wool coats, in particular). However, I'm sure even then those can't hold up the Cullinans! (yes, I like those...).


Then again, if I got to wear the Cullinans, or any of her fabulous brooches, I'm not sure I'd be worrying about the sag.....I'd probably be more worried about walking into walls while I was staring down at the diamonds!!!

 

[jcbcode99]

Just a tip, but when I wear brooches I tend to wear them as part of either a twinset or on a suit--that way, I can run the pin part through two layers and make it hold up better. Of course, my brooches are not nearly as weighty as the Queens--rather than huge diamonds I have some pave set stones--but I do love brooches and it is all thanks to Her Majesty's influence.

 

[noldorlord]

Or maybe just pinning to the Dare I say it. To the Bra strap

 

[GillW]

Or maybe just pinning to the Dare I say it. To the Bra strap

Possible, but unlikely. Pins on many of the brooches are horizontal and bra straps in general would not be wide enough to pin to. Personally I think that would be very uncomfortable too, and would not be conducive to a consistently smart appearance (bra's can have a mind of their own - ladies will appreciate what I mean, with wandering straps etc! Plus moving "within" the outer clothing, being more of a 2nd skin than a separate layer of the outer clothing) IMHO I feel that only a built in reinforcement of the dresses would be the only way that works.