Distribution of the Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II

[Mbruno]

I understand that King Charles III will inherit the bulk of Queen Elizabeth II's personal jewel collection. However, like the Gloucesters and the Kents in the past, do you think some items will be left to Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward? If so, what are some of the most significant pieces that may leave the main line of the BRF?

 

[HRHHermione]

Distribution of Jewels in the British Royal Family

I understand that King Charles III will inherit the bulk of Queen Elizabeth II's personal jewel collection. However, like the Gloucesters and the Kents in the past, do you think some items will be left to Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward? If so, what are some of the most significant pieces that may leave the main line of the BRF?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the aquamarine ribbon tiara goes to Sophie so there’s a Wessex tiara for Louise to wear for her wedding and for James’s future spouse. It doesn’t have such a strong royal provenance that it would be bad for it to leave the royal collection.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I suspect that what will happen is that everything will be left to Charles with a request that xxxx item is allowed to be used by yyyy.

That way the jewels don't leave the royal family and thus there becomes less chance of the item eventually having to be sold to pay death duties.

 

[Curryong]

I think it would be sensible to set up some sort of Foundation in the BRF such as in the Swedish and Netherlands royal families. Senior female royals could have their choice of what is in the vaults and the more important personal jewellery of each monarch on loan for their lifetimes. In that way the whole collection is held together for all time (or at least until that monarchy lasts.)

 

[HRHHermione]

I think it would be sensible to set up some sort of Foundation in the BRF such as in the Swedish and Netherlands royal families. Senior female royals could have their choice of what is in the vaults and the more important personal jewellery of each monarch on loan for their lifetimes. In that way the whole collection is held together for all time (or at least until that monarchy lasts.)

It would be, but I don’t think it will happen. My one general prediction is that Queen Camilla will gravitate towards jewels closely associated with the Queen Mother and the Princess of Wales will gravitate towards those associated with the late Diana, Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II.

 

[Curryong]

That might well be correct, but quite important items left to Sophie and to Anne will eventually go out of the royal family and could be sold. That might eventually happen with Charlotte and Louis’s wife too. I just believe it may be time for the BRF to consider this alternative.

 

[ReeceT21]

I agree that Camilla in particular may opt for the tiaras not too strongly associated with the Queen.

I would love to see her in the Oriental Circlet and Alexandra's Kokoshnik tiaras, and I would expect she'll keep the Greville as a main piece in her collection. It's harder to say what she may like of the Queen's modern pieces.

It'd be great to see Catherine make the Girls a signature piece as Princess of Wales. It is of course so associated with the Queen, but so was the Lover's Knot with Diana and Catherine didn't shy away from that.

But who knows? QEQM and the Queen showed that personal preference makes all the difference. Hard to imagine pieces the Queen so loved just disappearing into the vaults but it's certainly possible.

 

[HRHHermione]

I agree that Camilla in particular may opt for the tiaras not too strongly associated with the Queen.



I would love to see her in the Oriental Circlet and Alexandra's Kokoshnik tiaras, and I would expect she'll keep the Greville as a main piece in her collection. It's harder to say what she may like of the Queen's modern pieces.



It'd be great to see Catherine make the Girls a signature piece as Princess of Wales. It is of course so associated with the Queen, but so was the Lover's Knot with Diana and Catherine didn't shy away from that.



But who knows? QEQM and the Queen showed that personal preference makes all the difference. Hard to imagine pieces the Queen so loved just disappearing into the vaults but it's certainly possible.

I would love to see the Oriental Circlet become regularly used again- it’s a personal favorite. I would imagine we’ll start seeing that as soon as Christmas when the first diplomatic reception in the new reign occurs

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I think the York princesses are going to be out in the cold as far as tiaras go(unless their grandmother left them something)

Granted they have only ever worn tiaras for their respective weddings but there is the odd State occasion where one might be needed (the upcoming Coronation ceremony of their uncle).

I can't see the new queen lending them anything.

 

[HRHHermione]

I think the York princesses are going to be out in the cold as far as tiaras go(unless their grandmother left them something)



Granted they have only ever worn tiaras for their respective weddings but there is the odd State occasion where one might be needed (the upcoming Coronation ceremony of their uncle).



I can't see the new queen lending them anything.

Their mother still has hers I think? Presumably that could be borrowed. I’m sure if they are present at a tiara occasion, one will be available.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I very much doubt that Sarah still has her wedding tiara. At least one of her daughters would have worn it.

 

[Curryong]

Yes, I suspect it was sold privately to a prominent jeweller during one of Sarah’s many financial crises and may well have been broken up.

 

[muriel]

I suspect that what will happen is that everything will be left to Charles with a request that xxxx item is allowed to be used by yyyy.

That way the jewels don't leave the royal family and thus there becomes less chance of the item eventually having to be sold to pay death duties.

I suspect you are right. That allows the transfer of ownership to King Charles in a tax-free manner, and the family members get to use the jewellery as QE2 had intended.

 

[muriel]

I think it would be sensible to set up some sort of Foundation in the BRF such as in the Swedish and Netherlands royal families. Senior female royals could have their choice of what is in the vaults and the more important personal jewellery of each monarch on loan for their lifetimes. In that way the whole collection is held together for all time (or at least until that monarchy lasts.)

I do not think a Foundation of sorts is required. The BRF have, over the last 1 - 2 generations, a system that works for them and keeps the collection intact. The Queen of the day is the keeper of the jewels, and provides the working royal ladies with enough jewels as befits their position in the family. The ownership is not compromised.

The only advantage of a larger pool of jewellery being available to non-main line ladies like Anne and Sophie is that we, the public, get to see more jewellery. That is not an objective, IMO, that is paramount in the minds of the King and Queen.

 

[W.Y.CII]

I think at least the whole tiaras section will be passed to Charles completely, with a memo "this piece is reserved for XXX" (of course except those which were already gifted to her descendants when the Queen was alive). OTOH smaller pieces like brooches maybe leave to other members directly, and probably we would never know unless they're being used publicly.

 

[cdm]

I hope that in time there will be an exhibition about the jewels linked to Queen Elizabeth II.
It would be nice to see all her brooches together one time.

 

[muriel]

I hope that in time there will be an exhibition about the jewels linked to Queen Elizabeth II.
It would be nice to see all her brooches together one time.

Lovely as that might seem, I think it is unlikley we will see all the brooches in one place. I can see there being an exhibition of some of HM's favourite jewels, but that will be a snapshot, not the entire collection.

 

[Sunnystar]

I think the York princesses are going to be out in the cold as far as tiaras go(unless their grandmother left them something)

Granted they have only ever worn tiaras for their respective weddings but there is the odd State occasion where one might be needed (the upcoming Coronation ceremony of their uncle).

I can't see the new queen lending them anything.

I can't see any reason why, should they be asked to attend a State occasion (like the coronation or the odd State Visit in the future), the new queen would refuse to lend them something from the vaults. Just because they may never be working members of the royal family doesn't mean that Charles (and by extension Camilla) wouldn't be generous with them in this regard. I expect that he'll make sure all of his nieces and daughters-in-law are loaned whatever is necessary by way of tiaras and jewels for the handful of occasions they'll be in attendance.

 

[Tilia C.]

Moderators have decided that, as a mark of respect for the late Queen, this thread will remain closed until after the funeral.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I think the York princesses are going to be out in the cold as far as tiaras go(unless their grandmother left them something)

Granted they have only ever worn tiaras for their respective weddings but there is the odd State occasion where one might be needed (the upcoming Coronation ceremony of their uncle).

I can't see the new queen lending them anything.

Why would Charles say no to them ? They are their own individuals, not their parents…

If Beatrice and Eugenie want to wear their respective wedding tiaras to Charles’ coronation, i don’t think that would be any problem at all…. Catherine and Sophie will most likely wear other tiaras (and Anne may wear uniform if she’s still a goldstick-in-waiting)

 

[muriel]

Why would Charles say no to them ? They are their own individuals, not their parents…

If Beatrice and Eugenie want to wear their respective wedding tiaras to Charles’ coronation, i don’t think that would be any problem at all…. Catherine and Sophie will most likely wear other tiaras (and Anne may wear uniform if she’s still a goldstick-in-waiting)

If either of B or E wanted to borrow a tiara for the coronation or a state occassion, I am sure Camilla would make the loan.

 

[Alisa]

It is also plausible that the Queen willed tiaras from her private collection to female descendants-ie the York princesses.

Time will tell.

 

[Tilia C.]

It's not likely that Beatrice and Eugenie will ever attend State Banquets. The only potential future tiara event for them are coronations, if they continue to be tiara events. And if so, the King will most likely see to it that his relatives are properly decked out.

 

[Mirabel]

It is also plausible that the Queen willed tiaras from her private collection to female descendants-ie the York princesses.

Time will tell.

I don't think the Queen would have done that; she was aware that such tiaras tended to be sold somewhere down the line.

I think any items like that among her personal jewelry she would include in whatever was left to Charles.

Her female descendants might be left some keepsake pieces, but nothing major.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Charlotte has a little horseshoe brooch and Meghan received some earrings as a working royal. Other than that we don’t really know who got what.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

I highly doubt that the Queen will give tiaras to the York’s or anyone. What would they use them for? They aren’t working royals and tiaras are expensive to keep and insure, they would end up on the auction block. They could be loaned tiaras but not given as a gift.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Most likely the Queen will have left everything to her successor, as inheritances to the Sovereign are free of succession taxes. Possibly with remainders to King Charles, meaning she uses him as a tax-feee distribution hub.

 

[Alison H]

I would think that most of the jewellery collection will be kept together, although a few small pieces, probably brooches or earrings, might well have been left to individual relatives as mementoes. It'd be quite nice if they all had something personal to remember her by, like the little horseshoe brooch which Charlotte wore to the funeral. I'm sure it would be fine for Beatrice and Eugenie to borrow a tiara if they were going to an occasion which warranted it.

 

[muriel]

Most likely the Queen will have left everything to her successor, as inheritances to the Sovereign are free of succession taxes. Possibly with remainders to King Charles, meaning she uses him as a tax-feee distribution hub.

I would think that most of the jewellery collection will be kept together, although a few small pieces, probably brooches or earrings, might well have been left to individual relatives as mementoes. It'd be quite nice if they all had something personal to remember her by, like the little horseshoe brooch which Charlotte wore to the funeral. I'm sure it would be fine for Beatrice and Eugenie to borrow a tiara if they were going to an occasion which warranted it.

That is correct, I would expect the entire estate to be left to King Charles. He may part with certain pieces of jewellery that are of sentimental value to each of her children, grand children and great grand children. The details of this are unlikely to ever make it to the public domain, unless of course Omid Scoobie starts to tweet about some of this.

 

[Princess B]

I’m sure Charles will inherit all major Jewellery but the queens other children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have been gifted smaller pieces of Jewellery.
As for loaning our tiaras, I’m sure Charles will lend out tiaras for Beatrice and Eugenie (Louise in future) should the need arise