The precious jewels bequeathed by Queen Elizabeth.
The farewell of Queen Elizabeth (February 6, 1952 – September 8, 2022) moved millions of people. But the Queen left a legacy not only tied to her institutional role, but also material. Starting with her jewels. And one of the events linked to the Queen’s Jubilee, celebrated just two months before her death, was the exhibition of Her Majesty’s Jewels. The exhibition, organized by the Royal Collection Trust, was held at the Queen’s former home, Buckingham Palace, in London. Visitors were able to admire many of the Queen’s historic jewels, accompanied by original hand-finished images and prints taken by Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976), who portrayed Elizabeth II on several occasions. The exhibition was titled The Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession.
The jewels bequeathed by the Queen are the most exciting objects for enthusiasts. This is also because some jewels have not only historical value, but also preciousness. Many of the jewels on display, however, are among the Queen’s favorites, having worn them several times on official occasions and for iconic portraits. For example, the Diamond Diadem and The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiaras.
The Diamond Diadem was created on the occasion of the coronation of George IV in 1821. It is a jewel made with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and a band with two rows of pearls. Two diamonds are set in the shape of a rose, a thistle and two shamrocks: they are the national symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland. The diadem was inherited in 1837 by Queen Victoria and, among other things, appears on the first stamp ever created, the legendary Penny Black. The diadem went to Queen Alexandra, then to Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and then to Elizabeth II, who wore it on the day of her coronation and for the opening of parliament from the first year of her reign.
The Vladimir diadem, on the other hand, is so called because it was made for the Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia and sold by her daughter to Queen Mary in 1921. Inherited from the current queen in 1953, the diadem was worn with its original pearl drops. . But there are also jewels that are visible in public for the first time, such as the Dorset bow brooch and a pair of diamond bracelets.
The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, on the other hand, has been owned by the queen since 1947, as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary. Among the jewels there is also the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace in platinum with 300 diamonds: it was donated to Princess Elizabeth by the Nizam of Hyderabad (governor of the Kingdom, title of the native sovereigns of the Indian state of Hyderabad) as a wedding gift in 1947. Elizabeth II he wore it was often worn for official engagements and formal portraits.
