Jewels in Motion: Dutch-UK State Visit (1958)

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom’s 1958 state visit to the Netherlands has been in conversation lately because of a rare appearance from the Cullinan III and IV Brooch. (Read more about that over here!) Today, I’ve got a glittering survey of some of the grandest jewels worn at the gala events during that state visit — in motion!

One of the trio of tiara events during the visit was a dinner and reception at the palace

Queens Elizabeth and Juliana were seated next to each other at the table, and the candlelight made their diamonds sparkle brilliantly

Queen Elizabeth wore jewels with sleek, simple designs: Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik, the Greville Chandelier Earrings, and her own diamond festoon necklace

She pinned the sash of the Order of the Netherlands Lion with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Brooch

The Duke of Edinburgh was seated between Juliana and Princess Beatrix, who wore the family’s diamond laurel bandeau and the sash of the Royal Victorian Order

Queen Juliana was resplendent in diamonds, including the Dutch Diamond Bandeau, the Diamond Festoon Necklace that belonged to Queen Wilhelmina, large diamond drop earrings, and one of the family’s large devant de corsage ornaments. She’s wearing the sash of the Order of the Garter here, but it’s strangely arranged around and under the strap of her gown, which is adorned with diamond star ornaments from the family vaults 

Behind Juliana, you also get a peek at Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, who was the Mistress of the Robes in 1958. She’s wearing the family’s grand diamond diadem; I recently published an article on the piece, which you can learn more about over here

Princesses Beatrix and Irene are also visible in this footage. Irene wears the family’s ears of wheat ornaments on a tiara frame; I believe she’s also wearing the magnificent diamond trellis necklace and the sash of the Order of the Netherlands Lion

Jewels are always at their most sparkly under the lights of a theater, and the concert event from this state visit provided an astounding amount of royal glitter

Queen Juliana wore the most glorious of the Dutch royal jewels: the Stuart Parure, which includes a diamond that belonged to King William III and Queen Mary II of England. (Read more about that over here!)

Queen Elizabeth II wore major diamonds and pearls, including the Vladimir Tiara with its pearl drops, the Gloucester Pendant Earrings, Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace, and the Kensington Bow Brooch

Princess Beatrix again wore the Laurel Bandeau, pairing it this time with pearls

We get one more excellent view of the jewels of Mary Devonshire here; she’s wearing the family’s diamond diadem, plus her own diamond and sapphire necklace

The third tiara event of the visit was a return dinner aboard the Britannia. We’ve only got a distant view of Queen Elizabeth’s jewels, but I believe she’s wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara with the original setting of the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure Necklace

We also got a brief hint of the glitter worn by Beatrix and Irene, but neither view allows me a sufficient look to identify their jewelry