Our series on royal jewels worn for Caribbean visits continues today with a look at a sparkling ensemble worn by the Queen of Jamaica in February 2002.
The visit took place just days after the funeral of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret. But a trip to the Caribbean was surely a lovely way to continue remembering Margaret, as she was so fond of that part of the world. On the first day of the visit, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a banquet in Kingston with Governor General Sir Howard Cooke. The Queen wore a light blue gown with a lace overlay embroidered with crystals and a sash detail at the waist.
The dinner was a memorable one. The Associated Press wrote, “Thanks to two power outages—common occurrences in Jamaica—the dinner took place in almost complete darkness, punctuated by the flicker of candles and lanterns that luminated the queen’s tiara and jewels.” Thankfully, the Queen had worn major diamonds for the occasion. Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik, an heirloom from 1888, would have sparkled mightily in candlelight.
And the Antique Girandole Earrings and the City of London Fringe Necklace would have added even more glitter in the flickering light. Diamonds are meant for candlelight, after all.
The Queen also wore diamonds on both wrists: one of her modern bracelets on the right, and a diamond evening watch on the left.
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