On Sunday, the Queen made a happy appearance at the grand finale of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, a spectacular designed to celebrate British history—and her glittering role in it.
Before we chat about the jewels worn yesterday, here’s a quick look back at some moments from Windsor Horse Shows past. The event has been held since 1943, and the Queen has been in attendance basically every year. Above, she sits beside the Duke of Beaufort during the show in June 1947, just days before she announced her engagement to Prince Philip.
And here, in May 1949, she attends the show with Philip himself. I believe she’s wearing her Sapphire and Ruby Floral Brooch, a Cartier jewel given to her by her parents as a birthday present in 1945. She recently made a rare appearance in the brooch during a virtual audience.
The Queen usually wears very casual clothes and jewels to watch the competitions and demonstrations at the show, but occasionally, there’s a bigger performance staged in her honor. In May 2002, for example, the Queen was the guest of honor at “All The Queen’s Horses,” a special show celebrating the Golden Jubilee.
For that show, the Queen wore pieces from a grand modern suite of jewelry: the Dubai Sapphires. She wore the earrings and necklace from the set, though the necklace got fairly lost against the neckline of her outfit. (These sapphires have more recently been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge.)
In May 2016, another special celebration was held to mark the Queen’s recent 90th birthday.
The Queen arrived for the show with the Duke of Edinburgh. Interestingly, she chose daytime jewels this time around, wearing pearls with Queen Mary’s Turquoise Brooch. That remarkable nineteenth-century jewel was Mary’s wedding gift from her parents-in-law, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, in 1893.
On Sunday evening, the Queen arrived for the show’s finale celebration, “A Gallop Through History,” with her youngest son, the Earl of Wessex. Edward is now the president of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, taking over a role previously held by his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen’s ensemble for this celebration was something of a mix of day and evening attire. She wore a blue dress with sparkling crystal embellishments, covered by a pale blue cardigan and by a larger gray wrap that was also festooned with crystals.
Here’s another view of the outfit. She wore comfortable black shoes and carried a silk scarf and one of her usual black handbags. A walking stick and a lift within the stands helped her arrive safely at her seat.
The Queen kept her jewels on the casual and comfortable side as well. She wore her signature diamond and pearl button earrings.
This angle also reveals a three-stranded pearl necklace beneath the neckline of her dress.
In the stands, the Queen was surrounded by royal friends and family members. Sitting to her right, you’ll spot Prince Hassan bin Talal, uncle of the King of Jordan. His wife, Princess Sarvath, was present as well. Members of Prince Philip’s extended German family were in attendance as well. He traditionally organized a family house party for his German relatives during the Windsor Horse Show each May, and the Queen appears to have continued the tradition. Prince Donatus of Hesse and his wife, Princess Floria, were spotted in the royal box on Sunday evening.
The Countess of Wessex was seated near the Queen in the royal box as well. She wore evening jewels: her multi-gem earrings and their coordinating ring. We recently saw her wear the same jewels at the Arab Women of Year Awards in March.
Countess Mountbatten, also a fixture at the horse show over the years, was also in the royal box, wearing elegant pearls.
One more member of the royal family was present as well, but in a more active role. Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of Edward and Sophie Wessex, was part of the show. She drove the carriage that belonged to the late Duke of Edinburgh in a segment showcasing royal carriages. She wore a pair of earrings set with sparkling pink and white gemstones, plus the two brooches she’s had on her coat throughout this year’s show. One of the captions provided by a photographer from this event notes that one of the brooches was a gift from her grandfather. Presumably it’s the one featuring the horse and reins, which she’s worn frequently at events celebrating the late Duke’s memory.
The Queen was absolutely delighted throughout the entire show, and it was great to see her enjoying herself so much!
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