A year ago today, we were all glued to our television screens as the Archbishop of Canterbury crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey. To mark the first anniversary of the coronation, here’s a look at ten of my favorite royal jewelry moments from the day.
10. Zara Borrows a Sentimental Diamond Brooch
The Princess Royal was in uniform as Gold Stick during her big brother’s coronation ceremony, so she didn’t have the chance to wear any of her heirloom jewelry on the day. Instead, she loaned a special brooch to her daughter, Zara Tindall. The diamond ribbon and tassel brooch was Charles’s gift to Anne when she married Zara’s father, Mark Phillips, in 1973. The choice to wear the brooch for King Charles’s coronation was a sentimental one on Zara’s part, using a piece of jewelry as a reminder of the links between her beloved uncle and her own family.
9. Lady Gabriella Wears a Queen Mary Heirloom
Zara wasn’t the only Windsor to wear a special brooch on Coronation Day. Lady Gabriella, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, borrowed an heirloom royal jewel from her mother for the ceremony: Queen Mary’s Diamond and Emerald Shamrock Brooch. The brooch has now been worn by four generations of Windsor women: Queen Mary, Princess Marina, Princess Michael, and Lady Ella.
8. Princess Michael Wears Marina’s Modern Flower Brooch
Princess Michael of Kent selected another royal heirloom from Princess Marina’s collection for the coronation ceremony as well. Marie-Christine wore the grand, eye-catching flower brooch, set with sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, from Princess Marina’s jewelry box. Princess Marina wore the same brooch in the summer of 1942 for Prince Michael’s christening in Windsor.
7. A Greek Royal Heirloom for the Custodian of the Crown of Romania
Numerous royal cousins and relatives from across Europe attended the coronation ceremony. Among them was Margareta of Romania, daughter of that country’s last king. For the ceremony, she wore a classic diamond fleur-de-lis brooch. The heirloom jewel originally belonged to Margareta’s Greek royal grandmother, Queen Helen of Romania, who was a first cousin of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
6. The Joyas de Pasar Diamonds Sparkle on the Queen of Spain
Queen Letizia of Spain arrived for the coronation ceremony wearing an impressive pair of diamond earrings. They’re part of the joyas de pasar collection, a cache of jewels that originally belonged to King Felipe VI’s great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain. Queen Victoria Eugenie was, of course, a British princess before she married King Alfonso XIII in 1906. She maintained close ties with her British royal cousins throughout her life, both before and after the Spanish royals were forced into exile in the 1930s.
5. Queen Maxima’s Stunning Stuart Diamond Earrings
Queen Letizia wasn’t the only European royal wearing fabulous diamond earrings for the coronation. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the enormous diamond earrings made of clusters that are usually part of the grand Stuart Tiara. There’s a British connection here, too: the tiara was made to showcase the Stuart Diamond, which was bought by King William III and Queen Mary II of England and returned to his native Holland after their deaths. The brooch pinned at Maxima’s waist is also a Dutch royal treasure: it’s part of an enormous diamond stomacher gifted to Queen Emma as a wedding present in 1879.
4. The Queen of Thailand’s Astonishing Sapphires and Diamonds
Several foreign royals from around the globe wore spectacular suites of jewelry for the coronation, but few sparkled as mightily as the sapphire and diamond jewels worn by Queen Suthida of Thailand. She dazzled in diamond and sapphire earrings and a coordinating necklace, plus a pair of gorgeous brooches. Her decorations were blazing with even more gemstones, too!
3. Catherine the Great’s Turquoises on the Crown Princess of Denmark
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was absolutely beautiful in a navy-purple ensemble, punctuated by bright heirloom turquoises. She had received the jewels as a 50th birthday gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, in February 2022. But the turquoises have an even more special provenance: they’re said to have originally been owned by Catherine the Great. She’s an ancestor of many of the royals who were present for the coronation, including both King Charles III and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.
2. A Diamond Surprise from the Princess of Wales
Many were disappointed not to see more jewelry on the Princess of Wales during the coronation itself, but when the official photographs were taken at Buckingham Palace, she revealed that an heirloom royal jewel was indeed part of her ensemble. For the first time, she wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace commissioned by King George VI and worn by his wife, the Queen Mother, and their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. It was spectacular to see a future queen consort wearing the jewel!
1. The Crown Jewels!
With the last coronation taking place in 1953, seventy years before the crowning of King Charles III, most of us had never had the opportunity to see the crown regalia in action. It was a genuine thrill to see the Archbishop of Canterbury place St. Edward’s Crown on the head of the monarch, and to see the various scepters and swords actually being used. We also got to see Queen Mary’s Crown used to crown Queen Camilla, who also became the latest royal woman to wear the Coronation Necklace on the day. The coronation was a scaled-down affair by any measure, but seeing the jewels “working” as part of the ceremony was absolutely fascinating.
Stay tuned: the Danish state visit to Sweden begins today, and I’ll be back here with gala jewels later on. See you then!
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