Today at Hidden Gems, my subscriber-supported Substack newsletter, I published the first of two articles on the recently unsealed will of Queen Mary’s brother, Prince Francis of Teck. Long rumored to contain information about the Teck family’s jewelry, including the Cambridge emeralds, the will is full of surprises. As a bonus for those who have read the Hidden Gems article, or for those simply interested in learning more about the Teck family jewels, here’s a roundup of some of my previous pieces about the Tecks and their spectacular jewelry.
For more than a century, nearly every will made by a member of the British royal family was sealed, making its contents inaccessible to members of the public. In February 2023, however, the President of the Family Division’s Office in Britain published a new procedural note indicating that some royal wills could now be unsealed.
Nine of them were officially unsealed in June, and today at Hidden Gems, I’m bringing you the first of two articles on the contents of the infamous will that started it all: the last will and testament of Queen Mary’s brother, Prince Francis of Teck. [Hidden Gems Subscriber Exclusive]
Jewel History: A Third Baby for the Duchess of Cambridge (1833)
“This Gazette states, that dispatches have been received from Thomas Cartwright, Esq., His Majesty’s Minister Plenipotentiary to the Germanic Confederations, stating that Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered, on November 27th, of a Princess.” Learn how the birth of the Duchess of Teck was recorded in 1833.
The Duchess of Teck’s Flower Brooch
When you look at old photographs of the Queen Mother, one piece of jewelry in particular crops up often among her daytime attire: a diamond flower brooch with four pendants and a detachable diamond chain. It was one of the Queen Mum’s wedding gifts, but its history goes back even further than that.
Queen Camilla’s Hidden Royal Jewel: The Teck Crescent Tiara
There’s been tons of discussion over the past several months about the next tiaras that Queen Camilla will bring out of the royal vault. But while there are many of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s tiaras to choose from, Camilla also has an unseen royal heirloom tiara in her own jewelry vault: the Teck Crescent Tiara.
Autumn is in full swing here at the Court Jeweller HQ, and I’ve been in the mood to discuss a rather autumnal jewelry design: diamond ornaments in the shape of ears of wheat. Today, we’re talking about one interesting royal example of the type, the Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara.
Our tribute to the tiaras of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother continues today with a look at a rare outing from a necklace-turned-tiara. Here’s a closer look at Elizabeth wearing the Teck Hoop Necklace Tiara just after the end of World War II.
Queen Mary’s Teck Turquoise Tiara
Queen Mary’s jewelry box, at one point or another, seemed to contain jewels set with gems in every color of the rainbow. But one of her earliest, and perhaps most sentimental, complete jewelry suites was this turquoise parure.
We’ll have more on the Teck jewels, as well as more surprises from Frank’s long sealed will, next weekend at both at Hidden Gems and here at The Court Jeweller!
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