military jewels

The Dacre Brooch

08.04.2019 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

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Today’s royal brooch is something of a hybrid piece: a beautiful jewel that was also formerly given as an annual prize. Here’s a closer look at the Dacre Brooch.

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The brooch, which is set with diamonds and other gemstones, was traditionally presented each year to the best female cadet. That tradition began in 1982, the year that women were first admitted to the Air Cadets, and continued until 2015. It was decided that the best female cadet should, like her male counterpart, instead receive the Dacre Sword.

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The brooch is named in honor of the late Air Commodore G.B. Dacre and his wife, Elizabeth, who presented it to the Air Cadets in 1982. Newspapers interviewed the last female Air Cadet to wear the brooch. She noted, “It is quite an honour. I was the last cadet to wear it, and now she is wearing it. It is the best accessory.”

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The “she” referenced in that quotation is the Duchess of Cambridge. The brooch was presented to Kate by the Air Cadets after she was appointed as their newest patron, a role that was passed along to her by the Duke of Edinburgh. Papers reported that the brooch had been given to Kate, but I’m not sure whether it was offered to her as a personal gift or presented to her to wear during her tenure as the organization’s patron.

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The Duchess of Cambridge performed her first official engagement as the Honorary Air Commandant of the Air Cadets in February 2016, attending a service to mark the organization’s 75th anniversary. She wore the brooch pinned to a blue Alexander McQueen coat.

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In July 2018, Kate wore the brooch publicly again, this time for a service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force.

Note: This is an updated and expanded version of an earlier post.

Queen Ena’s Brooch for Letizia

01.08.2019 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

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Queen Letizia of Spain just keeps surprising us with more and more heirloom royal jewels, and I couldn’t be more delighted! This week, she reached for Queen Ena’s Gray Pearl Drop Brooch.

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The occasion for the brooch-wearing was a formal one: the Pascua Militar, the annual new year military parade and celebrations in Madrid. As usual, the day began outdoors for the military parade…

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…and then moved inside the Royal Palace for a reception.

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Letizia debuted another piece from the joyas de pasar, the collection of jewels that Queen Ena designated to pass from monarch to monarch in Spain. (More on the entire collection here!) This time, she chose the “broche con perla grande gris pálido rodeada de brillantes y del cual cuelga una perla en forma de pera,” a brooch with a large, pale gray pearl surrounded by diamonds, from which hangs a pear-shaped pearl.

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The brooch has two notable features that help distinguish it from other royal brooches. The top portion features a pale gray pearl surrounded by a double cluster of diamonds, while other similar pieces from the Spanish royal vaults feature only a single diamond cluster. Also, the pearl pendant is suspended from an additional chevron of diamonds, providing it with a sort of diamond frame.

Queen Ena wears the gray pearl cluster brooch with its pendant drop in a portrait, ca. 1920s

That chevron-style frame is clearly visible in this photograph of Ena, taken in the 1920s. You’ll note here that the brooch only features a single cluster of diamonds around the round pearl. The second row of diamonds was a later addition, made during Ena’s lifetime.

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Before Letizia, the most recent wearer of the brooch was, of course, her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia. (Under the terms of Ena’s bequest, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia had the use of the collection until his abdication, when they passed to King Felipe and Queen Letizia.)

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Two years ago, Letizia also began wearing another similar heirloom brooch from the Spanish royal vaults: the Countess of Barcelona’s Pearl Drop Brooch. The piece is also set with large pearls, but note that (unlike Ena’s brooch) it features only a single cluster of diamonds and no frame section above the pendant. (I think I might like the Countess of Barcelona’s brooch slightly more on Letizia — its simpler design suits her.)

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Along with Queen Ena’s brooch, Letizia wore a pair of embellished pearl stud earrings.

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This angle gives you a better view of the silver-toned design on the pearl.

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And here’s a look at Letizia’s entire ensemble. (The long skirt is part of the dress code for the event.)

Armistice Jewels at Westminster Abbey

11.12.2018 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

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The British royals wrapped up their commemorations of the centenary of the World War I armistice on Sunday with one more event: a service at Westminster Abbey. The location was especially fitting, as the Abbey houses the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, an unidentified soldier who perished on a European battlefield during the First World War.

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The Queen was joined by the President and First Lady of Germany for the service, demonstrating the friendship that now exists between the former foes.

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The Queen wore her usual pearl earrings and necklace for the service. She secured her poppies with the Jardine Star Brooch, which you can learn about here.

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The Duchess of Cornwall also wore pearls, including her favorite pearl drop earrings and her pearl choker necklace with the gem-set clasp in shades of purple. (More on that necklace here!) She also added a poppy brooch to her ensemble.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also present at the Abbey for the service.

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Kate wore the same jewels she’d worn earlier for the commemorations at the Cenotaph: her pearl cluster earrings and poppy pin.

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Meghan kept her jewels extremely simple, wearing only a tiny pair of stud earrings.

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One more woman from the royal family was in attendance for the service: the Duchess of Gloucester, who appears to have worn the badge of one of her regiments.