Posted by Boffer on September 7, 2012, 7:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Mary"
Both 'Queen Mary's Ladies of England Necklace/Tiara' and 'Queen Mary's County of Surrey Necklace/Tiara' have been dismantled.
Here are highly detailed and referenced notes in regards to each of these pieces.
Queen Mary’s Ladies of England Necklace/Tiara
This jewel was a wedding gift to Queen Mary in 1893 from “650 Ladies of England”,[1] and was made in Hunt and Roskell.[2] It was described in The Times, as a “pearl and diamond ornament … made up of scrolls wrought in diamonds over fleur-de-lis in larger stones. From each group hangs a drop-pearl, that falling from the centre cluster being fully an inch in length”.[3] It was exhibited at the Imperial Institute among some of her other wedding gifts, as photographed in The Graphic.[4] It was presented to Queen Mary on 24 June 1893, at 19, Ennismore Gardens by “the Ladies’ Committee”.[5]
It was designed to be worn both as a tiara,[6] as a necklace,[7] and as a bandeau to trim the corsage of a gown, as it was worn to the Devonshire House Ball in 1897;[8] and it could also be detached “so as to be converted into several smaller ornaments”.[9] It was featured in Volume I of Queen Mary’s Photographic jewellery inventory,[10] and Queen Mary also kept a record of all the 650 ladies who had subscribed to the gift in a special presentation volume.[11]
Queen Mary wrote to Lady Elizabeth Biddulph in June 1893, asking her to “accept and convey to the ladies of England my grateful thanks for the very beautiful necklace”.[12] She also wrote a letter to Lady Eva Greville in July of that year, in which she described the tiara as one of her “most valued wedding gifts as a precious proof of your good will and affection”.[13]
However, by 1913 the decision was taken to dismantle this tiara. “12 pearl drops” from this tiara,[14] and the majority of the diamonds were used to create ‘Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara’.[15] With the remaining “33 brilliants and 3 rose diamonds” being used to create ‘Queen Mary’s Greek Tiara’.[16]
NOTES 1. Bow Bells, 7 July 1893, p. 32 2. Hugh Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, (London: Royal Collection Publications, 2012), p. 182 3. The Times, 24 June 1893, p. 14 4. The Graphic, 15 July 1893, p. 88 5. The Times, 28 June 1893, p. 10 6. Suzy Menkes, The Royal Jewels, (London: Grafton Books, 1985), p. 65; James Pope-Hennessy, Queen Mary, (London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1959), pl. 21 7. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 146 (RCIN 2808111) 8. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 138 (RCIN 4926140) 9. The Times, 24 June 1893, p. 14 10. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 113; RA QM/PRIV/CC93, pl. 1, no. 6 11. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 182; RA QM/PRIV/CC64 12. The Times, 28 June 1893, p. 10 13. The Times, 10 July 1893, p. 6 14. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 182 15. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 182; GA Garrard RL3, fol. 94, 23 January 1914 16. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 164; GA Garrard RL3, fol. 95, 21 April 1914
Queen Mary's County of Surrey Necklace/Tiara
This tiara was a wedding-gift to Queen Mary in 1893 from the County of Surrey, and was presented to her by the Earl of Lovelace, in his capacity as Lord-Lieutenant of the county. It was described in The Times as being a tiara “composed entirely of brilliants of large size and … convertible at will into a necklace”.[1]
It was illustrated among her wedding gifts in the Illustrated London News,[2] and was exhibited at the Imperial Institute among the three tiaras that featured in the exhibition of the wedding-gifts TRHs had received; a photograph from this exhibition featured in The Graphic.[3] This tiara also features in Queen Mary’s photographic jewellery inventory.[4]
This piece was photographed being worn as a necklace, along with ‘Queen Mary’s Boucheron Loop Tiara’,[5] by W & D Downey, to mark the visit of the then Prince and Princess of Wales to India between 1905 and 1906.[6] It was also photographed being worn as a tiara by Queen Mary with ‘Queen Mary’s Kapurthala Stomacher’.[7]
It was dismantled in 1913, with the biggest “13 large brilliants” being used “furnish tops to [Queen Mary's] Girls of Great Britain [and Ireland] Tiara in place of pearls”, for the cost of £34.[8]
The rest of the stones were used to create a new “Greek honeysuckle pattern Tiara”, ‘Queen Mary’s Greek Tiara’.[9]
NOTES
1. The Times, 23 June 1893, p. 10 2. Illustrated London News, 6 July 1893 3. The Graphic, 15 July 1893, p. 88 4. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 139; RA QM/PRIV/CC93, pl. 5a, no. 1. 5. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 156 (RCIN 2808148); Geoffrey Munn, Tiaras: A History of Splendor, (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club, 2001), pl. 109. 6. Munn, Tiaras, pl. 110 7. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 194 (Note: This picture shows the tiara being worn in the base of the ‘Girls and Great Britain Tiara’). 8. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 136, GA Garrard RL3, fol. 95, 21 April 1914; 9.RA JEWEL/GARRARD/QM, fol. 80, no. 2. 10. Roberts, The Queen’s Diamonds, p. 164; GA Garrard RL3, fol. 95, 21 April 1914
--Previous Message-- : Thank you, Nellie! And those two : tiara/necklaces aren't here anymore, is that : correct? If so, did that happen before the : end of reign of King George V or the end of : reign of his son King George VI? Please : refresh my memory about that. : : It would be nice to see these two : tiara/necklaces in pictures in color : (instead of black and white). : : --Previous Message-- : : In your first pic I believe that would be : the Ladies of England tiara/necklace. : In your last, the Surrey tiara/necklace. : : : : : : :
on September 7, 2012, 7:51 pm, in reply to "