Indeed. Wodenr why she isn'following Queen Elizabeth II.s example, who always wore one for black tie State Diners.
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Not unexpected, unfortunately. Queen Camilla opted for King George VI's sapphire demi-parure (minus the earrings), for the third time in one year. The bracelet on her left wrist seems new (or rather unknown) to me.
Love it! She looks terrific! Glittering and Regal.
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Not unexpected, unfortunately. Queen Camilla opted for King George VI's sapphire demi-parure (minus the earrings), for the third time in one year. The bracelet on her left wrist seems new (or rather unknown) to me.
On Friday, 22nd September, on the third day of their State visit to France, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Bordeaux, in Southwestern France - which made me particularly happy, as Bordeaux is my birth town, where I spent all my childhood and teen age! It is a lovely and beautiful city - quite a "jewel" in its own right - but I admit I am absolutely partial in the matter... Unfortunately, as I now live in Paris, I could not take part in the visit (and neither in Paris, unfortunately, as I was busy with my work).
Bordeaux City Hall, ready for the visit:
Of course, Bordeaux was also in the Middle-Ages the capital of the Duchy of Aquitaine, whose Duke was... the King of England, until the end of the Hundred Year War in 1453 - which creates remote, but still strong affective connections between Bordeaux and England. The pretext of this Royal visit to Bordeaux, yet, was not this historical background, but King's Charles III's environmental commitment, as the official schedule included a visit about fire prevention and forest resilience strategies after devastating fires in the pinewood forest south of Bordeaux in 20222, as well as a visit of a biological organic vineyard.
Now, back to the jewels! Queen Camilla wore her rectangular Art Deco diamond brooch (which she has been seen with several times in the past year) and the pair of turquoise and diamond earrings of her turquoise demi-parure.
After the protocolary visit to the City Hall, the King and Queen went to the nearby embankments on the river Garonne, to visit the Royal Navy fregate HMS Iron Duke.
That's when the incident mentioned in the object of this message happened: when the Queen boarded onto the ship, she was wearing her brooch...
... but when she went back to the embankment, the brooch had disappeared!
Later in the day, when the royal couple visited the organic vineyard of Château Smith Haut Laffite, the booch was still missing from the Queen's outfit...
Has anyone information about the cause of this incident?
A historic (though not royal) French necklace at the banquet in Versailles
If the jewellery displayed at Versailles by the French First Lady and the various guests was mostly disappointing, there was nevertheless at least one exception.
Among the guests of the State banquet in Versailles were Yves de Gaulle, 71, one of the grandsons of former French President General Charles de Gaulle, accompanied by his wife Laurence (they are pictured on the photo below with TV host and royal expert Stéphane Bern).
Laurence de Gaulle wore an interesting diamond necklace, with a double-row of round and baguette diamonds at the front:
This diamond necklace is of historical interest, because it was frequently worn by Yves de Gaulle's grandmother, Yvonne de Gaulle (1900-1979), when she was France's First Lady from 1958 to 1969. Yvonne de Gaulle was a reserved, demure woman, who never looked for the limelight and enjoyed nothing more than her private family life in her countryside residence. Yet, as the devoted officer's wife she was, she "did the job" and assumed the duties of a First Lady with great dedication, if not with great pleasure.
During the numerous State visits received or paid by her husband as French president, or at other gala occasions, she was frequently seen wearing this diamond necklace.
As the De Gaulles, though both from a correct upper middle class, were not very rich and kept a very low-key personal lifestyle (Charles de Gaulle systematically declined all material privileges or favours offered to him, despite his tremendous historical role), I had often supposed this necklace was a loan from a French jeweller, borrowed by Yvonne de Gaulle to fulfil her official representation duties. But as the necklace is still in the De Gaulle family sixty years later, we must conclude that it was a personal property of Charles or Yvonne de Gaulle - possibly an official gift, then?
6 April, 1960: gala performance at Covent Garden Royal Opera House during de Gaulle's State visit to the United Kingdom:
April, 1960: reception at the White House in Washington, DC, with US President Dwight Eisenhower and reception (return dinner?) with Vice-President Richard Nixon:
June, 1961: State dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, and State gala performance at Versailles Royal Opera, in honour of US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy:
17 May, 1963: State dinner at Athens Royal Palace during the French State visit to Greece:
31 May, 1963: reception in Versailles Royal Opera in honour of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden:
October 1963: French State visit to Iran:
April 1965: return dinner at the Quai d'Orsay, receptions at Paris Opera House and at Versailles Royal Opera during King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark's State visit to France:
27 October, 1966: State visit of King Mahendra of Nepal to France:
30 April, 1967: gala performance at Paris Opera House in honour of Saint-Cyr Military Academy:
10 January, 1968: New Year's reception for the Diplomatic corps at the Elysee Palace:
3rd February 1968: reception at the German embassy in Paris offered by (West-)German Federal President Heinrich Lübke on the occasion of the inauguration of the new German embassy in prestigious Hôtel de Beauharnais:
If the jewellery displayed at Versailles by the French First Lady and the various guests was mostly disappointing, there was nevertheless at least one exception.
Among the guests of the State banquet in Versailles were Yves de Gaulle, 71, one of the grandsons of former French President General Charles de Gaulle, accompanied by his wife Laurence (they are pictured on the photo below with TV host and royal expert Stéphane Bern).
Laurence de Gaulle wore an interesting diamond necklace, with a double-row of round and baguette diamonds at the front:
This diamond necklace is of historical interest, because it was frequently worn by Yves de Gaulle's grandmother, Yvonne de Gaulle (1900-1979), when she was France's First Lady from 1958 to 1969. Yvonne de Gaulle was a reserved, demure woman, who never looked for the limelight and enjoyed nothing more than her private family life in her countryside residence. Yet, as the devoted officer's wife she was, she "did the job" and assumed the duties of a First Lady with great dedication, if not with great pleasure.
During the numerous State visits received or paid by her husband as French president, or at other gala occasions, she was frequently seen wearing this diamond necklace.
As the De Gaulles, though both from a correct upper middle class, were not very rich and kept a very low-key personal lifestyle (Charles de Gaulle systematically declined all material privileges or favours offered to him, despite his tremendous historical role), I had often supposed this necklace was a loan from a French jeweller, borrowed by Yvonne de Gaulle to fulfil her official representation duties. But as the necklace is still in the De Gaulle family sixty years later, we must conclude that it was a personal property of Charles or Yvonne de Gaulle - possibly an official gift, then?
6 April, 1960: gala performance at Covent Garden Royal Opera House during de Gaulle's State visit to the United Kingdom:
April, 1960: reception at the White House in Washington, DC, with US President Dwight Eisenhower and reception (return dinner?) with Vice-President Richard Nixon:
June, 1961: State dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, and State gala performance at Versailles Royal Opera, in honour of US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy:
17 May, 1963: State dinner at Athens Royal Palace during the French State visit to Greece:
31 May, 1963: reception in Versailles Royal Opera in honour of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden:
October 1963: French State visit to Iran:
April 1965: return dinner at the Quai d'Orsay, receptions at Paris Opera House and at Versailles Royal Opera during King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark's State visit to France:
27 October, 1966: State visit of King Mahendra of Nepal to France:
30 April, 1967: gala performance at Paris Opera House in honour of Saint-Cyr Military Academy:
10 January, 1968: New Year's reception for the Diplomatic corps at the Elysee Palace:
3rd February 1968: reception at the German embassy in Paris offered by (West-)German Federal President Heinrich Lübke on the occasion of the inauguration of the new German embassy in prestigious Hôtel de Beauharnais:
Re: Thanks
Posted by Nellie on September 23, 2023, 8:21 pm, in reply to "Thanks"
Thank you Arthur. What a feast.
Re: Thanks
Posted by Dawn on September 23, 2023, 8:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Thanks"
Yes, what wonderful series of photos, especially my presidents and their wives. Thank you, Arthur! 🙂
Previous Message
Thank you Arthur. What a feast.
Re: Thanks
Posted by Maria Olivia on September 24, 2023, 6:49 am, in reply to "Re: Thanks"
What great files you have. Great pictures of the State Visits of Général de Gaulle. You are one of the best posters. Grateful thanks for sharing.
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Yes, what wonderful series of photos, especially my presidents and their wives. Thank you, Arthur! 🙂
on September 20, 2023, 1:09 pm
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It is a lovely and beautiful city - quite a "jewel" in its own right - but I admit I am absolutely partial in the matter... 
Unfortunately, as I now live in Paris, I could not take part in the visit 
(and neither in Paris, unfortunately, as I was busy with my work). 
