Countess of Wessex Jewellery

[bertie5252003]

I wonder if has any idea about that "mirror" necklace Sophie wore everywhere for a time.She wore it to the church service for Albert's enthronement, I have looked and cannot find a thing. IMO it is more of a casual piece but she wore it at formal occasions sooo often. Thanks

 

[branchg]

Sophie hasn't either. Most of what she has appears to have either been purchased, inherited from Prince Phillips' mother or to be very minor pieces from the vault. Her wedding tiara is very minor and the other two seem to have come from Princess Andrew.

I still think that this is simply HM being cautious and trying to stem the tide of historical pieces leaving the immediate family in future generations. IMTS Diana only had the Lovers Knot Tiara "for her lifetime" and it was returned to the vaults after her death.

Sophie hasn't received any jewels belonging to Princess Alice. There are none, with the exception of the Greek Meander tiara, which The Queen never wore and gave to Princess Anne in 1972. The Queen's engagement ring and a diamond bracelet was made from dismantling the diamonds from one of Princess Alice's remaining tiaras and Russian Order of Catherine. The rest of her jewelry had been sold during exile in Paris.

The rest of Sophie's jewels (that we've seen anyway) are newly purchased. The tradition is to retain the important pieces in the royal collection for the future Queen Consorts, so it's unlikely Sophie will receive anything substantial or highly recognizable.

Diana received the Lover's Knot tiara as a wedding gift from The Queen. No one ever would have predicted a divorce at the time so, of course, the intention was this was a "down payment" for the future Queen Consort's collection. With divorce, Diana was permitted to keep the tiara and other gifts from the royal collection for her lifetime, with the proviso that these items would return to the Crown after her death for Prince William's future wife.

 

[wymanda]

Sophie hasn't received any jewels belonging to Princess Alice. There are none, with the exception of the Greek Meander tiara, which The Queen never wore and gave to Princess Anne in 1972. The Queen's engagement ring and a diamond bracelet was made from dismantling the diamonds from one of Princess Alice's remaining tiaras and Russian Order of Catherine. The rest of her jewelry had been sold during exile in Paris.

This has always been the assumption because none of the items had been seen since Alice gave up the royal lifestyle. However, the tiara that Sophie wore at the Danish wedding was quite clearly fashioned from the aquamarine and diamond tiara that Alice recieved as a wedding gift from her aunt, Grand Duchess Elizabeth.

Diana received the Lover's Knot tiara as a wedding gift from The Queen. No one ever would have predicted a divorce at the time so, of course, the intention was this was a "down payment" for the future Queen Consort's collection. With divorce, Diana was permitted to keep the tiara and other gifts from the royal collection for her lifetime, with the proviso that these items would return to the Crown after her death for Prince William's future wife.

You could be right but I think that William will choose other pieces for his wife to try to minimise the amount his wife is compared to his mother. The poor girl is going to have a hard enough time being judged not pretty enough, not thin enough, not caring enough etc, etc, etc without having to wear Dianas' jewels and be compared unfavourably in the way she wears them.

 

[branchg]

The tiara Sophie wore at the wedding of Prince Fredrik looked like a modified necklace placed on a frame. There is no evidence that any of Princess Alice's jewels found their way to anyone but The Queen and Princess Anne.

 

[wymanda]

The tiara Sophie wore at the wedding of Prince Fredrik looked like a modified necklace placed on a frame. There is no evidence that any of Princess Alice's jewels found their way to anyone but The Queen and Princess Anne.

branchg,
Have a look at post 140 for a comparison of Alices' aquamarine parure and the tiara that Sophie wore in Copenhagen. It is quite clear (to me anyway) that the latter has been fashioned from components of the former.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

a new brooch?

(source: hola)
Sorry you can't see it too well here. maybe someone can post a pic where you can see it better.

 

[HRH Mims]

New or not, its amazing!!!

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

I don't think it is a new one, i don't know the name of it, but it was belonged to the Queen Mother and maybe a gift to the Countess from the Queen after the Queen Mother died, the Countess wore it at the Wedding of Danish prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson in May 2004 as well.

 

[BMOlivera]

Sophie's new brooch

Sorry you can't see it too well here. maybe someone can post a pic where you can see it better.

Looks like a pair, worn the way Letizia wore a pair at the Danish royal weding.

 

[soCal girl]

Nice earrings and necklace (From AFP, getty images): http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=244773&d=1148365761
^preview day for the annual Chelsea Flower Show in London
May 22, 2006

Earrings and Necklace (getty images): http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=242633&d=1147251179
^"Dream Auction Full Stop - VIP Party"
May 9, 2006

Necklace (unique) and earrings (UK Press, originally posted by purple_platinum): http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc16&image=38130_4.jpg
^April 26, 2006

 

[qui mal y pense]

I have a hunch that the aquamarine tiara is fake. Sophie wears a lot of fakes and trendy jewels. That tiara looks too modern to have much provenance and I don't think the Wessex' would spend the money on something real that size. If they did, wouldn't it be smarter to buy a necklace that she could get more use out of?!

 

[HRHAmy]

I have a hunch that the aquamarine tiara is fake. Sophie wears a lot of fakes and trendy jewels. That tiara looks too modern to have much provenance and I don't think the Wessex' would spend the money on something real that size. If they did, wouldn't it be smarter to buy a necklace that she could get more use out of?!

I don't think it's fake, considering that the queen hasn't given her a substanial tiara or one that even looks good, she probably had to buy one herself so that she would look like she had a decent tiara at events. Also she has worn those aquamarine and diamond earring quite a lot so she probably needed something that would match those. And I don't see anything special about the tiara that would make it very expensive, I certainly don't think it's a $200,000.00 tiara at all. Aquamarines are not that outrageous on price since they're not sought after very much and not a really a more precious stone such as the sapphire, ruby, canary diamond. And without the aquamaine in the middle it would just be a small diamond frame. Which doesn't look very expensive. To me there seems to be nothing on this tiara that would be make is extremely expensive. Who knows she may have also received the Queen's discount J/K!!

 

[qui mal y pense]

If you think about it not too many royal women have a large "repetoire" of Tiaras. Diana only had 2, the Queen usually wears the same 2, princess Anne, Mette Marit, CP Mary, etc. Sophie is a lesser Royal, You'd think she'd buy more practical Jewelry if she was spending the money already. She doesn't have many other "Pieces".

 

[soCal girl]

The link I posted for the Chelsea Flower Show isn't working so here it is again:

(From Tim Graham for Corbis, originally posted by purple_platinum): http://img142.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc193&image=60864_42_16841428.jpg

 

[adelaide]

I don't understand why the queen didn't baught the Princess Margareth's tiara to keep the diamond in the "family" and to make whith it a new tiara for the Contess of Wessex which belong to her. But in fact my question is quiet stupid because I can Imagine it's to get free the auction's price.

 

[Amy]

I don't understand why the queen didn't baught the Princess Margareth's tiara to keep the diamond in the "family" and to make whith it a new tiara for the Contess of Wessex which belong to her. But in fact my question is quiet stupid because I can Imagine it's to get free the auction's price.

It is probally because the Poltimore tiara was never a family piece so there was no point in the Queen buying it to keep in the family.
I know it might sound mean but i don't think Sophie needs any more tiara's, she is and never will be high enough ranked to need many tiara's like the Queen, Camilla or even Anne do. And if she ever needs a "new" tiara there are many existing ones that can be loaned to her if so wished.

 

[magnik]

I know what's the name of this thread but I have a question.
British RF has many great jewels - tiaras, necklaces. That's one of the largest colection. IF BRF doesn't buy a new than what happen with the old? Why ladies doesn't wear them? Are they reserved for the future Queen or present? Sophie, Anne or Camilla could wear them. We see almost the same for all the time. It's going to be little boring

 

[kelly9480]

A lot of the RFs jewellery remains in the vaults of Buckingham Palace. Apparently, it's really old and doesn't really appeal to modern tastes. I've seen pictures of some of the vaulted jewels, and they aren't wearable with modern fashion.

 

[emeraldeyes]

I'd be willing to give it a try!

When you say you've seen pics of the vaulted jewels, what do you mean? Where have you seen them? Can we see them? Can we? Can we?

 

[ldmemail]

I am afraid that Sophie's tiara is a Queen Mary heirloom which was slightly altered to Sophies's personal taste. Not all of Queen MAry's tiaras were huge - note the V shaped tiara set with a sapphire, bought from the Romanov estate and left to the Queen Mother - who loaned it to Princess Margaret.

 

[bluebess]

I think they could make Sophie's tiara look alot better if they added a couple of elements to it to fill out those big huge gaps. Someone here said it made them think of stag horns and I have to agree . No matter the size of a tiara, the proportions must be paid attention to. This looks like a very careless throw together designed by someone who really didn't know what they were doing and I don't think that was the jeweler, sounds more like it was Sophie.
Sometimes things should be left to the experts.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

I have to agree that Sophie's aquamarine tiara is one of my all time favorites! It's so pretty and it looks fabulous on her (by far better than her other two). I'd like to see the aquamarine be interchangeable with other stones, but a ruby, emerald or sapphire of that size would cost a fortune!

 

[auntie]

I wish the Queen was as generous as Queen Mary, the jewells she bestowed on her children are more than enough for her great grandchildren! look at the Kents, The Duchess and Princess Michael have lovely jewel collections!

 

[Hans]

I have to agree that Sophie's aquamarine tiara is one of my all time favorites! It's so pretty and it looks fabulous on her (by far better than her other two). I'd like to see the aquamarine be interchangeable with other stones, but a ruby, emerald or sapphire of that size would cost a fortune!

A ruby, emerald or sapphire of that size would be too expensive, but what about an opal

 

[Incas]

When you've got all those diamonds in the tiara, a nice sized ruby or sapphire would hardly add that much to the cost.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

But with Sophie now has cut short her bair back similar to before, do you think she still has great look on tiara such as like the aquamarine?

 

[wymanda]

A ruby, emerald or sapphire of that size would be too expensive, but what about an opal

... and the Queen has a sensational Opal that was given to her by the Australian government in the 1950's.

 

[Duke of Marmunster]

Tiara worn by HRH The Countess of Wessex

Would someone please post a site or a photo of the tiara that HRH The Countess of Wessex wore to the Danish Royal Wedding in 2004. From some of the articles that I read, it did her no justice, and Her Majesty was faulted for not lending her a more "regal" one.

 

[rebbevb]

I think with her hair style it worked for her

 

[GillW]

Would someone please post a site or a photo of the tiara that HRH The Countess of Wessex wore to the Danish Royal Wedding in 2004. From some of the articles that I read, it did her no justice, and Her Majesty was faulted for not lending her a more "regal" one.

It was the same one she wore to her own wedding - but without a veil it looked even more odd! Sorry I can't find a site for it, to point you to.