The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Princess Alexandra Honored at Buckingham Palace

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Princess Alexandra’s patronages celebrated at Buckingham Palace (Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II held a reception at Buckingham Palace this evening in honor of her cousin, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy. Alexandra turns 80 on Christmas Day, and this reception recognizes her decades of charitable work.

Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The woman of the hour wore some of her favorite pieces of jewelry: her diamond daisy earrings, her six-petaled diamond flower brooch, and her pearl choker necklace with the geometric diamond and pearl clasp. We also get a hint of a longer necklace hidden beneath her jacket.

Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images 

This angle gives us a glimpse of a pearl bracelet and several rings.

Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Queen chose a special brooch for the evening, which she paired with her usual pearl necklace and diamond and pearl earrings.

Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

She selected one of the longest-serving pieces in her jewelry box: the Flame Lily Brooch, which she received as a 21st birthday present during the 1947 tour of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Photo: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex was also present at the reception. She wore a pair of pave-set bead earrings made of diamonds, silver, and gold. These are by Amrapali Jewels.

Belgian-Dutch State Visit: Non-Profits in Amsterdam and The Hague

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Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde during the state visit (Photo: FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images)

To begin the second day of the Belgian state visit to the Netherlands, Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde stopped by non-profit organizations in Amsterdam and The Hague.

Photo: FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images

Maxima wore her diamond and garnet tassel earrings. Through her hair, you can also see the diamond openwork crescent brooch. She’s worn this piece before, but this time, she added a pear-shaped diamond pendant.

Photo: FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images

On her wrists, she wore her gem-set bangles and her family initial bracelet.

Photo: FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images

Mathilde wore her diamond and round pearl drop earrings. (This isn’t the pair from Queen Fabiola’s collection; she wore those earrings last night.)

Photo: FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images

And here’s a look at both of their complete outfits.

Spanish State Visit to Portugal: Arrivals and Banquet

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State dinner in Portugal for King Felipe and Queen Letizia (Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

The Dutch and Belgian royals aren’t the only ones state-visiting at the moment. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain are on their first state visit to their neighboring Iberian nation, Portugal. Here’s a look at the jewels (including a surprise tiara!) that we saw yesterday as the visit kicked off.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Felipe and Letizia began the day in Porto. The day’s engagements included a visit to a Joan Miro exhibition and a trip to the Chamber of Commerce.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Here’s a look at Letizia’s earrings for the day, which were a bit more whimsical than her usual daytime state-visit jewels.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

And here’s a look at her entire ensemble. (And Felipe. Hi, Felipe!)

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Yesterday evening, a state dinner was held at the palace in Guimaraes. As you can see, the men are wearing white tie, but Letizia opted not to wear a tiara. King Felipe wears the collar of his highest Portuguese order, the Order of the Tower and Sword, as well as the sash of the Order of Charles III and the necklet of the Order of the Golden Fleece; Queen Letizia wears the dark red sash of Portugal’s Order of Christ.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Instead, she wore other pieces of diamond jewelry, including her diamond wedding earrings and her Cartier diamond bracelet.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Here’s a pretty good view of the diamond clip brooch that she used to secure her order sash.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

And here’s another look at the entire ensemble.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Letizia may not have worn a tiara, but another prominent guest did. Although Portugal hasn’t had a monarch in more than a century, the Duke of Braganza is head of the royal house that used to rule the nation. He and his wife, Isabel, both attended the dinner. The Duke wears the sash of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa; the Duchess wears the Order of Saint Isabel.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Here’s a closer look at Isabel’s tiara, which is a convertible diamond floral necklace. She also wore diamond earrings, a small pendant, and a diamond bracelet, and she secured her order sash with a diamond brooch.