The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 1-7

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November 1-7, 2019
From brooches to tiaras, we’ve got plenty of royal jewels to enjoy this week! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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15. The Princess of Asturias wore classic gold hoop earrings to deliver remarks in Catalan at the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards in Barcelona on Monday.

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14. On Wednesday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore a pair of red and blue earrings for a visit to a piano manufacturer in Ruiselede.
BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
13. Queen Mathilde paired her signature gold earrings with a bold golden leaf brooch for Tuesday’s visit to the Ter Duinen hotel school in Koksijde.
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12. Though she has been battling a serious cold all week, the Duchess of Cornwall pinned on a poppy brooch to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the London Farmers’ Market on Wednesday. (See more British bejeweled poppy brooches here!)
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11. Princess Michael of Kent wore floral earrings and a necklace set with a single pearl for a tea party promoting her books in Costa Mesa, California, on Tuesday.
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10. For Thursday’s launch of the National Emergencies Trust at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the Duchess of Cambridge wore her sapphire cluster drop earrings and one of her bejeweled poppy pins. (More on her pin collection here!)
ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
9. In Utrecht, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore bold yellow hoop earrings with two family diamond bracelets and a gray pearl ring for Tuesday’s opening of Pension3days.
ROBIN UTRECHT/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
8. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands wore gray pearls on Monday for the presentation of the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund Prize.
ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images
7. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore an eye-catching set of garnet tassel jewelry on Tuesday in Sarajevo during her three-day official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images
6. For a portrait with past Princess of Girona Foundation Award winners on Monday, Queen Letizia of Spain wore her diamond and ruby cabochon drop earrings.
ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images
5. Classic pearls accompanied Crown Princess Kiko of Japan to the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup final match between England and South Africa on Saturday.
ROBIN UTRECHT/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
4. Princess Beatrix wore sapphire cluster earrings, a necklace set with blue gems, and a diamond shamrock brooch for a visit to a Foundation for Grandparents in Alkmaar on Wednesday.
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3. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore pearls with the Kent Amethyst Brooch for Tuesday’s visit to the Royal British Legion Industries village in Aylesford. (See a close-up here!)
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2. For the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards in Barcelona on Monday, Queen Letizia wore the dazzling diamond earrings from the joyas de pasar collection. (More on the joyas here!)
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1. My top vote of the week goes to Queen Sonja of Norway, who sparkled in Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara and the Drapers’ Company Brooch for Wednesday’s state dinner in honor of the President of Slovenia in Oslo. (More on the tiara here and the brooch here!)

This Week in Royal Jewels: October 25-31

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October 25-31, 2019
Royal birthdays and royal receptions were some of the bejeweled highlights of the week! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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15. Queen Letizia of Spain wore the Double Dagger earrings from Gold and Roses on Wednesday for the International Friendship Award at the IESE Business School in Madrid.

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14. On Friday, the Duchess of Sussex wore sparkling stud earrings with a delicate bracelet for a roundtable discussion on gender equality with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and One Young World at Windsor Castle.
FRANK VAN BEEK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
13. For Wednesday’s working visit to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore a pair of origami-style gold earrings.
Olivier Matthys/Getty Images
12. Queen Paola of Belgium wore golden earrings and bracelets on Friday at the Royal Palace for the eighteenth birthday celebrations for her granddaughter, the Duchess of Brabant. (More over here!)
BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
11. On Friday, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant wore a pair of diamond and gold earrings to celebrate her eighteenth birthday at the Royal Palace in Brussels. (Much more here!)
Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty Images
10. The Countess of Wessex wore a suite of jewelry set with amber for a reception to celebrate the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
9. On Sunday, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (who was born in Canada during the royal family’s WWII exile) wore gold earrings and brooches to pay her respects at the Canadian Cemetery of Honor in Bergen op Zoom on the Dutch Memorial Day of Canada.
ROBIN UTRECHT/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
8. Princess Margriet wore festive red earrings and a lovely leaf brooch on Friday for the re-opening of the Liberation Museum Zeeland in Nieuwdorp.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
7. Princess Alexandra of Greece (daughter of Prince Michael) wore baroque pearl drop earrings for the FGI Night Of Stars Gala last Thursday evening in New York.
ROBIN UTRECHT/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
6. For a guided tour of the Translational Brain Laboratory in Amsterdam on Thursday, Queen Maxima wore her garnet and diamond tassel earrings and her serpent ring. (See a closer view of the ring here!)
Jeff Gilbert – WPA Pool/Getty Images
5. The Duchess of Cornwall wore her four-row pearl necklace with the large diamond clasp for a service at St Bride’s Church in London on Tuesday to commemorate journalists, camera-crew, and support staff who have lost their lives on the frontline.
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4. On Tuesday, Queen Maxima wore major diamond stud earrings to welcome the President and First Lady of Poland to the Palace Noordeinde in The Hague.
BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
3. On Friday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians sparkled in aquamarine earrings to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of her daughter, the Duchess of Brabant, in Brussels. (More over here!)
Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty Images
2. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore her Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch on Tuesday for a reception to celebrate the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace. (More on the brooch here!)
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1. Empress Masako of Japan gleamed at the third enthronement banquet on Tuesday, wearing a pearl and diamond necklace that belonged to the late Princess Chichibu.

Princess Elisabeth’s Birthday Jewels

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On Friday, the Duchess of Brabant celebrated her eighteenth birthday in Brussels. Princess Elisabeth will one day succeed her father, King Philippe, as Queen of the Belgians.

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The royal family gathered at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Friday for a celebration to mark the occasion, and we’ve got a look at all the jewels!

Belgian Royal Palace

Two days before Elisabeth’s birthday, the royal family released three new portraits of the princess in honor of her birthday. This casual photograph shows her looking through a photo album, which is open to a picture of her father, King Philippe, and his siblings, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent.

Belgian Royal Palace

This image, which emphasizes the continuity of the succession in Belgium, features Elisabeth posing beside her father. King Philippe ascended to the Belgian throne in 2013, following the abdication of his father, King Albert II.

Belgian Royal Palace

The third portrait is a glamorous image of Elisabeth in gala dress. All three pictures feature earrings borrowed from her mother, Queen Mathilde.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

The grand throne room of the Royal Palace was packed on Friday for the official birthday celebrations.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

Numerous members of the royal family attended, including King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, King Albert II and Queen Paola, Princess Astrid, Prince Amedeo, and Prince Laurent and Princess Claire.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

Elisabeth’s siblings were also in attendance. Sixteen-year-old Prince Gabriel sat beside Queen Mathilde, with Prince Emmanuel (who recently turned 14) and Princess Eleanore (who is 11) to his right.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

Elisabeth’s paternal grandparents, King Albert II and Queen Paola, sat on the left side of King Philippe.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

During the celebration, Elisabeth made a speech. Royal journalist Wim Dehandschutter posted a video of the speech, as well as several excerpts of the text. Elisabeth expressed gratitude for the opportunities she’s received and for the support of her parents and siblings. She also addressed several of her former teachers who were in attendance, as well as patients from the Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital (which was named for her in 2011). Notably, she signaled her commitment to making a difference regarding climate change. In the final moments of the speech, she emphasized that Belgium can rely on her both now and in her future role.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

The moment was clearly quite emotional for Elisabeth’s parents.

BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Lots of hugs were shared after she finished her speech.

Belgian Royal Palace

During the ceremony, King Philippe invested Elisabeth with Belgium’s highest chivalric order: the Order of Leopold. The order is named after Elisabeth’s ancestor, King Leopold I, who become the first monarch of independent Belgium in 1831. Leopold is Elisabeth’s great-great-great-great-grandfather. Thanks to a change in the laws of succcession before her birth, Elisabeth will one day succeed as the first female monarch of Belgium.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

King Philippe pinned the small ribbon of the order to Elisabeth’s dress during the ceremony. She’ll now be able to wear the sash and star of the order at gala events. I know many of us were hoping that she would receive a tiara as one of her birthday gifts, but according to Wim Dehandschutter, she didn’t receive one. (Instead, the Belgian nobles gave her a necklace, but no photos of the jewel have been released.) Perhaps a small sparkler like the Wolfers Tiara will be earmarked for her use?

BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

The future queen kept her jewelry simple but interesting for the festivities. With her white coat dress, she wore a pair of intricate gold and diamond stud earrings.

BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Here’s another view of the earrings.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

And here’s a close-up view.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

And here’s a look at Elisabeth’s complete outfit, including her new Order of Leopold ribbon. The dress was designed for Elisabeth by Edouard Vermeulen of Natan, a favorite couturier of the Benelux royals.

BENOIT DOPPAGNE/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Queen Mathilde chose her lovely aquamarine drop earrings for her daughter’s birthday celebration.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

And Elisabeth’s grandmother, Queen Paola, selected golden jewelry, including earrings and a stack of bracelets.

Belgian Royal Palace

After the birthday celebration, the royal family gathered to pose for a new set of formal portraits. Seated from left to right are Queen Paola, Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, and King Albert II. Standing from left to right are Prince Amedeo, Prince Laurent, Princess Claire, Countess Anna Maria d’Udekem d’Acoz (mother of Queen Mathilde), Prince Gabriel, Princess Eleonore, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Elisabeth, and Princess Astrid.

Belgian Royal Palace

Several smaller group photos were also released. This one, which features Elisabeth with her three surviving grandparents, is particularly nice. (Queen Mathilde’s father, Count Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz, passed away in 2008.)

Belgian Royal Palace

This “three generations” portrait features King Albert, II, King Philippe, and the future Queen Elisabeth.

Belgian Royal Palace

But I think my favorite from the session is this photograph of Elisabeth with her brothers and sister.

Olivier Matthys/Getty Images

In recent years, we’ve seen Elisabeth participate in several public engagements, including a recent trip to Africa with her mother. But it will likely be some time before the Duchess of Brabant starts working as a full-time royal. She’s currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the United World College of the Atlantic, a residential sixth-form college in Wales. She’s due to finish her studies there in May 2020, with further education likely on the horizon.