Beth, your explanations about the true provenance of the shamrock brooch is highly sensible IMHO. The shamrock symbolizes in Ireland the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and is truly THE Irish symbol.
The Milners were English aristocrats. So why should they present Princess May an Irish symbol? On the other hand, the four-leafed clover is a symbol of luck in England (and elsewhere), so it'll makes much more sense, that the Ireland based St George Yacht Club presents the Irish shamrock and the English aristocrats the luck-promising four-leafed clover-brooch.
It really can't be, that all the reports were wrong.
It has been generally held that the emerald shamrock brooch worn by Queen Mary (now worn by Princess Michael of Kent) was a wedding gift to HM by Sir Frederick and Lady Milner.
Seen here in a photo originally posted by J-F
I have never felt that this brooch which has 3 leaves matched the description of a brooch of a 4 leaf clover. All the newspaper reports describe it as a 4 leaf clover. Not all can be wrong.
Many of the lists of wedding gifts in the papers describe the brooch as having Chrysoprase, emeralds and diamonds. The brooch (as we have seen it in modern times on Princess Michael) appears to have only emeralds and diamonds.
I recently noticed that Queen Mary was given another gift described as an emerald and diamond trefoil brooch by the Royal St George Yacht Club for her wedding in 1893.
Without an image to verify the Yacht Club gift it is impossible to state categorically that the club gave Queen Mary the brooch, but I think that is a better description than trying to argue the press got the description of the Milner gift wrong.
If the Royal St George Yacht Club (which is located in Dublin) was the donor it would explain why Queen Mary wore it frequently when in Ireland, yet it is not seen at other times.
1
Responses
« Back to index | View thread »