History of Famous Jewels and Collections: Re: Princess Diana's sapphire and diamond choker new information

Dear Beth,

I thank you so much for this very interesting press article.

1. I have been particularly interested in what the spokesman said : "the jewels..and thereafter, as if the tradition, will revert to the Royal family..." it is certainly the same for the Princess Royal and the Countess of Wessex...

2. "those, too, will remain in the Royal family along with gifts made during State visits.

Further to the information given to us by the article, the "real" personal collection of jewels of the Princess Diana was certainly very small.

It allows us to understand why few jewels have been worn by her stepdaughters. Most of them are very private jewels (or wedding presents).

We can infer that jewels given by the British Royal family and during Stats visits will be worn by Catherine as Princess of Wales,

Franck

Previous Message

I agree with Franck. It is definitely no surprise that the large sapphire has been returned to the Queen's collection. The information suggesting that this was part of the divorce settlement between the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales has been circulating since just prior to the official divorce.

For example in The Times 13 July 1996.

Of course the most significant clue that jewels with a royal provenance were returned to the Queen was given by Hugh Roberts in The Queen's Diamonds where the Lover's Knot tiara featured among the Queen's jewels. The fact that the Duchess of Cornwall was seen wearing the Welsh Prince of Wales feathers brooch/pendant reinforced that.

The Times article also stated that gifts received during state visits would also be returned.

What the writer of the article didn't cover was what would happen to gifts given to Diana, Princess of Wales on personal occasions.

As for the origin of the large sapphire many (including myself) have speculated that it might have been one of Mrs Greville's jewels.

Franck spotted that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had worn the jewel in 1953.

I then identified two earlier occasions in the 1940s.

For information on both things see https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1531775494.html

At the christening of Prince Richard of Gloucester in 1944.