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Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by Beth on January 21, 2019, 4:18 am When the wedding presents given to Queen Alexandra were displayed, not everyone admired the suite of Indian jewels which Queen Victoria gave to the bride. In an era when the press was obsequious, usually referring to anything given by Queen Victoria as having diamonds of the "finest water", "great purity" etc, the comments about the Indian suite stand out. The Times 15 August 1863 Morning Post 16 April 1863 Despite this, and what I suspect may have been Queen Alexandra's personal taste, she wore the jewels and did so with some frequency throughout her tenure as Princess of Wales.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by JohnAF on January 21, 2019, 8:40 pm, in reply to "Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" I suspect these jewels will be discovered one day right at the back of the royal vault, having been sent there by the Princess of Wales 'for safe keeping'. After all she wouldn't want to insult her mother-in-law by saying what she probably really thought. Previous Message When the wedding presents given to Queen Alexandra were displayed, not everyone admired the suite of Indian jewels which Queen Victoria gave to the bride. In an era when the press was obsequious, usually referring to anything given by Queen Victoria as having diamonds of the "finest water", "great purity" etc, the comments about the Indian suite stand out. The Times 15 August 1863 Morning Post 16 April 1863 Despite this, and what I suspect may have been Queen Alexandra's personal taste, she wore the jewels and did so with some frequency throughout her tenure as Princess of Wales.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by The Royal Watcher on January 22, 2019, 8:10 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" It's interesting how people regard the cut of the stones as ruining the gems, since to the Indian Royals, the uncut stones could have made a statement of wealth rather than brilliance by glittering in the candle light. There is a also a feeling of the personality of the stone, which is lost if it is uniformly cut. I'm South Asian, so I really admire necklaces (called 'rani haar', meaning Queen's necklace) like this, though I feel they look much better with traditional clothes than Victorian fashions. My grandmothers have a couple of beautiful examples, though these are big statement pieces, meaning they are rarely worn. However, I think this necklace would be a lovely choice for a Gala related to India (maybe on the Duchess of Cornwall at the annual British Asian Trust Dinner), since this doesn't have a murky history like most other Indian jewels in the Royal vaults!

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by Beth on January 22, 2019, 6:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" I wonder if the necklace has survived? According to Leslie Field, Queen Mary had it dismantled, reusing the pearls and emeralds in the two emerald and pearl necklaces she gave to the Duchess of Gloucester as part of her wedding gifts. I have always been sceptical of that as I feel that the pearls in Queen Alexandra's necklace were smaller. If it has survived, I am sure that the Duchess of Cornwall could wear it with style.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by The Royal Watcher on January 23, 2019, 7:58 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" I'd forgotten about that, but I share your scepticism about the pearls! I also don't see the emeralds that were 'ruined' by drilling, as the pear-shaped drops would show some signs!

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by Beth on January 23, 2019, 6:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" That is an interesting point The Royal Watcher. If Queen Mary dismantled Queen Alexandra's necklace, it is possible that the emerald beads in the Gloucester emerald and pearl necklaces may have come from that, but I strongly suspect that the pear shaped emerald drops which go with the necklace did not. As far as I can see, none of the emerald drops used on the necklaces (and they have changed over the years) are drilled through entirely as a bead would be. Apart from anything else the drops used on the emerald and pearl necklaces seem to be too large to have come from Queen Alexandra's necklace. Regarding the pearls. After looking at the photo of Queen Alexandra at the Devonshire House Ball, I wonder if enough "regular" round pearls would have been in the necklace for Queen Mary to make the more modern two strands? How I wish we had a high definition, modern photo of Queen Alexandra's Indian wedding gift necklace!

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by MarcA on January 26, 2019, 4:11 pm, in reply to "Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" Just to throw in a few points here. I think Alexandra always had a very deep affection for QV so I think despite her own personal taste she considered it a deeply personal piece. As for the piece being broken down I think that you have to remember the huge amounts of Indian jewellery that was gifted over the decades from QV to QM. There are probably literally boxes of it still in the vaults despite the breakups for spare parts as it were. I like the piece personally but think it is very probably one that is very difficult to wear unless perhaps over the top of a high necked dress or shirt. Previous Message When the wedding presents given to Queen Alexandra were displayed, not everyone admired the suite of Indian jewels which Queen Victoria gave to the bride. In an era when the press was obsequious, usually referring to anything given by Queen Victoria as having diamonds of the "finest water", "great purity" etc, the comments about the Indian suite stand out. The Times 15 August 1863 Morning Post 16 April 1863 Despite this, and what I suspect may have been Queen Alexandra's personal taste, she wore the jewels and did so with some frequency throughout her tenure as Princess of Wales.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions Posted by Beth on January 27, 2019, 6:12 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Indian necklace. Contemporary reactions" An interesting point MarcA. Yet, Queen Alexandra always wore it with a low neckline to her dress, a low cut bodice being one of the requirements of a Court gown. In the early years of her marriage she would have worn it without any chokers as they had not then become fashionable. At times Queen Alexandra was reported to be wearing her wedding gift tiara when she wore the Indian necklace and in later years the kokoshnik tiara (or Ladies tiara as the press dubbed it). On one occasion, however, she was reported to have worn a gold tiara with diamond stars. I have always wondered if the tiara was one of the gold tiaras she was given as a wedding present. Times 6 June 1866

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