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Queen Alexandra Pearl Brooch
Posted by OmerH on September 8, 2019, 4:10 am
We are all familiar with the Cambridge pearl brooch that came into Queen Mary's possession via her grandmother the Duchess of Cambridge.
In the picture below the future Queen Alexandra is also wearing a similar brooch (it was a popular design). Do we know the whereabouts of Alexandra's brooch?
Better image (with zoom) at National Portrait Gallery's website.
I have been thinking about this brooch all day, as I seem to recollect that, years ago, LauraM mentioned seeing a painting of Queen Alexandra wearing a pearl brooch like the one in the image OmerH posted. My recollection is that LauraM made the point that the brooch was not part of the wedding gift parure, but rather a third brooch. Unfortunately, I cannot find the thread on RJWMB.
One of the things which I noticed in the brooch in the National Portrait Gallery UK photo which OmerH posted a link for is the size of the diamond below the pearl and diamond cluster and the shape of the pendant pearl. I do not think that matches with anything in Queen Alexandra's wedding gift pearl necklace.
NPG 1876 portrait.
A view of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing the necklace.
Could the brooch in the National Portrait Gallery UK which OmerH posted be the same as the brooch in this 1875 photo?
If it is (I am not sure) then it is not part of the wedding gift necklace or part of the wedding gift pearl brooch.
I am finding this a real puzzle. I hope someone can help us to solve it.
I wonder....I have a couple of more images of this brooch.
You can see what looks like similar style of brooches being worn in on the left hand side of her dress collar. (or its the necklace below hidden among her other jewels)
This is a well known image of Alexandra's wedding jewels. Notice the two pieces below the necklace. I wonder if they are convertible brooches. They are not shown with the full set in photos.
This set of photos opens up a whole new train of thought for me Kat Max.
I noticed that the first photo, showing Queen Alexandra with the brooch under discussion, is marked as being taken by Bergamasco of St Petersbourg. That made me wonder if the brooch might have belonged to Alexandra's sister, but I don't have a way of exploring if that is so!
In the second photo I think that Queen Alexandra is wearing elements from her wedding gift necklace as brooches. We know that the necklace could be dismantled and the elements worn separately. What do others think?
The third photo showing Queen Alexandra's wedding gifts shows also the diamond necklace and earrings given by the City of London and the opal and diamond parure which Queen Victoria gave in her name and that of Prince Albert. In my copy of the same image (which has some odd markings in it) I have marked the opals with a green cross.
Some media reports talk about 3 brooches in the gift but most say there were 2.
Another sketch of these jewels.
The opals were milky white in colour according to one report.
on September 8, 2019, 4:10 am
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