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Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by Beth on June 8, 2020, 6:06 pm In the extraordinarily interesting post on the Order of Victoria and Albert below DavoST posted some images of Queen Maud taken on the day Edward VII opened his first parliament in 1901. See https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1591257189.html The series of photos showing Queen Maud was, I believe, taken by Princess Victoria and show Queen Maud and her husband in their private rooms. Knightship has identified Queen Maud's tiara and her large necklace. See https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1591363857.html We now know that the Vifte tiara was the wedding gift from Alfred and Mr and Mrs Leopold Rothschild thanks to an image posted (by Dawn??) on the Royal Jewels of the World Message board in 2016 (??). Vincent Meylan, with his keen eye, then recognised that the sketch was of the Vifte tiara, which demolished the old notion that the tiara had been given to Queen Maud by Queen Victoria for her 18th birthday. The sketch originally posted on the RJWMB came from a US paper, The Sun. Below is another, slightly more accurate sketch I found in a UK paper. Although people seem to forget that it was Vincent Meylan's eye which recognised the tiara, without his contribution none of us would be any the wiser. What I have found interesting looking at the images which DavoST posted is that there is a discrepancy between them and the image of Queen Maud which has been floating on the net for years. In the photos in the Royal Collection Queen Maud is wearing another brooch at her waist line. Royal Collection RCIN 2925092 https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/3/collection/2925092/photographs-of-queen-alexandra-and-princess-maud-february-1901 In contrast, in the image below which everyone has seen for years, and which people used to say was taken at Queen Victoria's funeral, Queen Maud does not have a brooch at her waist. (Try as I might, I cannot find a source for this image) This is a much sharper image, which allows us to see two of Queen Maud's brooches more clearly. My question is -- can we identify Queen Maud's brooches? Can we identify the brooch at her waist in Princess Victoria's photos?

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by Kongetro on June 8, 2020, 7:00 pm, in reply to "Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" Well spotted Beth! I actually never paid any close attention to the photographs found in Princess Victoria's photo album once it had been established that my suspicion that the photo we all know were not from the funeral of Queen Victoria was correct. Could it be that the photos taken by Princess Victoria shows exactly what was worn at the State Opening as she took the photos on the same day while the one we know from previously was taken in a studio on another day to mark the attendance at the State Opening and that Queen Maud didn't get the combination of jewels quite right for the studio photograph? I must say that I am not very good at identifying brooches unless they are very clear. So I am not sure if I am able to say which brooch is worn in one set of photos but not in the other. The brooches she wears in both sets, however, are easier to identify I think. On the top she wears the Lord and Lady Rothschild Diamond Bow brooch (wedding present) and the Drapers' Company Diamonod and Pearl brooch (also a wedding present). Previous Message In the extraordinarily interesting post on the Order of Victoria and Albert below DavoST posted some images of Queen Maud taken on the day Edward VII opened his first parliament in 1901. See https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1591257189.html The series of photos showing Queen Maud was, I believe, taken by Princess Victoria and show Queen Maud and her husband in their private rooms. Knightship has identified Queen Maud's tiara and her large necklace. See https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1591363857.html We now know that the Vifte tiara was the wedding gift from Alfred and Mr and Mrs Leopold Rothschild thanks to an image posted (by Dawn??) on the Royal Jewels of the World Message board in 2016 (??). Vincent Meylan, with his keen eye, then recognised that the sketch was of the Vifte tiara, which demolished the old notion that the tiara had been given to Queen Maud by Queen Victoria for her 18th birthday. The sketch originally posted on the RJWMB came from a US paper, The Sun . Below is another, slightly more accurate sketch I found in a UK paper. Although people seem to forget that it was Vincent Meylan's eye which recognised the tiara, without his contribution none of us would be any the wiser. What I have found interesting looking at the images which DavoST posted is that there is a discrepancy between them and the image of Queen Maud which has been floating on the net for years. In the photos in the Royal Collection Queen Maud is wearing another brooch at her waist line. Royal Collection RCIN 2925092 https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/3/collection/2925092/photographs-of-queen-alexandra-and-princess-maud-february-1901 In contrast, in the image below which everyone has seen for years, and which people used to say was taken at Queen Victoria's funeral, Queen Maud does not have a brooch at her waist. (Try as I might, I cannot find a source for this image) This is a much sharper image, which allows us to see two of Queen Maud's brooches more clearly. My question is -- can we identify Queen Maud's brooches? Can we identify the brooch at her waist in Princess Victoria's photos? Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by Eiriksn on June 8, 2020, 8:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" I think the brooch that she wore at her waist is the one that she also wore for her coronation. It has a sunburst design, you can see the spikes in the pictures from both occasions. At her coronation she wore it directly below the bow brooch. I can’t recall who gave it to her (it’s not her husbands wedding gift). I think the brooch was inherited by princess Ragnhild, and if I recall correctly it was worn by Ingeborg Lorentzen Ribeiro for the 80th birthday party for king Harald and Queen Sonja.

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by The Royal Watcher on June 8, 2020, 8:49 pm, in reply to "Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" I've been researching the jewels of the late Princess Ragnhild to mark the 90th Anniversary of her birth tomorrow and came across her wearing what looks to be Queen Maud's Diamond Star Brooch, which is what I believe Queen Maud wore at her waist at the 1901 Opening of Parliament! It could be the 'Diamond Sun' given to Princess Maud by the then Prince Charles, though that jewel looks more like the brooch worn in the family portrait below!

(Future) Division of the Norwegian Royal collection Posted by Janet on June 9, 2020, 12:25 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" I believe Princess Astrid has personally confirmed that certain items she and her sister have from their mother and grandmother are essentially on lifetime loan and will revert to the main line on her death, as indeed it is assumed some of her sister's jewels have. http://trondni.blogspot.com/2014/09/royal-jewels-princess-astrids-aigrettes.html In 1968 there was a formal division of the jewels of Queen Maud and Princess Martha between the current King and his two sisters - I wonder why at that time a decision was not made to establish a trust or foundation to hold the jewels, thereby not necessitating agreements for lifetime loans and allowing the two sisters of the King to have use of the jewels. Such formal arrangements existed in Sweden and the UK. Has what happened in 1968 established a precedent as to what will happen when Queen Sonja dies, will the jewels be divided between her son and daughter and certain items given to Princess Martha Louise for her lifetime?

Re: (Future) Division of the Norwegian Royal collection Posted by Beth on June 9, 2020, 7:30 pm, in reply to "(Future) Division of the Norwegian Royal collection " That is an interesting question Janet! Do we know for certain that certain jewels are not being held in trust for future Princesses and Queens? Either Queen Maud or Crown Princess Martha may have left instructions in their wills which are not known to the general public, and I suspect that it is possible that, privately, each of the ladies may have established trusts about their jewels in their wills. The Norwegian royal family is very private about such matters and so I suspect the general public will not get to hear. But one of the questions in my mind (which makes me wonder what was in Queen Maud's will) is the fact that her jewels were not seen in public for so long. The public explanation that the jewels were left stored in the UK between Queen Maud's death and the visit of the Norwegian royals for the 1953 coronation does not sound plausible to me -- but I hasten to add that is just a personal opinion. Then, we are asked to believe that the jewels were not divided until after the King married. My query would be -- was there something in Queen Maud's will to prevent the distribution of her jewels until after the current King married?

Re: (Future) Division of the Norwegian Royal collection Posted by Stefan on June 10, 2020, 11:17 pm, in reply to "Re: (Future) Division of the Norwegian Royal collection " From waht i reacll about Queen maud's Jewels she had borught them to the Uk at the time she passed away. Then the remained there during there War and where only brought back to Norway in the late 1940 or even later. And then it was decided that they would be spilt uop among the sibling when Harald would marry. Previous Message That is an interesting question Janet! Do we know for certain that certain jewels are not being held in trust for future Princesses and Queens? Either Queen Maud or Crown Princess Martha may have left instructions in their wills which are not known to the general public, and I suspect that it is possible that, privately, each of the ladies may have established trusts about their jewels in their wills. The Norwegian royal family is very private about such matters and so I suspect the general public will not get to hear. But one of the questions in my mind (which makes me wonder what was in Queen Maud's will) is the fact that her jewels were not seen in public for so long. The public explanation that the jewels were left stored in the UK between Queen Maud's death and the visit of the Norwegian royals for the 1953 coronation does not sound plausible to me -- but I hasten to add that is just a personal opinion. Then, we are asked to believe that the jewels were not divided until after the King married. My query would be -- was there something in Queen Maud's will to prevent the distribution of her jewels until after the current King married?

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by Knightship on June 9, 2020, 1:39 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" I think Queen Maud's diamond sun brooch was a wedding gift from the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in 1896. See previous discussion: http://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1567081781.html Previous Message I've been researching the jewels of the late Princess Ragnhild to mark the 90th Anniversary of her birth tomorrow and came across her wearing what looks to be Queen Maud's Diamond Star Brooch, which is what I believe Queen Maud wore at her waist at the 1901 Opening of Parliament! It could be the 'Diamond Sun' given to Princess Maud by the then Prince Charles, though that jewel looks more like the brooch worn in the family portrait below!

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by Beth on June 9, 2020, 7:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" After looking at more photos (in particular the one DavoST posted below) I think that Queen Maud was wearing at her waist in the 1901 photos from the Opening of the UK Parliament the same brooch which she wore on the centre of her bodice at her coronation. I know we cannot ignore the evidence Knightship has found from the Norwegian coronation that the brooch was given to Queen Maud by the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, but I am still inclined to think it might be one of the two brooches which her husband gave her as a marriage gift. Hopefully, at some time the Norwegian royal house will release some information to solve this puzzle. The brooch I am talking about-- as depicted in a sketch in 1896 of the wedding gifts.

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by Kongetro on June 9, 2020, 8:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" Wonderful photos! Thank you for posting them on here. I have written an entry about the Portuguese State Visit on my blog if anyone is interested in reading it: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/blog-2/norway/olav-v/1980-portuguese-state-visit-to-norway/ (Please remove the post from the message board Beth if you think it is out of order to "promote" my blog on here. I would understand if you did) Princess Ragnhild did indeed have a nice collection and it was always a joy to see her attending State Banquets, which she seldom did. I won't say that I wish the collection could go back to the main line as that would not be fair on her descendants, but I do hope that her family is able to hold on to the pieces and pass them on to further generations down the line. Previous Message I've been researching the jewels of the late Princess Ragnhild to mark the 90th Anniversary of her birth tomorrow and came across her wearing what looks to be Queen Maud's Diamond Star Brooch, which is what I believe Queen Maud wore at her waist at the 1901 Opening of Parliament! It could be the 'Diamond Sun' given to Princess Maud by the then Prince Charles, though that jewel looks more like the brooch worn in the family portrait below! Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by Beth on June 11, 2020, 5:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" Kongetro, it was a pleasure to read your post. I have no objections to anyone posting a link to their work or to that of another. It keeps us all au fait with the latest, and expands our knowledge. As we share our ideas and research, we refine our knowledge, and sometimes our ideas/opinions. I find various viewpoints interesting.

Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch Posted by Kongetro on June 25, 2020, 8:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's Star Brooch" Thank you very much Beth! Sorry for this very late response!! I have been trying to add more information to my blog, though I think it might need some photos in order to not appear so boring. Previous Message Kongetro, it was a pleasure to read your post. I have no objections to anyone posting a link to their work or to that of another. It keeps us all au fait with the latest, and expands our knowledge. As we share our ideas and research, we refine our knowledge, and sometimes our ideas/opinions. I find various viewpoints interesting. Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by DavoST on June 8, 2020, 10:45 pm, in reply to "Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" Beth, does this help with the bow brooch, and her necklaces? Princess Maud, later Queen Maud of Norway (1869-1938) c. 1896

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by Beth on June 9, 2020, 7:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" Thanks DavoST. What a great photo of the necklace given to Queen Maud for her wedding and the brooch from Lord and Lady Rothschild given as a wedding gift. I hadn't noticed this photo before. Many thanks! Previous Message Beth, does this help with the bow brooch, and her necklaces? Princess Maud, later Queen Maud of Norway (1869-1938) c. 1896

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by DavoST on June 8, 2020, 10:47 pm, in reply to "Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" Beth, this is still fuzzy, but might help. Photographs of Queen Alexandra, and Princess Maud, February 1901

Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901 Posted by Beth on June 9, 2020, 7:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Maud's jewels at Opening of UK Parliament 1901" Thanks DavoSt. That is immensely helpful as it shows clearly the spikes on the outer edge of the brooch at Queen Maud's waist, allowing us to identify it as the same brooch HM wore for her coronation. Previous Message Beth, this is still fuzzy, but might help. Photographs of Queen Alexandra, and Princess Maud, February 1901

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