History of Famous Jewels and Collections

History of Famous Jewels and Collections
[ History of Famous Jewels and Collections ] Posters of original research, analyses, insights etc retain all rights to their work. Such research etc cannot be used in any format without the written consent of the author.

Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?

Posted by Dave User icon on January 1, 2021, 1:09 pm

Could someone identify below the lady to PM's right on the staircase? And what of the interesting tiara she is wearing?

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fhips.hearstapps.com%2Fhbz.h-cdn.co%2Fassets%2F16%2F44%2Fhbz-princess-margaret-1955-gettyimages-78966521.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harpersbazaar.com%2Fculture%2Ffeatures%2Fg8106%2Fprincess-margaret-style%2F&tbnid=WH9Z3kv-Oc1ykM&vet=12ahUKEwj6kMX43_ntAhWGlVMKHeRlC4sQMyheegUIARCLAQ..i&docid=nnYdwi4habLFJM&w=2000&h=3000&q=princess%20margaret%20and%20her%20fashion%20through%20the%20decades&ved=2ahUKEwj6kMX43_ntAhWGlVMKHeRlC4sQMyheegUIARCLAQ

Regards,

Dave.

Re: Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?

Posted by mauriz User icon on January 1, 2021, 7:08 pm, in reply to "Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?"

The photo is from Princess Margaret’s Caribbean Tour in 1955. She’s pictured at her first State Banquet held in Government House, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

For the tour Princess Margaret was accompanied by Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, the 11th Duke of Devonshire’s sister, as an extra lady-in-waiting, wearing the Devonshire honeysuckle tiara in the photo, and her regular lady-in-waiting, Iris Peake, eldest daughter of Viscount Ingleby.

Iris Peake’s youngest sister Mary Rose might have worn the same tiara for her wedding to Everard March Phillipps de Lisle in 1959. The Ingleby title was created for their father in 1956. Their mother was a daughter of the 7th Earl of Essex. The tiara possibly comes from this side of the family.

Re: The Hon. Iris Peake

Posted by The Royal Watcher User icon on January 1, 2021, 7:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?"

I've always been intrigued by the Ladies-in-Waiting in this picture Dave, and it's only some recent research that allowed be to connect the dots and figure out the Tiaras of these ladies. Thank you for sharing it! I was just about to post about the Hon. Iris Peake, but thanks for writing about it mauriz!

Here are a few more pictures of her wearing that Tiara, which I also think comes from the Essex Family!

Lady Elizabeth Cavendish

Posted by The Royal Watcher User icon on January 1, 2021, 7:13 pm, in reply to "Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?"

The Lady-in-Waiting is Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, the daughter of the 10th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire (who was the Queen's Mistress of the Robes)! While I initially thought that she might be wearing one of the Tiaras from the Devonshire Parure, it appears that this one is her mother's Sapphire Necklace Tiara, HERE!

The Sapphire Necklace Tiara was worn by Lady Elizabeth for later Tours and since its fate is unknown it is possible it might have been inherited by her. Interestingly, Sotheby's is auctioning a few of her belongings this month, but there are no notable jewels except a diamond bracelet.

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish

Posted by Dave User icon on January 2, 2021, 2:40 am, in reply to " Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"

Thanks the Royal Watcher for the info, its funny how the angle and light in a picture can make things look different, because I can swear the stones being worn by Lady Elizabeth Cavendish are a ruby red color. Is it possible the sapphires could have been swapped out for other stones? Any thoughts on the brooch she is also wearing.

Regards,

Dave.

Previous Message

The Lady-in-Waiting is Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, the daughter of the 10th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire (who was the Queen's Mistress of the Robes) ! While I initially thought that she might be wearing one of the Tiaras from the Devonshire Parure, it appears that this one is her mother's Sapphire Necklace Tiara, HERE !

The Sapphire Necklace Tiara was worn by Lady Elizabeth for later Tours and since its fate is unknown it is possible it might have been inherited by her. Interestingly, Sotheby's is auctioning a few of her belongings this month, but there are no notable jewels except a diamond bracelet.

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by altezania Mompox on January 2, 2021, 6:19 am, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"
Edited by board administrator May 26, 2022, 12:34 pm

EDIT:

Sash Giles,
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

Must be credited as the researcher who discovered this information.

the stones are opals, I can´t share the images I don't know why

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish

Posted by altezania Mompox User icon on January 2, 2021, 7:41 am, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"

http://dafjones.photoshelter.com/image/I0000bNICrbre6_Y

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by Dave on January 2, 2021, 1:02 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"
Edited by board administrator May 26, 2022, 12:37 pm

EDIT:

Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

Is the researcher who discovered that the necklace/tiara contains black opals, and must be credited for this.

A very warm welcome altezania Mompox, I dont think I had the pleasure of meeting you before, hope u like our little space here. The information you have provided adds to the mystery as I thought the stones were identified as sapphires.

Regards,

Dave.

Previous Message

http://dafjones.photoshelter.com/image/I0000bNICrbre6_Y

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish

Posted by altezania Mompox User icon on January 2, 2021, 3:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"

thank you Dave it´s a pleasure participating in this forum, I enjoy this site because I love the royal jewels and practicing my English, thanks again for your kind words, by the way, I'm sorry if sometimes make mistakes, I don't use a translate.

I have another picture of the Lady Luise in front, in that angle, the main stone is more reddish, and the other four are blue

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by Beth on January 2, 2021, 3:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish"
Edited by board administrator May 26, 2022, 12:39 pm

EDIT:
Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

The curator, whose details are given above, must be credited as the researcher who discovered that the tiara/necklace contains black opals

A very warm welcome to altezania Mompox!!

Initially, I wondered if the tiara worn by Lady Louise Burrell

was the same as that worn by Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, as so many of the photos available of the Duchess lack sufficient definition to be absolutely certain. Then I looked more closely at the photo of the Duchess wearing one of the elements as a brooch.

mary-duchess-of-devonshire-widow-of-10th-duke-of-devonshire-shutterstock-editorial-4060335a

That shows that either a very poor quality opaque sapphire was used or, more plausibly, the central stone was an opal.

Luckily, I also found this news item from 1953 which states clearly that the tiara/necklace contained black opals.

What I cannot work out is when this jewel was acquired. As far as I am aware only Mary, Duchess of Devonshire was seen wearing it.

Not only was it a versatile jewel; it seems to have been a favourite of the Duchess.

Tatler_26_May_1954_Mary_Queen_Charlotte_Ball

I wonder how Lady Louise Burrell came to be wearing it? Did she hire it from a jeweller for that ball? Or does either she or her mother own the jewel?

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by The Royal Watcher on January 2, 2021, 4:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"
Edited by board administrator May 26, 2022, 12:42 pm

EDIT:

Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

The curator (whose details are above) must be credited as the researcher who discovered that the necklace/tiara contains opals.

A possible explanation for why Lady Louise Burrell was wearing the Opal Necklace/Tiara in 2011 is that the Argyll Family Tiara had been lost at Glasgow Airport by the Dowager Duchess in 2006, and was not found until 2012. It's quite likely that Lady Louise borrowed a Tiara from a member of the Devonshire Family, if they still own the piece, though I can't find any familial links with them. Since then she's worn the Argyll Tiara again, so I would doubt it belongs to her now.

Now knowing that it contained Opals, I find it very interesting how often it was worn by Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, given that she usually alternated it with the larger of the two Devonshire Diamond Tiaras! I personally wouldn't have thought Opals to be that wearable, but she wore them all the time.

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox

Posted by altezania Mompox User icon on January 3, 2021, 2:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"

thanks Beth and The Royal watcher, I always follow your page it´s amazing. I´ll hope be helpful

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by Beth on January 3, 2021, 6:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"
Edited by board administrator May 26, 2022, 12:45 pm

EDIT:
Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

The curator named above must be credited for discovering that the necklace/tiara contains opals, not sapphires.

What an amazing flash of red there is in the central stone! Thank you so much for the photo Altezania Mompox! The red flash certainly makes sense of the red colour which Dave noticed in the image he initially gave a link for.

Although I am not a fan of opals, I am intrigued and would like to be able to see this jewel in reality to see if the central stone has a basic green/blue colour like the side stones or if the central stone does indeed have a more pronounced basic red colour. I suspect that the central stone might have a basic green/blue colour (so that all the stones match) and that the red we can see is a result of flashes of fire characteristic of the best black opals.

Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (from the photo with Princess Margaret which Dave gave a link to) On the opal seen to the left of the central stone (as we look at the image) I can also see flashes of fire.

I am still stunned that what we all thought was a sapphire piece is actually a jewel with black opals.

EDIT: Credit for the discovery that the necklace/tiara contains opals and not sapphires must go to -

Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox

Posted by Susan User icon on January 4, 2021, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"

It’s amazing how opals can easily change color depending upon the light and various environments they are in. They can easily be blue/green but then can react to the wearer’s body temp or temperature or humidity in the room.

Opal is my birthstone and my engagement ring is an opal. Sitting in the jewelry box it’s mainly blue green, but when I wear it, it easily changes color with flashes of red/pink. I love opals and do wish there was more royal opal jewelry. But considering that it’s bad luck to wear opals unless they are your birthstone, I guess that’s the reason why.

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome Susan

Posted by Beth User icon on January 4, 2021, 6:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"

Welcome to the board Susan!

I have read in the UK press at the turn of the twentieth century that, in part, the concept that opals are an unlucky stone came from the writings of Sir Walter Scott. I also noticed similar comments in the Australian press at various times when miners and jewellers tried to make the gems more popular.

Because of Queen Victoria's and Prince Albert's fondness for opals, a significant number of jewels were made for Queen Victoria and her daughters and daughters-in-law. It would be interesting to know if any of these items are still in the collections of any of the British royals and their descendants.

I'll start a thread on royal opals to see what we can ascertain.

Again, a warm welcome.

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox

Posted by Dave User icon on January 5, 2021, 1:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish. Welcome altezania Mompox"

Hi and welcome Susan, hope you enjoy your time here. I am however of the opinion that the Opal tiara and the sapphire necklace/tiara are two different pieces.

Regards,

Dave.

Previous Message

Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this

Posted by Beth on May 26, 2022, 12:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.Edited to include name of researcher who discovered this"

Anyone reading the posts and making reference to the tiara/necklace having opals and not sapphires must give credit to the researcher who discovered this. Details below.

Sash Giles
Curator of Decorative Arts
Devonshire Collections
Chatsworth

This message is locked.

Re: Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?

Posted by 992234177 User icon on January 2, 2021, 1:43 pm, in reply to "Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?"

Interesting that Princess Margaret is wearing a strapless evening dress. When you consider all the online articles about how royal ladies are only allowed to wear nude nail polish, tan tights, and how shocking it was for Meghan to wear a strapless evening dress, it’s a good reminder that the press project what they think and want you to believe as accepted fact.

Mary, Duchess of Devonshire. Brooch

Posted by Beth User icon on January 3, 2021, 6:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting?"

Does anyone know anything about the brooch that Mary, Duchess of Devonshire can be seen wearing in the photos below? I am sure I have seen it in other photos of her, but I don't have time to do more looking today -- my apologies.

I know that when she married in 1917 the press reported that the King and Queen (George V and Queen Mary) gave her a brooch as a wedding gift, but I have not seen a description of that gift, sketch or photo. The wedding of the then Lady Mary Cecil and the Marquess of Hartington was celebrated quietly, as it was during the war and consequently the press was not provided with descriptions of gifts (apart from those of the Cavendish tenants and estate workers)

1924

Mary_Sheffield_Daily_Telegraph_7_Jan_1924_brooch_at_Hospital_Ball

1936

« Index

1960

[ History of Famous Jewels and Collections ]