Random Royal Appreciation: Partying with the Windsors
The Windsors were out and about in force last night, shall we check in?
Let us first spend a moment with Charles and Camilla at the premiere of the new James Bond movie, and let us spend that moment gazing at Camilla's necklace. A new-to-Camilla piece, and it's amethysts to boot! Now, I'm never really sure whether I like heart-shaped stones (heaven help us if she starts to reenact her favorite scene from Titanic), but I am sure that I like pieces unearthed from the vaults, and I believe that's just what we have on our hands here.
The heart-shaped amethyst necklace immediately reminded me of a piece discussed in Leslie Field's The Queen's Jewels which was a wedding gift from Queen Alexandra to the Queen Mother in 1923. It's described as "three rows of small pearls interspersed with eight large oval amethysts, each surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds. Hanging from the front largest cluster is a heart-shaped amethyst pendant surrounded by brilliants, and from the four side clusters hang oval amethyst drops surrounded by brilliants." According to Field, it was given to the Queen sometime after her own wedding. Allowing for inevitable redesign and variance in description, it seems a good match to me.
And also, Windsors, if you're going to start spreading your jewels around (see: Camilla there, plus Sophie in Luxembourg), hows about we get some new diamonds for our friend Kate, hmm? The Duchess of Cambridge tagged along with the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Princess Eugenie, and who knows who else for a reception honoring Team GB Olympic and Paralympic medalists. The Queen was in refreshing ice blue, Anne in sharp red, and Kate in a customized version of an ALICE by Temperley dress (below). I think I'd rather have the original, myself, but oh well.
Kate was sporting the same diamond bracelet (and earrings too, I believe) we've seen her in multiple times since her wedding. I love that she's finding as many reasons as she can to wear the diamonds she has, and I think some variety is in order. C'mon Lilibet, make it happen. (And speaking of QEII, the low-down on her diamond selections for the evening can be found at the Queen's Jewel Vault, as always.)
