The Queen's box: Camilla's favourite jewels

Good afternoon, dear jewellery connoisseurs. Today I will present you a fascinating story about unique jewellery pieces belonging to Queen Camilla. The wife of the recently enthroned King of England, Camilla, is far from being associated with the glitter of diamonds and the splendour of going out in public. Information about her jewellery collection is rare. Nevertheless, Camilla's collection turns out to be impressive. The Duchess of Cornwall, despite the hype that accompanied her decades ago, is a modest and moderate woman. Perhaps that's why public attention has been directed less at her jewellery and outfits. Let us, however, take a deeper look at her favourite pieces of jewellery. Today, I will share the most fascinating facts about the jewellery pieces in the collection of Prince Charles' wife. Among them you will find family jewellery, gifts from her husband and pieces from the Windsor Treasury. Camilla has an impressive arsenal of tiaras, necklaces, brooches, earrings and rings. These include both her own family heirlooms and gifts from her second husband, the Prince of Wales. Since her marriage to the heir to the throne, Camilla, in her capacity as Elizabeth II's daughter-in-law, has been entitled to access Her Majesty's Treasury like other members of the Windsor family. But what kind of jewellery does the Queen Consort prefer to wear most often? Let's delve into this in more detail. Most people remember the Spencer Tiara, in which Lady Diana was married to Prince Charles and which she often wore at ceremonial events and during her marriage. However, not as many know about the tiara belonging to Camilla's family, which stands out for its more refined design. The Cupid Shands Tiara was used by a young Camilla Shand when she married Andrew Parker Bowles in Later, her daughter Laura also chose this family tiara for her wedding. The Duchess inherited the jewellery after her mother's death and prefers to appear wearing it at state receptions at the palace. A special place in the Duchess of Cornwall's collection is occupied by jewellery that belonged to the Queen Mother, her husband's beloved grandmother. When Prince Charles proposed to Camilla, he gave her a family jewel, the Queen Mother's ring with a huge Art Deco diamond. This family heirloom appeared in the Windsor family in 1926, when Elizabeth Beauséon and her husband George had their eldest daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II. Modern experts note that for his first wife, Charles chose a piece of jewellery from a catalogue rather than from the royal treasuries. At the annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker, makes an impressive appearance adorned with a tiara from Her Majesty's Treasury. To it is sometimes added a magnificent diamond necklace of five rows of diamonds in platinum. This is how the Duchess appeared at the Queen's Banquet for Commonwealth Heads of Government in November 2007. Both pieces of jewellery belonged to Margaret Helen Greville. The tiara, also known in the 1920s by the jewellery house Boucheron. The necklace, designed by Cartier, can be worn with five rows as well as two and three rows. The tiara was subsequently altered at the request of the Queen Mother to give it grace. It is with pleasure that the Duchess of Cornwall wears jewellery donated by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. These stunning jewels were supposedly given to her during a visit to Saudi Arabia in 2006. The necklace and earrings are a unique ensemble created from colourless diamonds totalling over 100 carats and 37 Burmese mixed-cut oval rubies. An exquisite platinum necklace in the shape of a snake, set with diamonds and complemented by two small rubies as eyes, represents one of the most contemporary pieces of jewellery in Camilla's collection. The necklace is believed to have been a gift from Prince Charles and the Duchess was first spotted wearing it back in 2001, long before her wedding to His Highness. Princess Diana's Pendant There was outrage over the Duchess of Cornwall's brooch, which she unveiled to the public in 2019. The brooch was originally a pendant given to Princess Diana by the Queen Mother for her own wedding day. Princess Diana often displayed this piece of jewellery when making public appearances. Fans of the Princess, after discovering the brooch on Prince Charles' second wife, accused the Duchess of Cornwall of unfair treatment. In their opinion, Camilla Parker has no moral right to adorn herself with Princess Diana's jewellery, as they believe it was one of the causes of her suffering. Pearl Choker with Topaz The best example of Camilla's jewellery taste is a necklace with five tiers of pearl strands and an impressive pink topaz in the centre. The Duchess of Cornwall has several pearl chokers and chooses them depending on the occasion. This exquisite piece of jewellery was a gift from the Prince of Wales. The topaz brooch at the centre of this piece is said to be vintage and was purchased at a Sotheby's auction along with earrings from the same ensemble. Pearl Choker with Aquamarine The beautiful pearl and aquamarine necklace is one of the most impressive elements of the Duchess' collection. This gorgeous piece of jewellery combines several strands of pearls and a large aquamarine which, when framed in gold, takes on a special and unique hue. When Camilla compliments her outfits with this jewellery, she immediately looks younger than her years and incredibly attractive. It is a time to reflect on the fact that miracles do happen. The surface of the exquisite gold setting set with small diamonds effectively emphasises the expressiveness of the aquamarine and the beauty of the necklace as a whole. There is much debate as to the origin of this unique necklace and how it came to Camilla. Some jewellery connoisseurs claim that the piece was given to the Duchess by one of her spouses. Others claim that the piece was custom made for her. Nevertheless, the most reasonable version seems to be that the necklace was an inheritance for Camilla from her mother. Camilla often compliments her outfits with this pearl and aquamarine jewellery. It is safe to say that it is one of her favourite pieces of jewellery and that is no surprise. This piece of jewellery is truly breathtaking in its splendour. Perfect pearls look charming and expressive, not overshadowing but, on the contrary, emphasising the importance of the large aquamarine. Interestingly, depending on the colour of the outfit and the lighting, the gemstone seems to change its hue, harmoniously blending with the colour scheme of the surrounding. Camilla showed this jewel before her marriage to the Prince of Wales. She chose it for the gala event where she first appeared with Charles. Unfortunately, court life is often full of insurmountable difficulties and one of them was the temporary separation of Camilla and the Prince due to the Queen's rejection of their union. Once the couple was officially reunited, Camilla had to work hard to make a good impression. And in this she was helped by her flawless appearance and ability to attract enthusiastic looks. Recently, Camilla's jewellery collection has expanded considerably and now she rarely chooses her favourite aquamarine necklace. It's unfortunate, of course, but we now have the opportunity to enjoy some of her other gorgeous jewellery. However, the famous pearl and aquamarine necklace will remain something special for the Duchess. What do you think about Queen Camilla wearing jewellery from the Royal Family's jewellery box? Which of the jewellery pieces do you like? Write in the comments. 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