Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Mary, who was born on this day in 1867! The Teck Princess who lived through the reigns of six monarchs and was the Queen Consort for twenty-five years, as well as a Queen Mother to two Kings and the Queen Grandmother to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary assembled much of the British Royal Family’s spectacular Jewellery Collection, which includes her Diamond Link Choker/Bracelets!
The first of the two Diamond Chain-link Bracelets was created by Garrard in 1932, in a ‘subdued modernist design’, with a second Diamond Chain-link Bracelet created in 1935, that could be joined together with a Diamond Brooch set with a 9 3/4 carat diamond sourced from the Premier Mine in South Africa, to create a Diamond Choker. The Diamond had been presented to Queen Mary in 1933, by the Diamond Industry of South Africa during the opening of South Africa House in Trafalgar Square.
In 1935, shortly after the creation of the second Bracelet, Queen Mary wore the Diamond Chain-Link Choker for a Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral and an appearance on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.
That same year, Queen Mary wore her Diamond Chain-Link Choker for the Wedding of her favourite son, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott.
Queen Mary also wore her Diamond Chain-Link Choker for series of Portraits taken in the late 1930s, paired with her Diamond Honeysuckle Tiara.
Queen Mary wore the Diamond Chain-Link Bracelets on numerous occasions through the 1930s and later on, most notably for the Coronation of her son, King George VI, at Westminster Abbey in 1937.
On her death in 1953, Queen Mary left the Diamond Chain-Link Bracelets to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who had worn them on nuhttps://royalwatcherblog.com/2024/05/26/queen-marys-diamond-link-choker/merous occasions from quite early on in her reign, usually paired with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Vladimir Tiara she had inherited from Queen Mary.
The late Queen only wore one bracelet, usually preferring to put a wristwatch on her left wrist, and never wore the two Bracelets as a Choker, but continued to wear Queen Mary’s Diamond Chain-Link Bracelets for Galas, Services, and Banquets until the latter years of her Reign.
We have seen Queen Camilla debut several spectacular Royal Heirlooms in recent months, so maybe these Diamond Chain-Link Bracelets will make another appearance soon?
