Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Princess Margaret, the late Queen’s only sister, who died on this day in 2002! As one of the leading members of the Royal Family for her entire life, the late Princess had a magnificent jewelry collection, which included Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière!
Poltimore Tiara | Turquoise Parure | Cartier Halo Tiara | Lotus Flower Tiara | Diamond Lozenge Bandeau | Snowdon Floral Tiara | Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace | Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière | Diamond Earrings | Ruby Earrings | Emerald Earrings | Pearl Earrings | Sapphire Earrings | Diamond Star Earrings | Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch | Princess Margaret’s Tiaras
Composed of alternating collet diamonds and round pearls, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière has no known provenance, but it was likely an older heirloom that appeared on Queen Mary by the mid-1920s, who notably wore it in a portrait with her young granddaughter, now the Queen.
Queen Mary continued to wear the Pearl and Diamond Rivière through the 1930s and 1946, with another notable appearance in a series of portraits in 1946. After her death in 1953, the Pearl and Diamond Rivière was among the jewellery inherited by her granddaughter, Princess Margaret.
Unlike her grandmother, Princess Margaret predominantly wore Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for evening events through the 1950s and 1960s, usually paired with the Lotus Flower Tiara and the Greville Pearl Earrings, often alongside one of her other Diamond Rivières.
Princess Margaret continued to wear Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for evening events through the 1970s and 1980s, still paired with the Greville Pearl Earrings.
Even before Princess Margaret’s death in 2002, Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière was among the jewels given to her only daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, again often paired with the Greville Pearl Earrings. Like Queen Mary, Lady Sarah has worn the Rivière primarily for daytime events but has also worn it on evening occasions, like the Queen’s 80th Birthday Dinner in 2006.
In 2011, Lady Sarah notably wore Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière for the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and also the Wedding of Zara Phillips in 2011, before a more recent appearance at Royal Ascot in 2014. There is now doubt we will continue to see this favoured heirloom for years to come!
Poltimore Tiara | Turquoise Parure | Cartier Halo Tiara | Lotus Flower Tiara | Diamond Lozenge Bandeau | Snowdon Floral Tiara | Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace | Queen Mary’s Pearl and Diamond Rivière | Diamond Earrings | Ruby Earrings | Emerald Earrings | Pearl Earrings | Sapphire Earrings | Diamond Star Earrings | Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch | Princess Margaret’s Tiaras
