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I’ve gotten a number of questions not too long ago a couple of sure ornament worn by the women of the Home of Windsor: the little miniature portraits, surrounded by gems, that hold from colourful ribbons. So at this time, let’s look just a little extra carefully on the Royal Household Orders worn by the British royals, we could?
Royal Assortment Belief
The primary Royal Household Order instituted by a member of the British royal household was that of King George IV. Girls of the household had worn miniature portraits of the monarch previous to the institution of the order, however George standardized the follow. The miniature portrait on the badge of the order, painted by Henry Bone, relies on a well-known portray of the king by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The portrait, surrounded by jewels and topped by a crown, hangs from an ivory-colored ribbon. The respect was solely bestowed on feminine members of the royal household.
This specific badge, held within the Royal Assortment, was bestowed by King George IV on his sister, Queen Charlotte of Württemberg (1756-1828). When she died, she bequeathed the badge and ribbon to her niece, the younger Princess Victoria of Kent. She, in fact, later grew to become Queen Victoria, and she or he left the badge to the crown assortment on her loss of life.
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Most likely the longest-lived wearer of King George IV’s Royal Household Order was one other niece, Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She’s pictured right here sporting the order (with different badges, together with the Order of the Crown of India) in a portrait taken on the time of the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. (She’s additionally sporting a really acquainted jewel: the unique Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, which was later copied for her niece, Queen Mary.)
Royal Assortment Belief
King William IV didn’t get round to issuing a Royal Household Order throughout his reign, however Queen Victoria did, placing her personal spin on the glory. She created the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert in 1862, after the loss of life of the late Prince Consort, issuing it to feminine family members and to some feminine courtiers. (There have been a number of courses of the order.) As a substitute of a miniature portrait, the badge of the order featured a twin cameo silhouette portrait (made in Rome by Tommaso Saulini) of Victoria and Albert. Just like the George IV order, the badge was encrusted with jewels, topped by a crown, and suspended from an ivory-colored ribbon.
This specific badge and ribbon belonged to Victoria and Albert’s third daughter, Princess Helena. It was returned to her nephew, King George V, on her loss of life in 1923.
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Right here’s Queen Alexandra, then Princess of Wales, sporting the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert in a proper portrait taken on the marriage ceremony of her daughter, Princess Louise, in 1889. She’s pinned one other brooch, a diamond horseshoe, to the order’s ribbon as properly. Her tiara is a convertible diamond diadem worn with sapphires given to her by her brother-in-law, Emperor Alexander III of Russia, as a silver marriage ceremony anniversary current in 1887. The tiara, which is also worn in an amethyst setting, was later bequeathed to Louise and offered by her descendants.
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On this portrait, Queen Mary (then the Duchess of Cornwall and York) wears the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert (and the Order of the Crown of India) whereas in mourning for Queen Victoria in 1901. Her different jewels embody the County of Surrey Tiara (which was later dismantled, with the diamonds used to make the Honeysuckle Tiara and to complement the Ladies of Nice Britain & Eire Tiara), her eleven-row pearl choker necklace (now with the Gloucesters), and the Karpurthala Stomacher (which was later redesigned and given to Queen Elizabeth II).
Royal Assortment Belief
Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII, instituted his personal Royal Household Order throughout his reign (1901-1910). It was as soon as once more bestowed on feminine members of the royal household. The portrait of the monarch is attributed to Robert Henderson, a miniaturist who labored for Dickinson & Foster. The portrait is surrounded by gems and topped with a gem-encrusted crown. The badge hangs from a crimson and blue striped ribbon with yellow accents. (The colours of the ribbon are similar to the king’s racing colours.)
This specific badge, now a part of the Royal Assortment, belonged to the monarch’s second daughter, Princess Victoria.
Grand Girls Website
And right here’s Princess Victoria sporting her father’s Royal Household Order (in addition to the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert) on the marriage ceremony of Princess Margaret of Connaught and Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in June 1905. She’s additionally sporting her personal diamond floral tiara, and like her mom earlier than her, she has pinned a diamond horseshoe brooch close to her order badges and ribbons.
Royal Assortment Belief
By now, the creation of a Royal Household Order was an everyday a part of the accession of a brand new monarch. King George V’s Royal Household Order, suspended from a pale blue ribbon, featured a miniature portrait of the monarch in his naval uniform.
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Right here’s {a photograph} of Queen Mary sporting King George V’s Royal Household Order in her later years. (You’ll additionally spot the Cullinan III & IV Brooch peeking out from beneath her floral corsage.)
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And right here, in a portrait taken on the finish of 1936, the brand new Queen Elizabeth wears her late father-in-law’s Royal Household Order (plus the Order of the Crown of India). She’s additionally sporting pearls and Queen Mary’s Diamond Fringe Tiara.
Royal Assortment Belief
Elizabeth isn’t sporting King George VI’s Royal Household Order in that portrait above, as a result of it hadn’t but been made. His brother, Edward VIII, hadn’t had sufficient time to fee his personal Royal Household Order, and Bertie’s took a bit to be made as properly. He labored with Garrard on the design of the badge, which was suspended from a pale pink ribbon. It was distributed to a number of feminine members of the royal household in time for the coronation in Might 1937.
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On this portrait, taken in 1987, Queen Elizabeth II wears each the Royal Household Orders of her father, King George VI, and her grandfather, King George V. Her different jewels embody the Diamond Diadem and the Greville Ruby Necklace.
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And right here, she wears each Royal Household Orders with the Brazilian Aquamarines in March 2006. These sorts of orders are cumulative; you don’t should cease sporting one simply since you are given one other. Queen Elizabeth II was the final residing holder of George V’s Royal Household Order. Following her loss of life just a few weeks in the past, that order won’t ever be worn in public once more. (There’s only one remaining wearer of George VI’s Royal Household Order: Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Girl Ogilvy.)
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Queen Elizabeth II created her personal Royal Household Order within the run-up to her coronation as properly. The order includes a miniature portrait of the monarch surrounded by diamonds. The portrait is topped by a jeweled crown and suspended from a pale yellow ribbon. The orders made earlier than 2017 featured portraits hand-painted on ivory; since 2017, they’ve been painted on glass (reportedly on the request of the then-Duke of Cambridge). Within the portrait, the younger monarch wears the Diamond Diadem, the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings, and the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. The miniature relies on a Dorothy Wilding {photograph} taken of the brand new monarch in April 1952.
This order badge is the one bestowed in 2007 on the Duchess of Cornwall, now the Queen Consort. She wears it right here throughout the Commonwealth Heads of Authorities Assembly in Sri Lanka in 2013.
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On this portrait of the Queen Mom, painted in 1986 by Richard Stone, she wears each the Royal Household Orders of George VI (her husband) and Elizabeth II (her daughter). As you noticed above, she additionally had the Royal Household Order of George V, however later in life she usually wore simply these two. Within the portrait, she’s additionally sporting the Greville Tiara, the Greville Peardrop Earrings, and Queen Alexandra’s Wedding ceremony Necklace.
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Right here, the Countess of Wessex wears Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Household Order (and the Wessex Aquamarine Necklace Tiara) for the marriage of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden in 2015.
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And right here, on the Diplomatic Reception in December 2019, the Duchess of Cambridge (now the Princess of Wales) wears Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Household Order pinned to her night robe. Curiously, she’s sporting the identical necklace—the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace—that the younger Queen wears within the miniature portrait (in addition to Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and the Queen’s Pear-Formed Diamond Drop Cluster Earrings).
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We’ve not but heard any information in regards to the attainable designs for King Charles III’s Royal Household Order. (It’s VERY early for something like that to have been severely mentioned!) However only for enjoyable, let’s do some speculating. I feel we will firmly state that the usage of ivory in these miniature portraits is completed for good, and all the higher, actually. However what in regards to the shade of the ribbon? Maybe pale inexperienced this time?
