Queen Elizabeth II|The Greville Emerald and Diamond Necklace |The Greville Bequest| Royal Jewels Great Britain and Irland

A remarkable emerald and diamond necklace from the collection of Dame Margaret Greville (1863–1942). One of the two Greville Emerald Necklaces!!

Margaret Greville was the daughter of the wealthy businessman William McEwan. In 1891, she married Ronald Greville, an officer in the Life Guards, who died in 1908. As a wealthy widow, she became a prominent society hostess, regularly entertaining members of the Royal Family at her country house, Polesden Lacey.

Her extraordinary jewellery collection included creations by Boucheron, Cartier, Fabergé and Garrard.

Margaret Greville’s Royal Jewellery Bequest
Following her death in 1942, the collection was divided. Less valuable pieces were left to a relative, Adeline Liron, while the 76 most important jewels were bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother.

The collection included magnificent diamond jewellery, pearls, earrings, brooches and at least two separate emerald and diamond necklaces.

One necklace featured ten rectangular emeralds surrounded by diamond foliage motifs, with an additional square emerald pendant suspended at the centre.

The second emerald necklace had a distinctly different design. Five large pear-shaped emerald drops were suspended from diamond arches, while rectangular emeralds were separated by diamond ornaments incorporating smaller emeralds.

This second necklace had not previously been seen worn publicly by Queen Elizabeth II. Its provenance could be traced to Margaret Greville.
The Rediscovery of the Greville Jewels
In 1947, the Queen Mother presented her elder daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, with a ruby and diamond necklace and a pair of diamond girandole earrings from the Greville collection as wedding gifts.

The Queen Mother retained other important pieces, including the celebrated Greville Diamond Tiara, originally created by Boucheron and subsequently altered by Cartier.

Several jewels remained unseen in the royal vaults for decades.

In 2015, Princess Anne wore a diamond tiara from the Greville collection, featuring a double Greek-key design, at a state banquet in honour of the Chinese President.

In October 2018, another spectacular Greville jewel reappeared when Princess Eugenie of York wore the emerald and diamond kokoshnik tiara for her wedding. The tiara, distinguished by its large cabochon emeralds, had been lent to her by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Approximately thirteen months later, another important jewel from the Greville collection emerged at the Diplomatic Corps Reception: the second emerald and diamond necklace.

Its appearance offered a further glimpse into the remarkable scale of Margaret Greville’s jewellery collection and the many treasures that had remained largely unseen for generations.

 

Sources: Archive Ursula Butschal;© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust.