A Wedding Gift of 1947
Not every royal jewel is a showstopper at first glance-yet some carry a quiet authority shaped by centuries of history. The so-called “Queen Anne” and “Queen Caroline” pearl necklaces belong to this rare category.
Composed of forty-six pearls (the “Queen Anne pearl necklace” , traditionally associated with the 17th century) and fifty pearls (the “Queen Caroline pearl necklace", linked to the 18th century), the strands weigh 1,045 grains and 1,429.20 grains respectively. They have been worn together, forming a dignified double strand of remarkable presence.
In 1947, these historic pearls were presented to Princess Elizabeth by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift. On her wedding day, the future Queen Elizabeth II chose to wear them-an understated yet deeply symbolic link to earlier queens.
The association of the necklaces with Queen Anne and Queen Caroline appears for the first time in Garrard’s inventory of 1896, prepared for Queen Victoria. By then, the strands were already regarded as historic royal heirlooms, their identities shaped as much by tradition as by documented provenance.
Across generations, the necklaces were worn by a succession of queens: Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Each added a layer of continuity, reinforcing their place within the core of the British royal jewel collection.
The necklaces are presented to the public for the first time in the exhibition “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style.”
Sources:Archive Ursula Butschal;Royal Collection Trust©
