Queen Mary | Diamond Brooch Wedding Gift of the County of Lincoln | Royal Marriage Present

This brooch was given as a present to the then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York.

Lincolnshire's Present| Lincoln Diamond Brooch

According to a report in the Stamford Mercury, the chairman of the committee, Earl Brownlow, said that he “endeavoured to find out what would be most acceptable and he believed that Her Serene Highness Princess May would particularly value something in the nature of a brooch with a single pearl or diamond in the centre, set with diamonds. It would be an ornament that Her Serene Highness could wear now, and probably in a still higher position.” Apparently the Princess had indicated that she had not received such a gift and the chairman thought that she would value and appreciate such a gift. The jewel was presented to Princess May on July 5.
It was described as being “A large diamond of the purest water, surrounded by other fine diamonds, to form a brooch or a pin, and can also be worn as a necklace clasp.”(Grantham Journal, 08 July 1893).

On Wednesday, July 5th, Earl Brownlow, Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, with the Countess Brownlow, waited on H.S.H. Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (now the Duchess of York) at Buckingham Palace to present, on behalf of the county Lincoln, the county wedding gift, consisting of large single diamond surrounded by other fine diamonds. The jewel was enclosed in a case of "Lincoln green" with the arms of the county, and quotation from the late Lord Tennyson, the great Lincolnshire Biet, "God bless 'em. Marriages are made in heaven."
The gift was most graciously received and greatly admired Her Serene Highness, who expressed her warm appreciation of the kind and loyal feeling which prompted the gift. Earl Bronlow stated that the amount at present subscribed was about £300.

The Lord Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln has much pleasure in acknowledging the contributions towards the Lincolnshire present spontaneously offered to the Princess Victoria Mary, Duchess of York, in the form of a brooch, by the following subscribers.

The Princess was much pleased with the present, and assured the Lord Lieutenant that, as a useful ornament, she should wear it very often.

Donors are : Earl Brownlow, Countess Brownlow, the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, the Marquess of Exeter, Mr. and Mrs. Thorold, SirW.E. Welby-Gregory, Bart., F. A. Lucas, Esq., the Misses Brooks, Edward Smith, Esq., Earl of Ancaster, Sir J. H. Thorold, Bart., Joseph Phillips, Esq., T. S. Pearson Gregory, Esq.,R.A.White, Es"isj.,S. S.Mossop, Esq., C. G. E. Welby, Esq., William Hornsby, Esq., Capt. Thorold, Earl of Lindsey, Lady Thorold, Col. C. J.B. Parker, Mrs. John Welby, N. H. Reeve, Esq., R. H. Johnston, Esq., Foston Parish, Earl of Winchilsea, R. J. H. Parkinson, Esq., Earl and Countess Yarborough, C. C. Sibthorp, Esq., Edmund Tumor, Esq., A. S. Leslie Melville, Esq., A. H. Leslie Melville, Esq., Captain Pretyman, A. Shuttleworth, Esq., V. Cary-Elwes, Esq., Sir H. Bennett, N. C. Cockburn, Esq., E. Bannister, Esq., E. M. Nainby, Esq., Mr. and Mrs. C. Scorer, Rev. Canon Pretyman, L. C. T. D'Eyncourt, Esq., R. Swan, Esq., S. F. Hood. Esq., G. H. Cary-Elwes, Esq., W. Bennett, Esq., W. D. Field, Esq., Colonel Mason, Rev. Thomas Field, C. S. Holgate, Esq., Miss Roebuck, Rev. H. Bolland, S. W. Mappin, Esq., Rev. J. Fothergill, Rev. R. B. Courtenay, J. Billiat, Esq., S. W. W right, Esq., R. F. Ealand, Esq., W. Butler, Esq., G. S. Boulton, Esq., Rev. J. T. Bassett, F. T. Swan, Esq., W. Bullivant, Esq., Rev. S. H. Bingham, Revil. and Mrs. Gooch, Mr. Samuel Farrow, Ingham S«hool, Mr. R. Bates, Mr. J. Marshall, Miss Farrow, Woodthorpe J. Clarke, Esq., Lieut.-Colonel J. Reeve, Hon. Mrs. Reeve, J. Sherard Reeve, Esq., W. R. Emeris, Esq., Clerk of the Peace Holland, Right Hon. Ed. and Mrs. Stanhope, Revd. C. W. Ross, Major J. G. Allott, J. G. Sewell, Esq., Revd. A. E. Low, Mayor of Louth (P. Best, Esq.), Town Clerk of Louth (T. F. Allison, Esq.), Dr. Fawssett, T. C. Garfit, Esq., Alderman Simpson, Revd. C. A. Alington, Revd. Canon Quarrington, George Doughty, Esq. (Mayor of Grimsby), Victoria Countess of xarborough, J. M. Richardson, Esq., H. J. Veal, Esq., Messrs. Grange and Wintringham, Jack Sutcliffe, Esq., Hewitt Brothers, Smith, Ellison and Co., Joseph Chapman, Esq., Robert Cook, Esq., Jos. Smethurst, Esq., W. C. Nainby Luxmore, Esq., J. H. Marshall, Esq., George Marshall, Esq., Thos. Newby, Esq., F. Hagerup, Esq., Messrs. Marshall and Atkinson, C. B. Moody, Esq., Grimsby Ice Co., North Eastern Fishing Co., Edwd. Bannister, Esq., Thomas Charlton, Esq., John Chatwin, Esq., Hull Banking Co., Grimsby, International Fishing Co., Harrison Mudd, Esq., John Fletcher, Esq., Wright, Esq., Mr. David Smith, Mr, David Brocklesby, Messrs. Seddon, Shepherd and Co., Messrs. Joseph Hewson and Co., Grimsby News Co., Limited, William Brown, Esq., Mr. Robert Wood, Mr. Charles Capes, Mr. J. Scott, Robinson, Mr. C. A. Guy, Mr. W. Harrisson, Messrs. Guy and Smith, Messrs. F. F. Lord and F. Dolan. Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education. Lincolnshire Chronicle.

The bandeau and the cluster brooch were bequeathed by Queen Mary to The Queen in 1953.

In 2018 the Duchess of Sussex wore the diamond bandeau as wedding jewel

A 2nd diamond bandeau is known, which Queen Mary probably bought from the Empress of Russia, she wore it with a sapphire cluster brooch and Emerald as center, the ornament of the bandeau are different to this, in form of a star-light.

Thank you to Laura for the details of Grantham Journal, 08 July 18931; Stamford Mercury

Sources:The Times; Lincolnshire Chronicle, Grantham Journal 1.july; Stamford Mercury - Friday 14 July 1893 ;Royal-collection;