Mastery of Design: A Snuffbox Commemorating the 1911 Coronation

Snuffbox
1911
Garrard & Co.
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

From the archives of The Royal Collection, we have this important snuffbox of gold, enamel and diamonds by Sebastian Henry Garrard (of Garrard's, as one would guess).  The snuffbox, boasting watercolor on ivory portraits of King George V and Queen Mary, was made in 1911 expressly for the coronation.  

But, it gets better.  The piece was later engraved, on the inside of the gold lid, per Queen Mary's instructions and presented by Her majesty upon the day of the coronation of her son, "Bertie," (better known to us as King George VI) in 1937.  Following the whole "Abdication Kerfuffle" (TM), I'm sure Mary was relieved to have Bertie on the throne and happily presented this handsome present to her Number 2 son.  The 1937 engraving reads:

To 

King George VI. 

in remembrance of his Coronation, 

from his devoted Mother, 

Mary R. 

May 12th 1937.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The hinged, oval, gold and enamel box features a lid inset with glazed oval miniatures of Their Majesties, framed with rose cut diamonds, surmounted by a diamond and enamel crown, and with a diamond-set monogram below.  Queen Mary is depicted in a white gown with Garter, and her favorite pearls.  George V is shown, facing slight left in his uniform, Garter and assorted medals and orders.

Each side of the box is dazzling as the sides are alive with blue enamel with borders of white and green foliage and flower-heads.  The reverse, or underside, shows masterful engine turning applied with a silver and enamel Garter star. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Mastery of Design: Delhi Durbar Tiara, 1911

The Delhi Durbar Tiara
Made for H.M. Queen Mary
Garrard & Co., 1911
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Mary had decided that she and King George V needed different crowns when named Emperor and Empress of India than those they’d worn for their 1911 coronation.  She was told that the expense seemed unnecessary.  Her Majesty, then, went to her friends and asked them nicely to donate the diamonds and gemstones which were needed for these crowns.  She went back to the advisors and told them that the only cost would be the manufacture of the crowns, and, she got her way.

She also got a nice tiara out of the deal.  This tiara was made by Garrard & Co. in 1911 for the December 12 Delhi Durbar.  The tiara was constructed so that it could be hung with the Cambridge Emeralds or with pearls should the Queen desire.  Therefore, the piece is considered part of  the Queen’s parure of emeralds and diamonds which also included a necklace, stomacher, brooch and earrings.

The tiara a designed as a tall circlet of lyres and S-scrolls which are linked by festoons of rose-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds.  In 1912, the tiara was altered so that it could accommodate both of the two Lesser Stars of Africa – Cullinan III and IV.

Queen Mary lent the tiara to Queen Elizabeth in 1946 so that the Queen Mother could wear it during the 1947 South African Tour.  Following Queen Mary’s 1953 death, the Queen Mother kept the Durbar tiara in her own collection until her death in 2002. In 2005, it was lent by Queen Elizabeth II to The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Prince Charles.

Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown

Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Via The Royal Collection Trust and
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image above for larger size.

Made by R.S. Garrard & Co. in 1870 for Queen Victoria, this is the crown most associated with Her Majesty.  Comprised of a silver frame, this pice is set with 1,187 brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds in open-backed collet mounts. 

The band of the crown is formed of a frieze of lozenges and ovals in oval apertures--set between two rows of single diamonds.  This forms the support for  four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, as well as the four half-arches above.  These arches, as is the tradition of such crowns, are surmounted by a monde and a further cross-pattée.

This crown, made several years after the death of Prince Albert, was specifically designed to be worn by Queen Victoria on top of her widow's cap.  Queen Victoria wished for the crown to be light and wearable, as one does.  

The curators of The Royal Collection suggest:

...the crown may have been based on Queen Charlotte's nuptual crown which had been returned to Hanover earlier in the reign. 

One February 9, 1871, Victoria debuted the crown at the opening of Parliament, and thereafter wore it for State occasions and for formal receptions.  She favored the headpiece so much that she's depicted in a variety of portraits from her later reign wearing it.  For less formal occasions, the removal arches were taken off.  

The crown had become so iconic of Queen Victoria, that upon her death, it was placed on her coffin at Osborne House.

Queen Alexandra often wore the crown following Queen Victoria's death, and, then, Queen Mary did for awhile.  After the his coronation, King George VI added it to the regalia at the Tower of London, although, I should note that it has never been used at a coronation ceremony.

Mastery of Design: A Snuffbox Commemorating the 1911 Coronation

Snuffbox
1911
Garrard & Co.
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

As you all know, I peruse the archives of the Royal Collection each day(usually around 2:00 AM) in search of new additions as the vast treasures within are newly photographed and displayed for the public.  

I'm quite thrilled, on this, the (day after the) anniversary of the 1911 coronation, to have found, newly added to the archives of The Royal Collection, this important snuffbox of gold, enamel and diamonds by Sebastian Henry Garrard (of Garrard's, as one would guess).  The snuffbox, boasting watercolor on ivory portraits of King George V and Queen Mary, was made in 1911 expressly for the coronation.  

But, it gets better.  The piece was later engraved, on the inside of the gold lid, per Queen Mary's instructions and presented by Her majesty upon the day of the coronation of her son, "Bertie," (better known to us as King George VI) in 1937.  Following the whole "Abdication Kerfuffle" (TM), I'm sure Mary was relieved to have Bertie on the throne and happily presented this handsome present to her Number 2 son.  The 1937 engraving reads:

To 

King George VI. 

in remembrance of his Coronation, 

from his devoted Mother, 

Mary R. 

May 12th 1937.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The hinged, oval, gold and enamel box features a lid inset with glazed oval miniatures of Their Majesties, framed with rose cut diamonds, surmounted by a diamond and enamel crown, and with a diamond-set monogram below.  Queen Mary is depicted in a white gown with Garter, and her favorite pearls.  George V is shown, facing slight left in his uniform, Garter and assorted medals and orders.

Each side of the box is dazzling as the sides are alive with blue enamel with borders of white and green foliage and flower-heads.  The reverse, or underside, shows masterful engine turning applied with a silver and enamel Garter star. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

So, yay for this!  I was glad to find it!

And, thus, we begin another week.  See you all here tomorrow for some new stuff, the next chapter of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, and a "Treat of the Week."

Mastery of Design: Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother's Crown, 1937

Crown of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Garrard & Co, 1937
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Garrard & Co made this crown in 1937 for the Coronation of King George VI and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother). The frame of the crown is constructed of platinum which is set with over 2,800 diamonds (these are mostly cushion-shaped, however, some are rose-cut and some are brilliants). The crown’s band is made of alternating mounts in the shape of crosses and rectangles. This band is bordered with rows of brilliant-cut diamonds.

At the front of the crown, a large diamond has been mounted. This diamond was given to Queen Victoria by the Sultan of Turkey in 1856. Four fluers-de-lis and four crosses- pattée surmount the bottom band. The central cross was created to hold the remarkable Koh-i-Noor diamond. This monumental gem was set in a detachable mount so that it could be removed after the Coronation for use elsewhere.

The half-arches are detachable as well so that the crown could be worn without them by the Queen upon the State Openings of Parliament. Her Majesty wore the crown without these arches, also, at the Coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. The arches are surmounted by a pavé-set monde and a cross which once held the Lahore Diamond which had been given to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1851. Presently, since the Lahore is in use elsewhere, a rock crystal replica is set into this cross.

The crown is fitted with an ermine band and purple velvet cap. In addition to the three major diamonds, the majority of the stones on this crown were removed from Queen Victoria’s Royal Circlet. It’s notable that the Koh-i-Noor has been set into the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria’s Diamonds, 1858

The Coronation Necklace and Earrings
R. S. Garrard & Co., 1858
Commissioned by Queen Victoria
The Royal Collection

Queen Victoria believed that a monarch should always look the part. Jewelry, she thought (quite correctly) when worn properly was one of the best ways to convey the sense of dignity, grandeur and nobility required of a ruler. The best stone for this was the diamond. Queen Victoria loved diamonds—she enjoyed wearing them. For the Queen, like many of us, diamonds put one in mind of tasteful magnificence. Given Queen Victoria’s diminutive size—she was not even five feet tall—she was quite sensitive about the scale of her jewelry. She desired large stones, but in settings that were appropriate for her stature. Many of the pieces of jewelry that she inherited were remade so that the scale would suit her small frame. Her beloved Prince Albert supervised all of the alterations personally.

By 1853, all of her most exquisite diamond pieces had been remade by Garrards, The Royal Jewelers at the time. In 1856, she was painted by Franz Winterhalter wearing an exceptional suite of diamonds—her favorite. However, in 1857, some minor unpleasantness with the King of Hanover (he felt that the jewels that had belonged to Queen Charlotte should have been rightfully his and not Victoria’s) caused Queen Victoria to have to give up the majority of her diamonds. Not to fear, however. When you’re the Queen, there are always more diamonds to be had. By 1858, Queen Charlotte’s necklace and earrings had been recreated using stones cleverly culled from a variety of sources. Winterhalter painted Victoria again, in 1859, this time wearing her new diamonds.

Winterhalter's 1859 Portrait
British National Portrait Gallery

This necklace is just too magnificent. The earrings aren’t bad either. I’ll just let them speak for themselves. Victoria loved them so dearly, they were the only diamonds she allowed herself to wear during her extended period of mourning. They reminded her of Prince Albert. Of particular note, these diamonds are now known as “Coronation Necklace.” While Victoria didn’t wear them at her coronation, they have been worn at the 1902, 1911, 1937 and 1953 coronations.

Mastery of Design: Delhi Durbar Tiara, 1911

The Delhi Durbar Tiara
Made for H.M. Queen Mary
Garrard & Co., 1911
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Mary had decided that she and King George V needed different crowns when named Emperor and Empress of India than those they’d worn for their 1911 coronation.  She was told that the expense seemed unnecessary.  Her Majesty, then, went to her friends and asked them nicely to donate the diamonds and gemstones which were needed for these crowns.  She went back to the advisors and told them that the only cost would be the manufacture of the crowns, and, she got her way.

She also got a nice tiara out of the deal.  This tiara was made by Garrard & Co. in 1911 for the December 12 Delhi Durbar.  The tiara was constructed so that it could be hung with the Cambridge Emeralds or with pearls should the Queen desire.  Therefore, the piece is considered part of  the Queen’s parure of emeralds and diamonds which also included a necklace, stomacher, brooch and earrings.

The tiara a designed as a tall circlet of lyres and S-scrolls which are linked by festoons of rose-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds.  In 1912, the tiara was altered so that it could accommodate both of the two Lesser Stars of Africa – Cullinan III and IV.

Queen Mary lent the tiara to Queen Elizabeth in 1946 so that the Queen Mother could wear it during the 1947 South African Tour.  Following Queen Mary’s 1953 death, the Queen Mother kept the Durbar tiara in her own collection until her death in 2002. In 2005, it was lent by Queen Elizabeth II to The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Prince Charles.

Mastery of Design: Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother's Crown, 1937

Crown of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Garrard & Co, 1937
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Garrard & Co made this crown in 1937 for the Coronation of King George VI and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother). The frame of the crown is constructed of platinum which is set with over 2,800 diamonds (these are mostly cushion-shaped, however, some are rose-cut and some are brilliants). The crown’s band is made of alternating mounts in the shape of crosses and rectangles. This band is bordered with rows of brilliant-cut diamonds.

At the front of the crown, a large diamond has been mounted. This diamond was given to Queen Victoria by the Sultan of Turkey in 1856. Four fluers-de-lis and four crosses- pattée surmount the bottom band. The central cross was created to hold the remarkable Koh-i-Noor diamond. This monumental gem was set in a detachable mount so that it could be removed after the Coronation for use elsewhere.

The half-arches are detachable as well so that the crown could be worn without them by the Queen upon the State Openings of Parliament. Her Majesty wore the crown without these arches, also, at the Coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. The arches are surmounted by a pavé-set monde and a cross which once held the Lahore Diamond which had been given to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1851. Presently, since the Lahore is in use elsewhere, a rock crystal replica is set into this cross.

The crown is fitted with an ermine band and purple velvet cap. In addition to the three major diamonds, the majority of the stones on this crown were removed from Queen Victoria’s Royal Circlet. It’s notable that the Koh-i-Noor has been set into the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II