The Princess Royal celebrates her 75th Birthday this week! The only daughter of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, and one of the most hardworking members of the family, Princess Anne has amassed quite a large jewellery collection, which includes this Diamond Festoon Necklace!
To mark her 18th Birthday in 1968, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh gifted their only daughter ‘an antique diamond festoon necklace with ribbons and bows, and pendant drops,’ that was accompanied by a pair of matching diamond pendant earrings.
In the first few years after she received it, Princess Anne often paired the Diamond Festoon with Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara and the Cartier Halo Tiara for several Gala occasions.
In 1973, Princess Anne received her Diamond Festoon Tiara from the World Wide Shipping Group when she christened one of their ships, and it became a lovely ‘married’ parure with the Festoon Necklace, first worn for a series of spectacular portraits taken by Norman Parkinson of her and Mark Phillips at Windsor Castle, released in the weeks leading up to their Wedding in November 1973, and also on the cover of their Wedding Service.
Princess Anne notably wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara and a Diamond Bow Brooch she received as a Wedding Gift from her brother, for a Banquet during the Swedish State Visit to Britain in 1975, and for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Gala at Covent Garden in 1977 as well as the Oman State Visit to Britain, the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1982 and during the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 1986.
Princess Anne also often wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Diamond Bow Brooch for numerous Black Tie Gala Dinners, notably on a visit to Paris in 1980, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Dinner at Windsor Castle in 2002, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa’s Silver Anniversary in 2006, and a series of Official Portraits.
The Diamond Festoon Necklace and Tiara were also worn for the Polish State Visit to Britain in 1991, the Brunei State Visit to Britain in 1992, and for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s Silver Wedding Anniversary Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 1993.
Princess Anne also wore the Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara for the Jordanian State Visit to Britain in 2001 and during the French State Visit to Britain in 2008, as well as for the Guildhall Banquet held during the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 2017 and the Queen’s Commonwealth Dinner at Buckingham Palace held the following year.
More recently, Princess Anne has worn her Diamond Festoon Necklace with the Festoon Tiara and Diamond Bow Brooch for the South Korean State Visit to Britain in 2023 and the French State Banquet in 2025, as well as the Portrait released to mark her 75th Birthday. There is no doubt the Necklace will be worn for years to come!
The Royal Family shared a new Official Portrait of the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence ahead of her 75th Birthday, which was taken by Getty Images Photographer Chris Jackson ahead of the State Banquet held by the British Royal Family for French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle last month.
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