Happy Birthday to the Princess of Wales, who turns 44 today! The future Queen has worn a plethora of Royal Heirlooms over the years, which we covered in our series on the Jewels of the Princess of Wales, and today we are featuring the Queen Mother’s Sapphire Fringe Earrings!
Each composed of a large sapphire framed by diamonds, from which diamond fringes are suspended, in a late Art Deco design. The origin of the Earrings is unknown but the stones may have come from a sapphire demi-parure given to the Queen Mother as a wedding gift from Queen Mary in 1923.
These Sapphire and Diamond Earrings appeared on the Queen Mother from the 1950s, being worn for a handful of performances and concerts over the following decades.
The Queen Mother continued to wear her Sapphire Fringe Earrings for some events into the the 1990s, often paired with Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch.
After her death, the Queen Mother’s Sapphire Fringe Earrings were inherited by the late Queen but remained unworn until they appeared on the then Duchess of Cambridge at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2015.
A few years later, the Duchess of Cambridge wore the Sapphire Fringe Earrings with the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara for the American State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2019.
The Queen Mother’s Sapphire Fringe Earrings were notably worn by the Duchess for her first Together At Christmas Community Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in 2021.
The Princess of Wales wore the Queen Mother’s Sapphire Fringe Earrings at the Reception for Foreign Royalty and Heads of State at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
A few days later, the Princess of Wales again wore the Queen Mother’s Sapphire Fringe Earrings as she made a surprise cameo during the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest grand finale. There is no doubt we will continue to see these heirlooms for years to come!
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
King George VI Festoon Necklace
The Queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker
The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
The Greville Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace
Queen Mary’s Art Deco Emerald Choker
Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace
Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Suite
Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings 
Queen’s Silver Jubilee Earrings
Princess Diana’s Sapphire Earrings
The Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch
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