Throughout her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth received thousands of gifts from around the world. However, no other present touched her heart the most like one wedding gift worth an estimated $6 million.
On Nov. 20, 1947, Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip. Their wedding took place four months after Elizabeth announced her engagement.
King George VI gave then-Princess Elizabeth an extravagant wedding gift in honor of her nuptials. It touched her heart like no other due to the fact it was from her beloved father.
The gift was the George VI Sapphires. The suite of jewelry included a Victorian-era necklace and earrings.
“The sapphire and diamond cluster line necklace originally featured 18 sapphires, sat on a gradient, ranging from 8 to 30cts,” the site Crisscut reports. Eventually, Elizabeth refashioned the necklace, shortening it and removing the largest sapphire stone to turn it into a pendant,” the site explains.
“Sometime during the ’60s, she also commissioned a matching bracelet to accompany the set. Also featuring a pair of sapphire earrings that look to be 15ct, the King George VI Victorian Suite is likely to be worth $5M,” the site concluded.
Who inherited this stunning jewelry set after Queen Elizabeth’s death?
According to Crisscut, Camilla Queen Consort has inherited this stunning jewelry set. It was reportedly gifted to her after Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.
Each time Camilla wears this luxurious set of jewels, she honors the late queen. She wore it to King Charles’ first state banquet as monarch, during a diplomatic reception in December 2022 and for a 2023 state dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
But perhaps the most iconic way Camilla is forever tied to the late queen is via her wax statue at Madame Tussauds. Her statue wears a replica of the breathtaking sapphire set.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for nearly 74 years. He died in April 2021. Elizabeth would succeed him in death just over one year later, in September 2022.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s wedding took place 13 years after they met
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth first met in 1934 at a family wedding. He was 13 years old and she was just 8 years old.
The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the world. Elizabeth’s platinum and diamond engagement ring was made with diamonds from a tiara belonging to Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Her wedding band was made of Welsh gold.
Due to rationing measures in place following World War II, Elizabeth had to use clothing ration coupons to pay for her dress. Britons shared their coupons with the royal family to help offset the cost of the gown, but they were sent back to their owners.
The couple were showered with presents to celebrate their union. Thus, Elizabeth and Philip received over 2,500 gifts, which were sent from family, heads-of-state, and well-wishers worldwide.
