The family story behind the Queen’s favourite royal hand-me-down
telegraph.co.ukthe Ritz in Paris to the maison's headquarters across Place Vendôme. That collection took ideas from the most monumental jewels - the Maharaja himself was a towering 6ft 5in and could carry off a necklace consisting of 13 rows of pearls and two rows of gigantic diamonds - and made them wearable for even the most waif-like modern ingénue.This year's histoire de style collection is based on a less flamboyant, but equally gorgeously storied royal hand-me-down.
Boucheron's immaculate archives show that a pair of art-deco aquamarine and diamond brooches were purchased on 31 July 1937 from the London store by the young Princess Elizabeth's uncle Prince George, the Duke of Kent, before being gifted to her by her beloved father on her 18th birthday in April 1944, two years after the Duke died in a military air crash in 1942.
It is not known who the Duke originally bought the clips for, however they were just two of nearly a dozen trinkets he bought from Boucheron that day, including ruby ear clips, amethyst brooches and a gold powder compact set with sapphires.
The Duke was renowned for his generosity and extravagance, frequently snapping up jewellery and objets from antique dealers to give to friends and hosts.Boucheron has long featured in the Royal family's collections.
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