A spectacular unicorn brooch once owned by one of Queen Elizabeth II’s longest-serving ladies-in-waiting is heading to auction in London with an estimate of up to £30,000.
The extraordinary jewel belonged to Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, Dowager Countess of Airlie, who served Queen Elizabeth II as a Lady of the Bedchamber for almost five decades.
But while the brooch’s royal provenance alone makes it a fascinating piece for collectors, its story goes much further back — to Lady Airlie’s childhood friendship with one of the 20th century’s most celebrated jewellery designers.
The Verdura unicorn brooch is due to be offered by Elmwood’s Auctioneers in London on 19 August, with an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000.
Designed by legendary jeweller Fulco di Verdura, the jewel depicts the head of a unicorn emerging from a circular cabochon turquoise crown.
Its fantastical design includes a pear-shaped diamond fringe, a diamond-set horn and a brilliant-cut diamond flower held in the unicorn’s mouth. The brooch contains approximately 1.10 carats of diamonds and bears the Verdura signature.
For Lady Airlie, however, it was far more than simply a beautiful jewel.
A childhood connection to Verdura
Virginia Ogilvy had a remarkable personal connection to Verdura which began when she was a child.
Her mother, Margaret Kahn, and aunt, Maud Kahn, were close friends of the Italian-American jeweller, with their friendship believed to have begun in Venice in the 1920s.
Virginia subsequently became close to Verdura herself and was among the very few people who were permitted to visit his studio and watch him work.
According to Patricia Corbett’s book Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler, Virginia had special permission to visit Verdura on her way home from school.
It gave her a rare opportunity to watch one of the great jewellery designers of the 20th century at work.
Verdura was famously unconventional in his approach to jewellery. Born in Sicily in 1898, he worked alongside Coco Chanel in Paris during the 1920s before establishing his own jewellery house in New York in 1939.
His clients and admirers included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor.
His jewels were renowned for their imaginative use of colour, unusual materials and motifs inspired by the natural and fantastical worlds.
The unicorn became one of his recurring designs, with inspiration reportedly drawn not from traditional heraldry but from folk carvings found on early American carousels.
The brooch being offered in London is a particularly striking example of that imagination.
“This is an exceptional Verdura jewel, but what makes it particularly fascinating is the very personal story behind it,” said Joe Kendrick, Head of Sale at Elmwood’s Auctioneers.
He highlighted Lady Airlie’s childhood connection with Verdura and the fact that she was one of the few people allowed to watch him work.
“The unicorn itself is wonderfully characteristic of Verdura’s imagination,” he added, describing it as “playful, sculptural and fantastical”.
Almost 50 years at Queen Elizabeth II’s side
Lady Airlie’s own connection to the Royal Family was equally remarkable.
Born in London in 1933 into a hugely wealthy American family, Virginia married David Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy, in 1952.
Their wedding at St Margaret’s, Westminster, was attended by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, with around 1,000 guests present.
When her husband inherited the earldom in 1968, she became Countess of Airlie.
Five years later, in 1973, she was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II — becoming the first American to hold the position.
She would remain in the Queen’s service until the monarch’s death in 2022.
During those extraordinary five decades, Lady Airlie accompanied the Queen on major occasions and overseas tours, including the monarch’s 2007 visit to the United States marking the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
She was also present at Windsor Castle when Queen Elizabeth II received Donald and Melania Trump in 2018.
Her long service was formally recognised when she was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1983 before being promoted to Dame Commander in 1995.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, King Charles III retained Lady Airlie to assist with Royal Household duties.
When she died in August 2024 at the age of 91, Buckingham Palace said the King was “deeply saddened” and had greatly appreciated her “immense devotion and dedicated service” to his late mother.
Now, one of the jewels that accompanied Lady Airlie through her remarkable life is being offered to a new owner.
For collectors, the unicorn brooch represents an unusual combination of 20th-century jewellery design, aristocratic provenance and a deeply personal connection to the Royal Family.
And behind its turquoise crown, diamonds and fantastical unicorn sits the story of a little girl who was given the extraordinary privilege of watching one of the world’s great jewellers create his art.
