It’s a jewel with a very romantic name which is perhaps why Queen Elizabeth II chose it for some of the biggest and most important royal weddings of her reign. It’s also huge and so adds plenty of sparkle to any family portrait and it became a Windsor gem thanks to Elizabeth II’s much loved grandmother, Queen Mary.
Queen Mary acquired several pieces that are now a part of the royal collection. While her tiaras are the pieces that grab the most attention, there are several other standouts, including Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Brooch. And that’s the sparkler that Queen Elizabeth made into a royal wedding staple.
When Elizabeth II arrived at Westminster Abbey to see her grandson, Prince William, marry Catherine Middleton in 2011, she dressed for the marriage of a future king and queen. And she chose Queen Mary’s Lovers Knot Brooch for the wedding of the now Prince and Princess of Wales.
The impressive diamond brooch is a large bow with pendant tassels and scalloped edges to mimic ribbon.
Originally made by Garrard in the nineteenth century, Queen Mary purchased the brooch from the jewellery firm in 1932. She can be seen wearing it in a 1934 portrait by Sir Oswald Birley.
A young Queen Elizabeth II inherited the large diamond brooch in 1953 when her grandmother passed away. It became one of her favourite pieces and because it is entirely made of diamonds, it can be worn with any number of pieces in the royal collection.
Queen Elizabeth wore the bow brooch in 1960 when her sister, Princess Margaret, married Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey. She also paired it with several different tiaras for various State Visits, including in 1998 when she hosted Emperor Akihito of Japan and wore Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara.Â
