The Queen and senior members of the royal family stepped out for the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday night. The 93-year-old monarch wore a white embroidered state gown by Angela Kelly with the Vladimir tiara with emerald and diamond drops, but it was her necklace that got everyone talking.
The striking jewels feature a row of square emeralds surrounded by diamond clusters, with emerald drops attached. While the necklace isn't new, according to royal experts, it's believed to be the first time the Queen has worn it in public.
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The Queen debuted the emerald necklace at the reception
There's been much debate from royal experts about whether the Queen is wearing an updated version of the Greville Emerald necklace, once worn frequently by the Queen Mother.
Margaret Greville was a British society hostess, who was close friends with King George VI and his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later the Queen Mother). When Margaret died in 1942, she left her vast collection of jewellery to Elizabeth and various pieces are still worn by the royal family today. The Duchess of Cornwall frequently wears the Greville diamond tiara, while Princess Eugenie wore the stunning Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara for her wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018.
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Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara on her wedding day
For Wednesday's reception, the Queen was also joined by the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore Princess Diana's Lover's Knot diamond and pearl tiara with a navy velvet Alexander McQueen gown. Kate, who regularly borrows jewels from the royal collection, also donned the Nizam of Hyderabad diamond necklace and a pair of chandelier-style earrings.
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