The Bushes look wonderful ... Laura is especially gorgeous in her original Oscar de la Renta (no 4 others like it in the same room .. LOL.)
First time I've ever seen a look like this on the Queen .. LOL. Could she have a little bit of the imp herself?
I believe this is the tiara she wore tonight .. it's called the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland," and was a gift from Queen Mary. I believe there's an optional base of pearls, which it looks like she wore tonight:
The 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara was given to the future Queen Mary of England as a wedding present in 1893. The diamond tiara was purchased from Garrard, the London jeweller, by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1947, Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, as a wedding present.
The tiara was described by Leslie Field as "a diamond festoon-and-scroll design surmounted by nine large oriental pearls on diamond spikes and set on a bandeau base of alternate round and lozenge collets between two plain bands of diamonds". Queen Elizabeth II usually wears the tiara without the base or pearls.
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Another article states the base of pearls were later changed to diamonds ............. sigh .... I'll take a stroll with either.
"Fortunately, another of my favorites – Queen Mary’s “Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara” (seen at right) – is still worn today. Not surprisingly, the stunning Garrard tiara was also one of Princess May’s favorite wedding gifts.
Queen Mary wearing "The Girls"
Described by Leslie Field as “a diamond festoon-and-scroll design surmounted by nine large oriental pearls on diamond spikes and set on a bandeau base of alternate round and lozenge collets between two plain bands of diamonds” the tiara has been worn frequently by the present Queen, although the pearls are replaced with diamonds – a change made by Queen Mary before 1920."
These are the stupendous Greville chandelier earrings, which she didn't wear tonight ... be still my heart ... gulp.
These earrings have every known cut of diamond. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had inherited them from a good friend, the Hon. Mrs. Ronnie Greville in 1942. The Queen then gave them to her daughter, the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 as a wedding present. The princess could not wear them until she had her ears pierced, and when she did so, women everywhere flocked to their doctors and the jewellers to have their ears pierced as well!
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This could be the breathtaking necklace she wore:
King George VI Festoon Necklace - Given to Princess Elizabeth in 1947 as a wedding gift from her parents.
King George VI, the present Queen's father, had inherited 239 loose diamonds, and decided to have a necklace made. Out of the 239, 105 were used to create this lovely 3 row festoon necklace with triangle motifs on either side.
~~~~ Just pondering that .... had inherited 239 (LARGE) loose diamonds. Yep ... different galaxies ... ;)
What a lovely day of tradition and pageantry .. we need more of these "civilized" days.