Given the enormous amount of jewelry that Queen Elizabeth II inherited, commissioned, and received as gifts throughout her long life, it would be impossible even for the most expert students of the British monarchy to know the full scope of what is kept in the Windsor’s vaults. What we do know is that a large portion of that brilliant treasure comes from a single woman: Lady Margaret Greville. This billionaire socialite, of humble origins, died without children in 1942 and decided to donate her extraordinary collection of jewels to the Queen Mother, her intimate friend.
«I must tell you that Mrs. Greville has left me her jewels, though for now I am keeping it secret as well!» wrote then Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon to her mother-in-law, Queen Mary. «She left them to me with great affection, poor thing, and I am deeply moved. I suppose it will take me a long time to see what it is about, due to the lawyers’ slowness and inheritance taxes, but I know she had some very lovely pieces», the royal added in that letter.
«Beautiful pieces» is a euphemism for the dazzling Greville legacy, which includes more than sixty jewels, among which are the Princess Eugenia’s wedding tiara, the Greville chandelier earrings, and the Boucheron Honeycomb tiara. Queen Camilla herself recently wore the Greville ivory brooch, created by Cartier, during the state visit to the United Kingdom of the Nigerian president.
For decades, these pieces have stood as key elements of modern British royal jewelry. More than a century after Lady Margaret Greville commissioned them, her jewels continue to captivate for their extraordinary craftsmanship and their legendary journey along the royal lineage. Queen Elizabeth II elevated them to fame and now Kate Middleton is reinventing them for a new era. Their legacy seems more alive than ever.
Who was Lady Margaret Greville?
Born in 1863, Margaret Greville was the daughter of a Scottish maid. Her background was as humble as it was scandalous for the era, since she began her ascent into high society when she discovered that her real father was the famous William McEwan, the wealthy founder of the Fountain Brewery in Edinburgh. McEwan had employed Margaret’s mother, Helen, when their secret romance occurred. Years later, the couple married and Margaret became McEwan’s stepdaughter.
She did not come from an aristocratic environment and her education was somewhat unconventional. That did not prevent her from inheriting her enormous fortune when her stepfather died in 1913, which made her a highly sought-after match. Margaret married Ronald Greville, son of the second Baron Greville, who enjoyed a revered reputation but lacked his own capital. With her money and his title, she began to make a name for herself among the British nobility.
Princess Eugenie of York, wearing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara on her wedding day.
The socialite had an especially close relationship with Alice Keppel, the favourite mistress of King Edward VII, who also was the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles. She also formed a close friendship with Queen Mary and felt a special admiration for her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, future consort of King George VI and later Queen Mother. When the couple married in 1923, Greville hosted them at Polesden Lacey, her large country estate in Surrey, to spend their honeymoon there.
Margaret Greville had immaculate taste and a voracious appetite for jewels. She loved Boucheron and Cartier, and acquired gems on her travels around the world. It is said that she owned a necklace that had belonged to Marie Antoinette and another that had belonged to Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. Since the Grevilles never had their own children, all of her collection was bequeathed to the Queen Mother.
The most spectacular jewels of the Greville legacy
Among the collection of jewels that is now part of the Windsor treasuries, standout pieces include the Greville Diamond Tiara. This is one of the most impressive pieces that Queen Elizabeth II lent to Camilla during her years as Duchess of Cornwall. It has now become one of the highlights of her regular jewelry rotation. Also known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, it was commissioned by Margaret Greville to the French house in 1921, using diamonds from a 1901 tiara created by the iconic Parisian jeweler.
Another iconic and priceless jewel is the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. It is one of the most expensive diadems in the British royal family’s collection. This was the one chosen by Princess Eugenie of York on her wedding day in 2018 to Jack Brooksbank. Also crafted by the French jeweler Boucheron in 1919 for Margaret Greville, this piece features a striking design of brilliant-cut diamonds and pink stones pavé-set on platinum, enhanced by nine cabochon emeralds.
Also part of the same Lady Greville legacy is the spectacular Greville Festoon necklace, which Queen Camilla wore for the first time in Uganda, alongside the sumptuous Greville Tiara. And numerous jewels that have become some of Kate Middleton’s favorites, such as the Greville Ruby Necklace she wore during the state visit of Felipe and Letizia in 2017. Or the chandelier earrings Elizabeth II received as wedding gifts.
