PREVIEW: JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU: 25 NOVEMBER

Luxury, royalty and Hollywood come together in this sale to create a stunning series of highlights, with individual items expected to fetch tens of thousands of pounds.

An exquisite brooch presented by Prince Albert (later King George VI) to the eight bridesmaids who attended his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) in 1923 is expected to fetch £3,000-5,000 after being consigned by an overseas collector.

The frosted rock crystal and diamond brooch which measures 25mm and is known as The York Rose Brooch, was made by Garrard & Co., circa 1923, and consists of a carved rose centred with rose-cut diamond forming the initials ‘EA’ – Elizabeth and Albert. It is mounted in platinum.

The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took place on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey. As the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, Albert (or ‘Bertie’ as he was known to his family and close friends) was not expected to inherit the throne, allowing him a more private life until his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated.

Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis, later the 14th Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne, and his wife Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. She reputedly turned down Bertie’s marriage proposal three times before finally accepting in January 1923. Their union proved to be one of the happiest royal marriages in history. When propelled onto the throne in 1936 after the abdication of Edward VIII, as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth their steadfast service would inspire the nation and Commonwealth through the dark years of the Second World War.

As Frances Noble, Head of Jewellery Department at Noonans explained: “The original recipient of the brooch is unknown, and we are not aware that any of the others have ever come to auction. These York Rose brooches have rarely been seen in public since 1923. In 1990, the Exhibition held at the Guildhall in Windsor, celebrating Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday, included the brooch given to Lady May Abel Smith née Cambridge (1906-1994) and in 2005, the 18th Earl of Strathmore displayed the brooch given to his grandmother Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Bowes-Lyon née Cator (1899-1959) for a BBC programme Britain’s Royal Weddings 1923-2005.”

The Duchess of York’s bridesmaids were mostly chosen from her large group of close friends, rather than from the duke’s royal relations, although some were of royal and aristocratic heritage. They included Lady Mary Cambridge, the Hon Diamond Harding, Lady Mary Thynne, the Hon Elizabeth Elphinstone, Lady May Cambridge, Lady Catherine Hamilton, Miss Betty Cator and the Hon Cecilia Bowes-Lyon.

“The Duke of York's gift to each of the bridesmaids was an exquisite carved rock crystal brooch in the shape of the White Rose of York, alluding to the duke’s title, each centred with diamond set initials EA and surmounted by a coronet,” said Frances Noble. “The bridesmaids proudly wore their brooches at the wedding itself, pinned centrally to the bodices of their ivory chiffon dresses trimmed with Nottingham lace, and a green sash at the waist.”

From the same collection is a 9ct gold circular Royal Presentation medallion with the Elizabeth II Royal cypher that was presented to Miss Peggy Gladys Hoath RVM (1929-2018) by the late Queen Elizabeth II in thanks for her work during Her Majesty’s tour of Canada in 1959. Expected to fetch £600-800, it was created by Cropp & Farr for Cartier, who from the 1920s, were suppliers of jewels to Cartier.

Peggy Hoath first came to the attention of Margaret ‘Bobo’ MacDonald, a nursemaid and personal dresser to Queen Elizabeth, and one of her closest confidantes.

At the time Peggy was a seamstress in the atelier of royal couturier Sir Norman Hartnell and the Queen borrowed Peggy for the duration of the Canadian tour as, being pregnant with Prince Andrew at the time, her outfits were in constant need of subtle adjustments. Peggy proved so valuable to the Queen, that she asked her to stay on.

Peggy spent the remainder of her working life in royal service. She was one of the few surviving staff to have worked with the young Queen Elizabeth, remaining at her side for 35 years. She was awarded the Medal of the Royal Victorian Order in silver (RVM) in the 1985 New Year’s Honours List and a Bar to the Royal Victorian Order in January 1995.

A pair of George VI Royal Presentation silver and enamel cufflinks, the blue enamelled panels with conjoined Royal cypher of George VI and Elizabeth beneath Imperial crown surmount of red enamel are expected to fetch £600-£800. They were a gift from George VI by repute presented to Rear Admiral George Simpson CB CBE (1901-1972). The lot includes a personal invitation given to Rear Admiral Simpson’s wife to attend H M Queen Elizabeth II’s Afternoon Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Friday 27 June 1952.

Hollywood royalty in the form of the late Elizabeth Taylor DBE (1932-2011) is also represented.

She was passionate about jewellery, and her three most famous jewels were all gifts from her husband Richard Burton: the Krupp Diamond (33.19 carats), the Taylor-Burton Diamond (69.42 carats) and the 16th century La Peregrina Pearl.

After her death, much of her jewellery collection was auctioned by Christie’s, New York in 2011 to benefit her AIDS foundation, ETAF. The jewellery sold for the astonishing sum of $156.8 million, setting a record for the most valuable private jewellery sale in history.

This sale includes a pair of cultured pearl and diamond ear pendants by Theo Fennell, 1992, that belonged to the actress. The heart-shaped surmounts are set with brilliant-cut diamonds on a hammered ground with beaded detailing, suspending detachable drops, similarly-set and terminating in baroque-shaped cultured pearl drops, mounted in 18ct gold. The estimate is £3,000-4,000.

Also included is a lady’s platinum and diamond-set rectangular wristwatch by Rothschild, reputedly given to Elizabeth Taylor by her close friend, the global music star Michael Jackson. With mother-of-pearl dial, it is expected to fetch £1,000-1,500.

Leading highlights in the sale also include a diamond fringe necklace, the mesh-link neck chain with polished flowerhead motifs and suspending a knifewire fringe of graduated brilliant-cut diamonds. It is guided at £18,000-26,000.

An early 20th century diamond ring by Jabel has an estimate of £16,000-£20,000.