Jody Clark created a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II especially for our current and most significant series; The 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Tribute Gold Sovereign Range. If you are not already familiar with Jody Clark, he is the designer of the Fifth (and final) portrait of Her Late Majesty that appears on Britain’s current coinage.
This portrait is significant as it will only ever be used on this series of tribute sovereigns. But what makes this portrait stand out from all the others? Here, we will be looking at the key features of this remarkable portrait.
The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
The most prominent feature that catches your eye first is The Late Queen’s tiara. This tiara was chosen for the design as it was the one she wore on her wedding day to Philip Mountbatten in 1947. Known as the ‘Queen Mary Fringe Tiara’, this was given to Princess Elizabeth (as she was then known) by her mother as her ‘something borrowed’, having originally belonged to Queen Mary (Princess Elizabeth’s grandmother) who had it commissioned by royal jeweller, Garrard, in 1919.
This tiara consists of rows of diamond spikes, set in both gold and silver, in a fringe pattern which could also be worn as a necklace. The diamonds used were actually part of a necklace that Queen Victoria gave to Queen Mary as a wedding gift in 1893. During the morning of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding, the tiara snapped while it was being secured to her veil. Luckily, the royal jeweller was on standby in case anything like this happened, and they were able to fix and return the tiara back to the princess before the wedding started.
After the wedding, the tiara was returned to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who kept it until her death in 2002, in which it was then inherited by Queen Elizabeth II. The second time that the tiara was worn for a wedding day was in 1973, when Princess Anne married Mark Phillips. Again, it was the Queen Mother who loaned the tiara to her granddaughter. Occasionally, Queen Elizabeth II wore the fringe tiara at white-tie events and for portraits, particularly in the Diamond Jubilee portrait for New Zealand.
The Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces
What also makes this new portrait so significant is that it features another piece of jewellery that Queen Elizabeth II wore on her wedding day; The Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces. As one of her wedding gifts, these necklaces were given to her by her parents; King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Ahead of the wedding day, these necklaces, along with other jewellery presents, were displayed at St. James’ Palace.
Generally, these necklaces are worn together to resemble a double-stranded necklace. However, they are in fact two individual pieces. The smaller necklace, containing 46 pearls, is known as the ‘Queen Anne Necklace’, and originally belonged to the last Stuart monarch Queen Anne. The slightly longer necklace, consisting of 50 pearls, belonged to King George II’s wife Queen Caroline, and is thus known as the ‘Queen Caroline Necklace’.
As with the fringe tiara, there was another mishap on Princess Elizabeth’s wedding day. The princess planned to wear the pearl necklaces. However, it was only when she left for the ceremony that her staff noticed that they were still on display. Her private secretary, Jock Colville, volunteered to go back and fetch the pearls. Although the traffic was atrocious, Jock was able to retrieve the necklaces in time, thanks to King Haakon VII of Norway, (Princess Elizabeth’s great-uncle) loaning his limousine. Since her wedding, The Queen has worn the pearls occasionally, notably at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.
The Scarab Brooch
The final key feature on this portrait is the ‘Scarab’ brooch, which was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II by her husband in 1966. Designed by Andrew Grima, this is a beautiful yellow gold, ruby and diamond brooch, which is no doubt sentimental to the late Queen and has been worn on special occasions over the years; particular for her and Prince Philip’s official platinum wedding anniversary portrait in 2017.
The late Queen was first spotted wearing this brooch in 1966 at Bournemouth Town Hall. Other occasions where she chose to wear the brooch include the Golden Jubilee tour in Falmouth in 2002, three times in 2007 for a tour of the Cancer Research Institute at Cambridge University, a dedication ceremony for the National Armed Forces Memorial in Lichfield, and also to mark her 50th anniversary of her first televised Christmas message. She also wore this piece in 2008 during a state visit to Slovenia.
Most recently, the Queen wore the ‘Scarab’ brooch during a special memorial service for Prince Philip, who sadly passed away in April 2021; a moving tribute to her beloved late husband.
You can purchase this incredible sovereign range; a special tribute to the life of service and devotion of Queen Elizabeth II, featuring this beautifully unique portrait HERE.
