Many pieces within the royal vaults have been passed down for generations, adorning the outfits of numerous royal women throughout history. One such piece is the Cambridge pearl pendant brooch, a remarkable jewel with a varied past.
Despite its name, the brooch is not associated with Catherine, The Princess of Wales, who was created Duchess of Cambridge upon her marriage to Prince William. Instead, its legacy is tied to earlier female Royals who cherished and wore the piece over the centuries.
The brooch features a large, button-shaped pearl set within an intricate diamond frame. There is a row of small stones on the inside (a pave set cusped band), then 14 much larger stones surround this again. Another singular large diamond, attached to an additional baroque pearl drop is suspended below; the pendant is detachable.
It is believed to have originally belonged to Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, the wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (and son of George III) in the early 19th century. Augusta was also the owner of the Cambridge emeralds, now used in the Vladimir tiara.
According to Hugh Roberts in The Queen’s Diamonds, the brooch is of English origin and was likely made by royal jeweller, Garrard.
From Augusta, the brooch was passed down to her younger daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck. However, historical records do not confirm whether Mary Adelaide received the brooch before or after her mother’s death.
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Following the death of the Duchess of Teck in 1897, the brooch was inherited by her only daughter, the future Queen Mary. While acquiring the Cambridge Emerald Parure proved more challenging, Queen Mary readily came into possession of this pearl brooch.
She began wearing it in the 1890s and continued to do so for numerous official events and portraits throughout her reign as Queen and later as Dowager Queen. Notably, Mary wore the brooch for the christening of Prince Charles in 1948.
Upon Queen Mary’s death in 1953, Elizabeth II inherited the Cambridge pearl pendant brooch but it was not until the 1970s that the late Queen began wearing it frequently.
In recent years, the brooch had become a staple of the Elizabeth’s wardrobe, appearing at numerous events, portraits, and even Christmas Speeches. Occasionally, she wore it without the pearl pendant, making it a versatile piece.
One of the notable moments that Elizabeth wore the brooch was for a portrait to mark her 88th birthday. The photograph was taken at Buckingham Palace by renowned photographer David Bailey and commissioned on behalf of the Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, which aimed to highlight Britain as a world-class destination for trade, tourism, investment and education.
In a continuation of the brooch’s journey, the piece was worn by The Princess of Wales, in her and Prince William’s first joint portrait in 2022. Jamie Coreth was commissioned in 2021 by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, and the painting is held by the Cambridge Community Foundation. It shows the couple standing side-by-side while gazing into the distance.
William appears in a black suit with an eggshell shirt and teal tie, while Catherine is shown wearing a metallic emerald green midi-dress and satin green heels. Her outfit is complemented by a number the Cambridge brooch as well as Diana’s Collingwood pearl earrings and three-strand pearl bracelet.
