For the dinner at Mansion House to recognise the work of the City of London civic institutions and Livery Companies in October 2023, Queen Camilla opted for quite a bit of sparkle, including Elizabeth II’s 21st Birthday necklace.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Mansion House in London for the Pearl Sword Ceremony and a reception and dinner to honour their Coronation
Elizabeth II’s birthday necklace, a exquisite piece of jewellery, has a deep historical significance. On the day of her 21st birthday in 1947, while in Cape Town, Princess Elizabeth delivered one of her most famous speeches via radio to the Commonwealth. It was in this broadcast that she made her lifelong pledge: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
Later that evening, the birthday celebrations concluded with a a Gala Banquet and Ball at Government House in Cape Town. The gala saw Field Marshal Smuts presenting Elizabeth with a gift, remarking, ‘this little gift will remind her of this wonderful visit to South Africa and of this milestone in her life. It will be a symbol of the link she has established with our country and its people. It will remind her of the deep and sincere feelings of sympathy and goodwill which this historic visit has stirred in the hearts of all my people’.

Queen Elizabeth’s 21st birthday necklace and matching bracelet. (Royal Collection Trust)
The necklace, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, featured 21 graduated brilliant diamonds, with additional round and baguette diamonds interspersed between each larger stone. According to Sir Hugh Roberts in The Queen’s Diamonds, the then-Princess Elizabeth responded to the gift with “unaffected exclamations of delight.”
Later, Queen Elizabeth II had the necklace shortened, and the removed sections were repurposed – combined with a six-carat diamond gifted to her by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer just days before her birthday – to create a matching bracelet.
The late Queen wore this sentimental necklace on many significant occasions, including her 1953 Christmas Broadcast, a momentous year as it marked her first Christmas as monarch following her coronation. Decades later, in 2010, she once again adorned the necklace during the State Visit from South Africa.
Now, with Queen Camilla wearing this treasured piece, the legacy of Elizabeth II’s commitment to service and history is carried forward, intertwining past and present in the ongoing story of the British monarchy.