DUBAI: On Sunday, Buckingham Palace released a final portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 on Sept. 8 — and the photograph is a royal reminder of a Qatari gift the queen is said to have treasured.
In the photograph, which was shot by Ranald Mackechnie, the queen wore a powder blue dress adorned with an aquamarine brooch, which was gifted to her by her father, King George VI, for her 18th birthday.
She also wore her go-to three-strand pearl necklace, which was gifted to her by her grandfather, King George V, during his Silver Jubilee in 1935.
However, it was such a well-used piece that the queen had a replica made before the Emir of Qatar gifted her a third three-strand pearl necklace in 1953. The only difference among the three was that the Qatari version sported a diamond clasp, according to “The Queen’s Jewels” by Leslie Field.
While it is not likely she wore the Qatari version for the most recent official portrait, it was rumored that, over the years, she rotated the pearl necklaces freely so she would not risk wearing out the prized original.
The queen’s jewelry collection contains more than 300 items, including 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 14 watches and five pendants.