Costuming The Crown
designed by couturier Norman Hart-
nell, with a 15-foot train and yards
of hand-beaded silk. The beading of
jasmine, smilax and rose buds took
350 women seven weeks to fi nish.Stateswoman Pieces
“The jewelry and costuming of The
Crown is so interesting,” says Collison.
“Yes, the crown and tiaras are fasci-
nating, but there are a lot of stories
behind the rest of the jewelry too.”
If you’ve watched the latest sea-
son, you may have noticed brooches
playing a bigger role than tiaras, as
the Queen moves into her 40s and
50s. Along with her brooch made
from “Granny’s chips” of the Cul-
linan, it seems Elizabeth had her
own sort of “Read my Pins” game
going. Hers, however, were a more
polite tribute than the loaded mes-
sages Madeleine Albright’s brooches
carried, such as snakes for Saddam
Hussein and missiles for a Russian
foreign minister.
The Queen likely wouldn’t risk
wearing a serpent to a meet-and-
greet, but she clearly puts thought
into what she does pin on her lapel,
if only to signify a history of good-will between the monarch and for-
eign dignitaries she’s greeting.
“A lot of the Queen’s brooches are
gifts from diff erent commonwealth
countries,” Collison explains. “She
has a lot of jewelry in the shape of
commonwealth fl owers.”CATHLEEN MCCARTHY has covered
jewelry and business for Town & Country, JCK, The
Washington Post, and her own site, TheJewelry-
Loupe.com. She also writes the regular Net Profi ts
column for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and
interweave.com.Behind
the Jewelry
SceneTO COPY THE CROWN
PAGE 64Jewelry worn
in The Crown
reflects the
fashion of the
times but also
the characters.
Queen Elizabeth
is modest and
conservative,
born for the life
of gentlewoman
farmer and
horse breeder.
Her sister
Margaret, on
the other hand,
is spontaneous,
urbane and chic,
the life of the
party.Replicas of St. Edwards Crown, gold cuffs,
and brooch.A replica of the diamond and pearl
Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara. The original
was made for Great Britain’s Queen Mary by
royal jeweler Garrard in 1914, and it was worn
by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and Kate
Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.62 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST
58 McCarthy_CostumingTheCrown_mayjune20.indd 62 3/16/20 3:51 PM