The Royal Collection is full of dazzling jewels that haven’t seen the light of day in decades, and among those include some of the gifts that Queen Elizabeth received during her 1979 Gulf states tour. The 18-day trip included stops in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, and during the historic tour, she was showered with priceless gemstones. However, the late Queen once told royal biographer Gyles Brandreth that she actually didn’t know what happened to some of the jewels.
In his bestselling book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth—who knew the late Queen for decades—shares plenty of personal stories about the monarch, including one conversation they had about visiting the Middle East.
After telling Queen Elizabeth that he’d visited Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai, she told Brandreth, “I envy you,” although they shared a laugh about the birthday gift he’d received from the ruler. Brandreth had been given “a small book of love poetry” written by the Sheikh, which had been “translated into truly awful English by the retired British brigadier who worked as his ADC” (aide de camp, or personal assistant).
In turn, the late Queen told the author about some of the “quite strange” gifts she’d received over the years, including “antelopes to zebra, and what she described as an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of gems when she visited the Gulf states in 1979.”
Queen Elizabeth continued that she’d received “millions of pounds worth of jewelry and gold and silver,” adding, “I’m not sure what happened to it. It’s probably locked up in a basement at the Foreign Office.”
However, she knew the whereabouts of at least a few of the pieces, including the stunning sapphire and diamond earrings, necklace and bracelet that make the Dubai Sapphire Suite. According to the Royal Watcher blog, the late Queen had a bracelet made from the original earrings and ring. After having the Asprey necklace shortened, she used extra drops to create a new pair of earrings.
While it's been some time since someone has worn the dazzling, looped necklace—Queen Elizabeth was last seen in it in 2005—Princess Kate wore the sapphire earrings from the suite during a 2021 trip to Edinburgh.
Another gift that remained in royal use was a six-strand pearl necklace with diamond accents and a matching pair of pearl cluster earrings. The set was given to the late Queen by the Emir of Qatar during her 1979 tour, and although it wasn't frequently worn, she brought the sumptuous pearls out for the 2010 Qatari state visit.
As for the rest of her gifts, maybe someone should check the Foreign Office.
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