Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were born 200 years ago as of 2019. So it only makes sense that their namesake institution, the Victoria and Albert Museum (better known as the V&A), should celebrate the milestone.
The museum reopened its jewelry gallery on April 11 after a refurbishment, and one of Queen Victoria's most precious jewels serves as its centerpiece. The V&A acquired the queen's diamond and sapphire coronet two years ago, and given both its storied history and impeccable jewels, it's no wonder they've chosen to highlight it.
Prince Albert designed the coronet for his wife in 1840, the year the two married. The queen would go on to wear it in her iconic 1942 portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter—an image that was frequently replicated around the world at the time.
While Queen Victoria's headpiece may be the most hyped-up element of the gallery's new display, it's hardly the only celebrity contribution. Beyoncé gifted the museum a Papillon ring by Glenn Spiro, and Freddie Mercury's sister Kashmira Bulsara has offered her collection of Art Deco vanity cases in Mercury's memory. There is even a photo of Jay-Z with Beyoncé wearing the Papillon ring, should the public miss the connection to Queen Bey.
In total, the V&A gallery has a full 80 new additions on display. If it weren't enough of a destination for jewelry obsessives already, the museum has surely made it onto their must-see lists now. Who could pass up a peek at Queen Vee and Queen Bey's collections, united at last?
Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com, where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markle’s staff to Queen Elizabeth’s monochrome fashions; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve.
