There will be the traditional avalanche of Valentine gifts today.
But few – if any – will match the extraordinary heart-shaped jewels that British and European royals have at their disposal, as these pictures show…
The Queen Mother’s Amethyst Heart necklace
If February marks the martyrdom and death of Valentine in AD269, it is also the month of the amethyst.
And what better amethyst to show off than one once given by a Queen and Empress – in the shape of a heart?
Camilla wore the Queen Mother’s Amethyst Heart necklace to the Skyfall premiere in 2012
The necklace, which is made of amethysts, diamonds, and seed pearls with a large amethyst heart, had been a gift from Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII, to the late Queen Mother to mark her engagement to the future George VI
The necklace, pictured top right, was labeled ‘To my dear future granddaughter’ from Queen Alexandra to Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon. The page is taken from The Sphere newspaper
In January 1923, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon finally accepted the marriage proposal of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and not long afterwards was invited to Sandringham to meet her future family – including her grandmother-in-law Queen Alexandra.
Alexandra, wife of Edward VII, was sufficiently impressed to give the future royal bride an exquisite ‘sautoir’ necklace of amethysts, diamonds, and seed pearls with a large amethyst heart at its centre.
Elizabeth would have worn the necklace hanging low, but this style didn’t last long, sadly.
Today, the necklace tends to be worn wide across the neck and shoulders by Queen Camilla
Cullinan V
My number one royal heart has to be the Cullinan V – the 18.8 carat heart-shape, cut from the largest diamond ever found.
Given to Queen Mary in 1911 by the people of South Africa, it has subsequently been part of the Royal Collection.
The Queen touchingly wore the brooch on Prince Philip’s 99th birthday
The Cullinan V is an 18.8 carat heart shaped diamond, cut from the Cullinan Diamond. The original stone was the largest ever to be mined
The late Queen visited London Fashion Week wearing the brooch
It was made as a brooch, sitting within a diamond scroll and foliate setting, to be worn attached to various other parts of the Cullinan (which has been been split into numerous parts) by Queen Mary at the Delhi Durbar in 1911.
Queen Elizabeth II often wore the elegant brooch, including in the photograph to mark Prince Philip’s 99th birthday in June 2020.
However, it was brought back to the forefront of Royal Jewels last year, when it was transferred to Queen Mary’s Crown that was used to crown Camilla as Queen Consort.
Never has a heart been more regal.
Baden Palmette Tiara
Have you ever seen a more valentine’s day tiara than this one, newly bequeathed to Mary, Queen Consort of Denmark by her mother-in-law, Queen Emeritus Margrethe?
This heart shaped perfect for ‘Valentine’s day’ tiara was made in 1856
Constructed of heart shapes, the tiara was made in 1856 as a wedding present for the future Grand Duchess of Baden, Princess Louise of Prussia.
She left it to her daughter, Queen Victoria of Sweden, who in turn left it to Princess Ingrid who became the Queen of Sweden and mother of Queen Margrethe.
Margrethe, who abdicated in a surprise move last month, was last seen wearing the tiara for the 70th birthday celebration of King Carl of Sweden in 2016.
Princess of Wales’s Diamond Heart Necklace
To celebrate the birth of his first child and heir in June 1982, William – then Prince of Wales – gave his wife Catherine a diamond necklace set with a yellow diamond heart.
It had once belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.
Princess Diana in the heart-shaped necklace at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982
The heart-shaped necklace had been a gift from Prince Charles to Diana on the birth of their first child, Prince William
Diana wore the necklace at a charity concert in Wales in October 1982
Diana wore this on a number of occasions including, notably, for the official portraits of Prince William and for his 1982 christening in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.
She also wore it at the funeral of Princess Grace and at a charity concert in Wales, both that same year.
Luisa Heart Necklace
Kate wore this a fashionable 14k gold chain with a chunky gold heart pendant as she and William visited BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat to mark World Mental Health Day in October 2022.
The engagement came just a month after the death of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate wore this chunky gold necklace with a heart pendant while visiting BBC Radio One’s newsbeat to mark Mental Health Day in 2022
This 14k gold chain with chunky gold heart Luisa necklace was the perfect accessory to Kate’s simple cream top and jacket
They both spoke of their experience and what they had learned from their time as patrons for mental health charities.
The pendant was created by New York designer Laura Lombardi.
Lauren Leaf Pave Diamond Earrings
The Princess of Wales’s is said to own 21 pairs of Kiki McDonough earrings , including these made in heart shaped leaves.
Kate wearing her Lauren Leaf earrings while holding a young Prince George
Kate’s earring s are not strictly speaking a heart – but they are often described as such
The patterns is not strictly a heart – but is more often than not confused as one, or indeed two.
Named the Lauren (as it is inspired by prima ballerina Lauren Cuthbertson) this model of Leaf Pavé diamond earring has been seen suspended from Kate’s ears many times over the past decade
Meghan Markle Signature Sapphire Heart Ring
In 2019 the Duchess of Sussex was still at the heart of the Royal Family.
Her trip to see friend Serena Williams play in the second round of Wimbledon attracted a great deal of attention.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends day four of Wimbledon in July, 2019
Court One, saw Meghan wearing a 0.94 carat sapphire heart ring on her ‘pinky’ finger.
The ring is rendered in a rare Georgian cut-down setting by the brilliant New Zealand born jeweller, Jessica McCormack.
Such settings were originally used to help disguise any irregularities in the shape a diamond, or other gemstone (when the means of cutting them was far less precise than it is today).
McCormack has just opened a new store on Sloane Street in London
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