< Historic Diamonds / Royal Stories
Who Was Dame Margaret Greville? An Unlikely Benefactor of the Royal Jewels
Learn all about the socialite and legendary jewelry collector who left her extraordinary diamond jewels to the Royal Family, as if the vaults were lacking in sumptuous diamonds.
Published: February 1, 2026
Written by: Hannah Militano
As if the Royal Family were ever in need of any more sumptuous diamonds to add to the Crown Jewels, one socialite decided to bequeath her extraordinary jewelry collection to the already overflowing treasure trove.
Dame Margaret Greville left her jewels to her close friend, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, upon her death in 1942. When the Queen Mother passed away in 2002, her jewelry was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II.
Known as the Greville bequest, this dazzling windfall includes sixty or more pieces, including Princess Eugenie’s wedding tiara, the Greville chandelier earrings, and the Boucheron Honeycomb tiara – but the exact number is not quite known.
“We don’t really know the scope of [the collection],” says royal expert Amanda Matta, adding, “which is so tantalizing, especially for royal jewelry. Since that was a private bequest, there could be so much more in that collection that we’ve never gotten to see.”
Meet the Experts
Helen Molesworth is a renowned jewelry historian, gemmologist, and best-selling author. Her 25-year career has spanned the global gem and jewelry industry from auction houses to academic posts. She acted as a jewelry specialist for Sotheby’s and Christie’s, where she researched and managed such sales as the private jewelry collection of HRH The Princess Margaret in 2006. She’s the Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the author of Precious, The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time.
Amanda Matta is TikTok’s #1 royal commentator, known for her deep dives into the royal news cycle as @matta_of_fact. Since 2021, she’s covered everything from the Platinum Jubilee and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to the coronation of King Charles III, bringing historical context to modern monarchy.
According to renowned jewelry historian Helen Molesworth, “It’s probably one of the most visually recognizable collections of private jewelry ever to be in the public eye media.” However, she explains, “The irony is that most people don’t recognize what they’re looking at, even though individual items like the Honeycomb tiara, the Greville necklace, and the chandelier earrings have been worn by generation after generation.”
Pieces from the Greville have all since been established as prominent jewelry staples of the modern monarchy. Sported by the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II, the jewels are still worn by the likes of Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton. “They are such important pieces for women in the royal family to wear,” Molesworth tells Only Natural Diamonds.
More than a century after Dame Margaret Greville commissioned them, her jewels still captivate with their extraordinary craftsmanship and storied journey through the royal lineage. Queen Elizabeth II elevated them, and now, Kate Middleton is reimagining them for a new era, bringing these century-old natural diamonds back into the spotlight. Their legacy feels more alive than ever.
Who Was Dame Margaret Greville?
Born in 1863, Margaret Greville was the working-class daughter of a Scottish servant. She began her rise through the ranks of high society when she discovered her true father was the notable bachelor William McEwan, the millionaire founder of Edinburgh’s Fountain Brewery. McEwan employed Margaret’s mother, Helen, when their affair took place. Years later, the pair married, and Margaret became McEwan’s “step-daughter.”
“She didn’t come from an aristocratic background,” explains Molesworth. “Her upbringing was slightly unconventional.” She inherited his enormous fortune when he died in 1913, making her quite the wealthy catch. Margaret Greville tied the knot with Ronald Greville, the son of the 2nd Baron Greville, with a revered reputation but in lack of funds.
After entering glamorous circles, Molesworth adds, “She became very close to different members of the royal family over her lifetime.” While she never had children, Margaret Greville bequeathed her collection of lavish jewels to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, keeping the assortment together and her legacy alive.
“She made her way up in society, married well, had this wonderful jewel collection, and because she had no children, she bequeathed her collection to the Queen Mother, whom she saw as a daughter.”
The Greville Tiara
One of the most impressive and extravagant pieces Queen Elizabeth II loaned to Camilla during her years as Duchess of Cornwall, the Greville Diamond Tiara has become a standout in her regular rotation. The tiara, also known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, was commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1921, using diamonds from a 1901 tiara, created by the iconic Parisian jeweler.
The tiara is constructed around a geometrical honeycomb pattern, pavé-set with diamonds, and surrounded by a millegrain setting in platinum, thereby increasing the sparkle spectacularly. Round brilliant diamonds placed within the honeycomb sections are also bordered by millegrain.
In 1953, the Queen Mother had Cartier increase the height of this already significant piece by rearranging clusters of brilliants on the top layer, as well as adding four round brilliants from one of Her Majesty’s brooches and crowning the piece with a large marquise at the apex.
The Greville Emerald Tiara
Queen Camilla and King Charles III hosted the Diplomatic Corps reception at Windsor Castle in November, where the Queen wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. One of the most expensive tiaras in the royal family’s collection, the recent appearance made waves. The last time the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was seen was when Princess Eugenie of York wore it on her wedding day in 2018.
Crafted by French jeweler Boucheron in 1919 (though jewelry historian Vincent Meylan suggests it may have been closer to 1921) for Dame Margaret Greville, the tiara features a striking design of brilliant and rose-cut diamonds pavé-set in platinum, accented by nine cabochon emeralds.
Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara for her wedding to longtime love Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel in 2018. Many had expected her to don the York Tiara as her wedding tiara—the same one her mother, Sarah Ferguson, wore on her wedding day—but Eugenie surprised royal watchers with a dramatic and historic choice.
The tiara had not been seen in public for over 50 years until Eugenie wore it for her nuptials, making it a truly memorable “something borrowed.” Neither Queen Elizabeth ever wore the piece publicly, which had led many to believe it was no longer part of the royal collection.
The kokoshnik style, inspired by traditional Russian court headdresses, first gained popularity in the early 19th century. This particular example embodies the sleek elegance of 1920s Art Deco design, blending imperial grandeur with modern sophistication.
The Greville Festoon Necklace
Also part of the same bequest from Lady Greville is the spectacular Greville Festoon Necklace, which the Queen Consort wore for the first time in Uganda, alongside the sumptuous Greville tiara. The diamond necklace was created by Cartier in 1929, originally including two rows of plaques set with pavé-set diamonds around central round brilliants and a back-chain of two simple lines of diamonds fastened with a large brilliant also within a pavé-set plaque.
In 1938 Mrs. Greville commissioned Cartier to add four more plaques and redesign the back clasp. She also commissioned another necklace with three rows of 18 plaques that could be attached to the original necklace to create a fabulous five-row festoon necklace.
Greville Chandelier Earrings
The Greville chandelier earrings feature a myriad of different diamond cuts, thanks to the skilled artisans of the early 20th century. Ms. Greville commissioned the first iteration of the earrings from Cartier in December 1918. In The Queen’s Diamonds, author Sir Hugh Roberts describes the original pair as “fancy-cut brilliant drop earrings.”
About four years later, Greville had the earrings revised by Cartier, adding twelve more diamonds, including six “baton brilliants” to add to the dramatic length. Then, she added ten more stones in February 1929 to create the earrings as we know them today. Now, the earrings are made up of brilliant-cut, half-moon, baguette-cut, trapeze, baton, emerald, and pear-shaped diamond drops, encased in platinum.
The Greville chandelier earrings were given to Queen Elizabeth II when she was still a princess in 1947. Her parents passed them down to her as a wedding gift. “Queen Elizabeth was handed down the jewels from previous generations at different points,” says Matta. “She actually wasn’t able to wear them for a while because she didn’t have pierced ears.”
When she first acquired the earrings, they were relegated to her jewelry box until she got her ears pierced in 1951. After that, “women everywhere rushed out to get their own ears pierced,” explains Matta.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the Greville chandelier earrings on numerous occasions throughout her reign, notably for her first Royal Variety Performance as monarch in 1952, making Kate Middleton’s most recent jewelry moment even more poignant.
Greville Peardrop Earrings
The Greville Peardrop earrings were first purchased by Margaret Greville from Cartier in 1938. Including six diamonds in total, the earrings each feature triangular diamond studs, emerald-cut diamonds in the middle, and massive, dangling pear-shaped diamonds, set in platinum.
The Queen Mother was known to wear the earrings throughout her life after receiving them in 1942. After the Queen Mother passed away, Queen Elizabeth II wore them frequently and kept the legacy going.
Greville Ivy Leaf Brooches
Last year, Queen Camilla pulled out the Greville Cartier Ivy Leaf brooches for a reception at Buckingham Palace – one on each lapel. The duo of diamond brooches set in platinum was created by Cartier and purchased by Margaret Greville. The first brooch was made in the 1920s, while the other was added to her collection in 1937.
Greville Diamond Stomacher
During the 2023 Diplomatic Reception, Queen Camilla wore the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, along with the gobsmacking and rarely-seen Greville Diamond Brooch Stomacher, previously beloved by the Queen Mother.
