Jewels of Mary I of England facts for kids
The jewels of Mary I of England tell us a lot about her life. She was known as Princess Mary between 1542 and 1546. Her lady-in-waiting, Mary Finch, kept a detailed list of all her jewels. This old list is now kept safe at the British Library. Some of the jewels are even listed more than once! We also have two drawings that show a ribbon with the words "MI LADI PRINSIS" (My Lady Princess).
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Mary's Special Jewels
Mary's mother, Catherine of Aragon, died in 1536. Catherine left Mary a special gold necklace. It had a gold cross with a small piece of what was believed to be the True Cross. This was a very important religious item.
Later, a powerful man named Thomas Cromwell took the cross. He was a Protestant and did not believe in relics. He sent it back to Mary after finding it was not very valuable in gold.
Mary also owned a gold letter "M" decorated with three rubies and two diamonds. It had a large pearl hanging from it. She also had a gold letter "H" with a ruby and a hanging pearl.
Jewel Makers and Artists
Mary kept her precious jewels in a special box. A craftsman named William Green made this box in 1542.
John Mabbe, a goldsmith from London, helped Mary by fixing her jewelry. He also made her sets of aglets, which were decorative tips for laces.
The famous artist Hans Holbein the Younger even designed some jewels for Mary. Two of his drawings show a ribbon with the words "MI LADI PRINSIS." A jeweler from Flanders, Cornelis Hayes, might have made Holbein's designs real. Other jewelers like Hans of Antwerp and Rogier Horton also worked for Mary.
In 1554, Mary ordered some jewels from the Tower of London. She had them sent to her goldsmith, Affabel Partridge.
Fancy Clothes with Pearls
Princess Mary had many clothes decorated with pearls. She had 581 pearls sewn onto different parts of her outfits! For example, a lace for her neck had 67 pearls. Other parts of her clothing, called "abillments," had many pearls too. These "abillments" were bands of jewels worn on a cap over the forehead, often with a French hood.
In 1546, her father, Henry VIII of England, gave her more beautiful jewels. These included an "abillment" with 10 diamonds, 9 rubies, and 38 small pearls. He also gave her a cross with diamonds and three hanging pearls. Another gift was a brooch showing the story of Abraham, set with diamonds and a ruby. He also gave her a locket with Solomon's temple on one side.
Brooches and Pendants
Many brooches worn in England at this time showed stories from the Old Testament. For example, a list of jewels from Lady Jane Grey in 1553 included a locket shaped like a book. It showed the story of David.
A visitor from Venice, Giacomo Soranzo, described Queen Mary's clothing. He said she dressed "elegantly and magnificently." She wore gowns with long trains and wide, hanging sleeves in the French style. She also wore a lot of embroidery. Her gowns were made of very valuable gold and silver cloth. She changed her clothes every day! Mary also used many jewels. She wore them on her hood, around her neck, and as decoration for her gowns.
Mary's jewels also included a gold whistle shaped like a mermaid. Its body was white enamel, and its tail was made of mother-of-pearl. She also had bracelets and other jeweled "habiliments."
Mary's Wedding Jewels
When Mary married Philip II of Spain in Winchester Cathedral in 1554, she wore amazing jewels. She had a diamond shaped like a rose on her chest. A huge pearl hung from it. An Italian visitor said this diamond was worth a lot of money, about 60,000 scudi! The pearl was also very valuable, worth about 5,000 scudi. This jewel might be the one seen in her portraits by Hans Eworth and Anthonis Mor.
Mary's wedding gown was also very rich. It was a French gown made of gold fabric with purple satin. It was embroidered with gold and many pearls. After her death, Elizabeth I's tailors carefully removed the small pearls from this gown. These pearls were later sold.
The "P and M" Collar
Mary is sometimes said to have worn a special gold collar at her wedding. It had diamonds, pearls, and the initials "P" and "M" for Philip and Mary. However, her will says Philip gave her this collar as a gift later, at Epiphany.
This collar had nine "P & M" designs. Each design had a large diamond set in gold and a hanging pearl.
After Mary died, Elizabeth I inherited this collar. It was kept in the secret Jewel House at the Tower of London. Later, Anne of Denmark, who was Queen of England, wore it in 1608.
What Happened to Her Jewels?
When Mary was dying, a messenger rode to tell Elizabeth I about her sister's death. He brought a ring with black enamel as a token. This ring was Mary's engagement ring, a gift from Philip.
In her will, Mary left several jewels to Philip II of Spain:
- A large diamond that Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor had sent her.
- A diamond ring that Charles V had given to his wife, Isabella of Portugal.
- The gold collar with nine diamonds (the "P and M" collar) that Philip had given her.
- A ruby set in a gold ring.
Jane Dormer, a former lady-in-waiting to Mary, delivered some jewels to Elizabeth I in 1559. These included a locket with an eagle made of diamonds. It also had a small locket with a picture of Queen Mary inside.
Some of Mary's jeweled headpieces were still in the Secret Jewel House at the Tower of London in 1605. Later, in 1606, Anne of Denmark owned a gold jewel with a square emerald. It had a greyhound on the back, along with a half rose and a pomegranate. These were symbols of Catherine of Aragon, Mary's mother.
Mary's Gifts to Others
Princess Mary gave many jewels from her collection as gifts. These gifts were sometimes noted in her inventory.
She gave Lady Jane Seymour a ruby with a small diamond and three tiny hanging pearls. Lady Jane Grey received a fancy "lace for the neck" made of gold.
Mary also sent New Year's Day gifts to her brother. In 1546, he received a locket from Catherine Parr. It had tiny pictures of Catherine and Henry VIII inside.
Gifts for Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth received a gold pomander (a scented ball) that had a small clock inside. In 1553, Mary gave Elizabeth the brooch showing the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. She also gave her a pair of white coral prayer beads. Mary hoped Elizabeth would wear these jewels at her own coronation. However, the French ambassador said Elizabeth preferred simpler clothes and refused to wear them.
Gifts for Margaret Douglas
Mary also gave gifts to her cousin, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. One gift was a brooch made especially for New Year's Day. When Margaret married in 1544, Mary's gifts included:
- A ruby with a diamond and three smaller hanging pearls.
- A gold brooch with a large sapphire.
- A gold brooch with a ruby and the story of Susannah.
- A gold brooch with the story of David.
A portrait of Margaret Douglas's mother, Margaret Tudor, shows her wearing a medallion on her belt. It has an image and text from the story of Susannah and the Elders.
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