island queens mission wives
Book Reviews

Book Review: Island Queens and Mission Wives: How Gender and Empire Remade Hawai‘i’s Pacific World by Jennifer Thigpen

*review copy* *contains affiliate links* Island Queens and Mission Wives: How Gender and Empire Remade Hawai’i’s Pacific World is a book that focuses on the relationship between Hawaiian royalty and the mission wives who arrived in Hawaii to bring Christianity. The Hawaiian queens are immensely fascinating, and this book had the opportunity to be so [read more]
afterlife of mary queen of scots steven j reid
Book News

Book News Week 18

*contains affiliate links* Book News Week 18 – 29 April – 5 May 2024 Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty  Hardcover – 30 April 2024 (US) Thorns, Lust and Glory: The betrayal of Anne Boleyn  Kindle Edition – 2 May 2024 (US & UK) Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses: [read more]
cullinan vi and viii brooch
Elizabeth II

The Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch

The Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch consists of a “marquise pendant (Cullinan VI), suspended from an emerald-cut stone (Cullinan VIII), set on a fine radiating platinum web in symmetrically scrolling and foliate millegrain and pavé-set brilliant border.” Embed from Getty Images The Cullinan VI diamond was purchased in 1908 from the diamond cutter Asscher by [read more]
vladimir tiara
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

The Vladimir Tiara

The Vladimir Tiara is described as follows, “The intersecting brilliant-set circles of the frame are hung with 15 large claw-set pendant pearls, which can be replaced with emerald drops.” Embed from Getty Images The tiara was created for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (born Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), probably around the time of her marriage to Grand [read more]
Cullinan brooch
Mary of Teck

The Cullinan III and IV Brooch

The Cullinan III and IV Brooch consists of “a pear-shaped drop and a square-cut brilliant, linked together in fine pierced collet and claw settings.” Embed from Getty Images The brooch is formed of the third and fourth largest stones of the largest diamond ever found. The Cullinan diamond was offered to King Edward VII as [read more]