Some Of The British Royals’ Most Precious Jewels Were Sent To Them In A Mysterious Black Trunk
During World War II the royal family received a mysterious black trunk. It was labeled with the initials MHG and was unassuming on the outside… but on the inside there were some stunning jewels. These gems are still around today and members of the royal family sometimes wear them. Let’s take a look at their story and find out who this mysterious “MHG” was.
Rubies and diamonds
The full contents of the box are still to this day unknown to the wider public. We only know about a few of the magnificent jewels that were in there.
But the ones we’ve seen are truly incredible. Take for example the Greville Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace, which Queen Elizabeth II was given as a wedding gift from her parents. She wore it at the State Opening of Parliament in 1983.
Diamond earrings
Or how about the Greville Diamond Peardrop Earrings? These were created just before the advent of World WarTwo by Cartier in 1938. The Queen Mother must have loved them, because she wore them all the time.
These stunning piece of jewelry went to Elizabeth after the Queen Mother passed away, and as it happens you might well have seen pictures of her wearing them since at occasions such as formal banquets.
Princess Eugenie’s emeralds
And here’s another piece from the black trunk collection that you’ll have definitely seen in recent years if you’re a follower of the royal family: the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara.
Princess Eugenie wore this one for her wedding in October 2018. And yes, she looked absolutely stunning in it! This was another piece that had once belonged to the Queen Mother, but it was one she’d never actually worn in public.
Margaret Helen Greville
By now you’ll have noticed that all these pieces are named after someone called “Greville.” So just who was this Greville? Well, Greville was the “G” in the letters MHG.
The full initials stood for Margaret Helen Greville; she was a friend of the royal family before and during World War Two. And she was an interesting, but also deeply problematic, society woman of the era.