The Royal Jewels

The personal jewels belonging to HM Queen Elizabeth far outshine any other personal jewelry collection in the modern world. At auction, the royal jewels could fetch an estimated $600 million. This fascinating documentary traces the history of the Queen's personal jewelry collection set against the backgrounds of hundreds of years of English royal heritage. It reveals a sensuous and profligate side to the sober Queen Victoria. Both she and her daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra, received the finest gems from Indian Maharajahs - the tribute to Empire. Queen Mary's passion for jewelry was unsurpassed; she expressed herself through her mania for collecting. How did she wrest the Cambridge Emeralds from her dead brother's mistress? Did she acquire the jewels belonging to her exiled Russian relatives at a fair price? What jewels did the Duchess of Windsor get away with? Did Princess Diana and Fergie get a fair share? How does the Queen use her jewels? These are just some of the questions the Royal Jewels sets out to answer. This unique program focuses on glittering crowns and sparkling gems. Using some thoroughly researched archive material and well documented information, sequences are supported with contributions from a wide range of royal jewelry historians.