The Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces were given to the then Princess Elizabeth for her wedding.
The two pearl necklaces are usually worn together to resemble a double-stranded pearl necklace, but they are, in fact, two separate necklaces. The smaller of the two is the Queen Anne Necklace, which consists of 46 pearls, and it used to belong to Queen Anne. The slightly bigger necklace is the Queen Carolina necklace, which consists of 50 pearls, and it used to belong to Queen Caroline.
Princess Elizabeth wore the necklaces for her wedding ceremony, although she had forgotten them as they were still on display with her other wedding presents. Her new private secretary, Jock Colville, was sent to get them, and he only managed to get to her in time because King Haakon VII of Norway loaned him his limousine. Nevertheless, he still had to sprint part of the way because of the crowds.
And thus, Princess Elizabeth became Duchess of Edinburgh with these historic pearls around her neck, and she has worn them occasionally since her wedding.
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