Queen Victoria's macabre 'mourning jewellery' up for auction
Amanda
"Mourning jewellery" belonging to Queen Victoria, which were passed down along the British royal family for generations, are going up for auction at Sotheby's London.
It was announced last month that a "glittering" collection of over 400 items belonging to Countess Mountbatten of Burma, born Patricia Mountbatten, are heading for auction in March. The expensive royal collection which is expected to fetch up to £1.5million includes four black macabre brooches which were worn by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, reports People magazine.
The brooches were worn by the former British monarch to honour the death of her third child and second youngest daughter, Princess Alice, who lost her life to diphtheria at the age of 35. One of the brooches is a cross-shaped "hardstone, enamel and diamond pendant" centering on an onyx heart featuring the word "Alice" underneath a coronet on its front.