The Richborough Archives

The Richborough Coronet 

This brooch, familiar to many of Dame Margot's admirers who will have seen her wear it with any evening dress or on any important occasion is named "The Richborough Coronet".  To answer the frequently asked questions about it's origin, the ninth Earl of Richborough (Dame Margot's brother) has kindly agreed to our reproducing the history of this brooch here from the Richborough family's narrative historical archives.

This item of antique jewellery is a Richborough family heirloom and has been in the family for generations - successive dowagers have worn the brooch either as widows or as spinsters, indeed, it is the tradition that it is worn only by the most senior woman of the family.  Dame Margot is the eldest living female relative of the present Earl and as such it is her right to wear the brooch; upon her death the brooch will be passed to the present Countess who will refrain from wearing it until the death of her husband, the ninth Earl.

Though styled a "Coronet" it is of course only representative of such a piece of headwear, such a coronet as depicted by this item has unfortunately never existed.  The brooch was created "...after the ordering of the fifth Earl, for his dowager mother to wear on grand occassions after the passing of the fourth Earl, his father..." and was fashioned by goldsmiths in London circa 1780, it's style is similar to that of the Crown Jewels worn by the Georgian monarchs of the Hanoverian dynasty.

The brooch consists of 152 precious and semi-precious stones; 127 brilliant-cut White Diamonds, 7 baguette-cut Ceylon Sapphires, 7 brilliant-cut Amethysts, 5 reflective glass stones, 4 brilliant-cut Pink Diamonds, and 2 baguette-cut White Diamonds all mounted in White gold. 

The five reflective cut glass stones are believed to be poor replacements for where is originally thought to have existed five Yellow Diamonds.  The lore is that the dowager Countess Marie (for whom the brooch was created) was forced to sell the Yellow Diamonds in order to buy her safe passage from her native France and escape the 1789 French Revolution back to England after visiting her brother, le Vicomte De Fleur who was later captured and beheaded by the Revolutionaries.

The actual brooch itself rests quietly in a vault and is seldom worn by Dame Margot who prefers to wear a replica for safety and peace of mind.  However, she does give it an airing now and again... though she would never admit to "which is which!"

Empire Days

The following transcription is one of the Richborough/Hamilton family's most beloved stories recounted to generations since about another of the grander ladies of the family.

In the days when you couldn't count on a public toilet facility, Marguerite the Dowager Grand Duchess of Freilichstein (Dame Margot's great aunt) was planning a trip to India.  She was registered to stay in a small guesthouse owned by the local schoolmaster.  She was concerned as to whether the guesthouse contained a "WC". In England, a bathroom is commonly called a "WC" that stands for "Water Closet".  The Duchess wrote to the schoolmaster inquiring of the facilities about the "WC". The schoolmaster, not fluent in English, asked the local priest if he knew the meaning of "WC". Together they pondered possible meanings of the letters and concluded that the Duchess must have wanted to know if there was a "Wayside Chapel" near the house . . . a bathroom never entered their minds. So the schoolmaster wrote the following reply:

To:

Marguerite, Dowager Grand Duchess of Freilichstein

Your Grace,

I take great pleasure in informing you that the WC is located 9 miles from the house. It is located in the middle of a grove of pine trees, surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and is open on Sundays and Thursdays. As there are many people expected in the summer months, I suggest you arrive early. There is, however, plenty of standing room. This is an unfortunate situation especially if you are in the habit of going regularly.

It may be of some interest to you that my daughter was married in the WC as it was there that she met her husband. It was a wonderful event. There were 10 people in every seat. It was wonderful to see the expressions on their faces. My wife, sadly, has been ill and unable to go recently. It has been almost a year since she went last, which pains her greatly. You will be pleased to know that many people bring their lunch and make a day of it. Others prefer to wait till the last minute and arrive just in time!

I would recommend your ladyship plan to go on a Thursday as there is an organ accompaniment. The acoustics are excellent and even the most delicate sounds can be heard everywhere. The newest addition is a bell that rings every time a person enters. We are holding a bazaar to provide plush seats for all since many feel it is long needed. I look forward to escorting you there myself and seating you in a place where you can be seen by all.

With deepest regards

The Schoolmaster

Marguerite, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Freilichstein cancelled her trip to India!

©The Hon Sebastian St John Smythe 2002

"Parilitas pro totus" translated from Latin means: "Equality for all" a personal motto of Dame Margot's which summises her attitude towards politics, social philosophy, philanthropism and general outlook on life.