Anna Wintour Wears a Statement Necklace with Royal History as She Receives an Honor from King Charles

Dame Anna Wintour had just the thing to wear when accepting an honor from King Charles.

The longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue, 75, was made a Companion of Honour by King Charles in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours list for her services to fashion. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Wintour joined the monarch at Buckingham Palace to be recognized, wearing a statement necklace featuring giant amethysts — which reportedly bears a royal significance of its own.

Wintour arrived in a structured gray blazer and matching skirt with a simple white shirt underneath coupled with her quintessential sunglasses. Around her neck hung the massive jewels, which once belonged to King Charles’ grandmother Queen Mary.

The parure — the set of amethysts that appeared in a tiara, earrings and a necklace — was a gift to the royal from Princess Catherine of Württemberg, The Royal Watcher reported. Queen Mary wore the jewels frequently in portraits and at events.

Following Queen Mary’s death, the collection of amethyst pieces was inherited by a family member — though it’s unclear who. The family member later sold the jewels to the family of Rorik Ravel, who claims he bought them from Princess Margaret in the 1980s.

The Royal Watcher then traced the parure to Sotheby’s Auction in Geneva, Switzerland, where it was sold for £55,357 in May 1993.

Fourteen years later, Wintour was seen wearing the necklace at the V&A Museum in 2007.

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Wintour said after receiving her honor on Tuesday, “It’s wonderful to be back at Buckingham Palace, and I was completely surprised and overwhelmed to be given this great honor,” per The Independent.

The Order of the Companions of Honour has no more than 65 members at a time and recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the arts, science, medicine or government. Among those in the order are Sir Elton John, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Paul McCartney.

Wintour said she and the King shared a chat about her work ethic.

“The last time I was here, [Queen Elizabeth] gave me a medal, and we both agreed that we had been doing our job a very long time,” she added. “And then this morning, His Majesty asked me if this meant I was going to stop working, and I said firmly, ‘No.’ ”