The Queen's peculiar name for her £50m diamond brooch and who owns it now
28.09.2022 - 21:11
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The Queen nicknamed her diamond broach worth £50 million 'Granny's Chips'.
Although it evokes images of our beloved nannies frying potatoes, it was a far grander meaning for Her Majesty. Worlds away from the deep fat fryer, it's the sweet nickname that the late Queen Elizabeth II gave one of her most prized possessions that was gifted to her from her grandmother.
The late monarch's precious jewels hold huge historic weight as well as staggering value, having been passed down from generation to generation of kings and queens. Much like many of her other beloved pieces, Her Majesty was gifted the diamonds by her grandmother, Queen Mary, and only wore the brooch a handful of times throughout her 70-year reign.
The dazzling accessory is made up of two enormous diamonds, the Cullinan III and the Cullinan IV, which, when worn together form a brooch, known fondly by the late Queen as 'Granny's Chips', the Mirror reports.
Jewellers have estimated that the two diamonds boast a worth of more than £50 million, making the late Queen's heirloom the most valuable brooch in the world.
Outside of their staggering worth, the precious jewels have a fascinating history, as scientists estimate that the diamonds were formed 250-400 miles below the earth's surface over 1 billion years ago, meaning they pre-date dinosaurs and, in fact, any life on our planet.
The hefty jewels the Queen owned were cut from an even larger diamond, known as the Cullinan, a one-of-a-kind gem which boasted a total weight of 3106 carats (a whopping 621.35 grams).
Meanwhile, the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV, which comprise the late monarch's brooch, weigh 94.4 and 63.6 carats, respectively.
Gifted to King Edward VII as a badge of loyalty from the South African