Queen Elizabeth II [1] chose to dress up her sapphire suite [2] for a very important occasion: her official Canadian portrait, taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson [3]. The Canadian government enlisted Jackson to photograph Her Majesty in her Canadian insignia as Sovereign of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit. A very special set of sapphire jewels [4] was chosen to complete the ensemble: the King George VI Victorian Suite, which was given to Queen Elizabeth as a wedding present by her father, King George VI, in 1947.
Originally, the jewels, which date back to 1850, were without the tiara and bracelet, but the queen added them to the collection in 1963 so they perfectly matched the earring and cluster necklace. Here we are 73 years after she added the pieces to her iconic trove [5], and the diamonds and sapphires are glistening just as brightly. If you're interested in the history of the jewels, we rounded up three more times Queen Elizabeth has been spotted in them.
Scroll through to see Chris Jackson's celebratory snap that he took as soon as he received his personal copy of the portrait in the mail, then follow the queen in these incredible pieces throughout the '90s.
Chris Jackson Shared His Personal Copy of the Portrait He Took of the Queen in the Mail
Here's Queen Elizabeth II Wearing the Sapphire Suite For the First Time in 1990
She wore it on the Canadian royal tour!
Queen Elizabeth Also Took Her Sapphire Suite to France in 1992
Here she is with President François Mitterrand at a banquet on board a yacht.
The Queen Also Wore the Suite in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1997
