William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, got some royally Canadian bling during their visit to Canada last summer.
A polar bear-themed diamond-encrusted brooch and cufflinks are listed among the most extravagant of the 150 gifts the newly wedded pair received during their official tour of Canada from June 30 to July 8.
The loot, fit for Canada’s future King and Queen, was listed in a document Tuesday from Clarence House, the royal administrative centre and official London residence of Prince Charles.
The brooch and cufflinks were presented during the couple’s stopover in Yellowknife by then-premier Floyd Roland on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories.
While Clarence House lists the items as simply a “brooch” and a “pair of cufflinks,” the diamond pave and platinum jewels are clearly much more lavish.
Kate’s brooch has a total carat weight of 4.5, according to the premier’s office, while the total carat weight of William’s cufflinks is 2.48.
The jewels are reported to have a combined total of 692 white diamonds— 302 for the brooch and 390 for the cufflinks— the Daily Mirror newspaper in the United Kingdom reports.
But taxpayers need not fret over the twinkling trinkets.
The generous gifts were designed and donated by Canadian jewelry retailer Harry Winston, wrote Megan Holsapple, a spokeswoman for the current Northwest Territories premier’s office in an email on Wednesday
“They were not paid for by taxpayers,” she wrote.
The high-profile jeweller, which is known for lending millions of dollars worth of diamonds to Hollywood starlets for red carpet appearances, did not return a request for comment on the cost of the jewels before deadline.
Anne Neumann, president of Harold Weinstein jewelry appraisal laboratory in Toronto, pegged the sparklers’ estimated market value at $25,000 to $30,000 for the brooch, and $20,000 to $25,000 for the cufflinks.
As there are many other factors affecting the value of a jewelry piece, Neumann said the estimate is exactly that.
However, their significance as a gift to the royal newlyweds during the official royal tour, and their first visit to Canada as a married couple, also enhances their market value, she said.
“But how much that would be cannot be determined at this time as the young couple are too new to the royal stage for the effect of their provenance to be known,” wrote Neumann in an email.
Queen’s University teaching fellow and royal historian Carolyn Harris said the polar bear-themed jewels are in line with past official gifts given to members of the Royal Family during visits to Canada, including a fur coat for the Queen on one of her early visits.
“Gifts that are given to members of the Royal Family who visit Canada generally highlight Canadian culture or geography or industry,” explained Harris. “So in the case of these cufflinks and the brooch, they’re highlighting the polar bear, which is one of the most famous Canadian animals.”
The diamonds used for the bejewelled souvenirs are also Canadian. They were extracted from the Diavik mine, about 515 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird gave the Duchess of Cambridge “three pairs of shoes” during their meeting.
The shoes were designed by Toronto “shoe-ru” Ron White, who selected three styles for Baird to gift Kate, “all of which seemed befitting of the Duchess’ style and busy schedule,” said company spokeswoman Deb McCain.
White chose a navy blue high-heeled pump dubbed the “Jessica,” and an onyx black cashmere suede “Katia” pump, which features a pointy toe and a mink fur puff, for the Duchess.
The third pair she received was the “Danielle” riding boot in onyx.
“The Royal Family’s frequent attendance at equestrian events and games, along with the Duchess’ classic style, led him to choose this boot as a gift for her,” said McCain.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Joseph Lavoie said Baird chose to give Kate the Canadian-made shoes as he “is always proud to promote local Canadian talent and entrepreneurship to foreign dignitaries like that of Ron White.”
As the shoes were donated, “there was no cost to Canadian taxpayers for this gift,” Lavoie added.
Other items listed among the 150 separate entries include a “woollen blanket” and “bottle of whiskey” from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Canada’s future king and queen.
The prime minister also handed the couple a framed photograph, two jackets, an unknown number of “souvenir edition Canadian magazines” and a Canadian flag.
The Duke and Duchess also informally accepted a number of presents from ordinary citizens who lined up to meet the couple at their dozens of public appearances include “two children’s drawings,” “dog toy,” “rock sample,” “rag doll,” “cowboy hats” and “newspaper cuttings.”
Other notable gifts for the couple included “two mosquito traps” from Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, “two sports shirts” from Defence Minister Peter MacKay, a soapstone sculpture from Quebec Premier Jean Charest and “caribou antler snow goggles” from someone identified only as “individual.”
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