A rare unicorn brooch by renowned jewellery designer Fulco di Verdura, and once owned by Queen Elizabeth II’s Lady in Waiting, the Dowager Countess of Airlie, will be sold at Elmwood’s. Get all the details below.
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A sparkling unicorn brooch once owned by Queen Elizabeth II’s longest-serving Lady in Waiting will be auctioned later this month in London, estimated at £20,000 to £30,000.
The jewel belonged to Virginia Ogilvy, Dowager Countess of Airlie, who served HM Queen Elizabeth II as a Lady of the Bedchamger for almost 50 years, from 1973 until the Queen’s death in 2022, and accompanied the monarch on many royal tours and major occasions.
She was also the first American-born Lady of the Bedchamber and received a DBE for her services to the Royal Household in 1995.
Born Virginia Fortune Ryan in 1933, she was the granddaughter of the German-American investment banker and Gilded Age philanthropist Otto Khan, who was a prominent member of New York society and renowned patron of the arts. As his descendant, Virginia lived a life of extraordinary wealth and glamour.
She spent her childhood between New York city and the family home in Newport, Rhode Island, and was educated at Brearley School in Manhattan (the distinguished Alma Mater of the likes of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and Caroline Kennedy).
Every year, Virginia’s mother brought her to London, which is where at the age of 16 she met David Ogilvy at a dance at the Savoy Hotel. They were engaged three years later and married at St. Margaret’s in Westminster in October 1952. The ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
When David Ogilvy became the 13th Earl of Airlie in 1968, Virginia became the Countess of Airlie, and was part of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s social circle. She was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth in 1973, becoming the first American to hold the position, and remained one of the monarch’s most senior ladies-in-waiting until the Queen’s death in 2022.
According to auction house Elmwood’s, the unicorn brooch was “a firm favourite” of Virginia’s. The Dowager Countess was beyond simply being a client of the legendary jeweller Duke Fulco di Verdura. Her mother, Margaret Kahn, and aunt, Maud Kahn, were both friends with the designer, and Virginia herself became one of the very few people allowed to visit his studio and watch him work.
One of the most celebrated jewellery designers of the 20th century, Verdura crafted unconventional, statement-making pieces for members of European Royalty and American society alike, and worked closely with Coco Chanel in Paris during the 1920s.
The unicorn was a recurring motif throughout much of Verdura’s work, and Virginia’s brooch features the magical animal’s head emerging from a circular cabochon turquoise crown. The piece is also adorned with a diamond fringe and diamond-set horn, and the beast holds a brilliant-cut diamond flower in its mouth.
“This is an exceptional Verdura jewel, but what makes it particularly fascinating is the very personal story behind it. Virginia Ogilvy was not simply the owner of a Verdura piece, she had a genuine connection with Fulco di Verdura that stretched back to her childhood. The fact that Virginia was one of the very few people permitted to visit Verdura’s studio and watch him work, gives this jewel an extraordinary personal link,” says Joe Kendrick, Head of Sale at Elmwood’s Auctioneers.
“The unicorn itself is wonderfully characteristic of Verdura’s imagination. It is playful, sculptural and fantastical, yet executed with the sophistication and craftsmanship for which he was renowned,” he adds. “We are delighted to be bringing it to auction and we believe it will attract considerable interest from collectors of Verdura, important jewellery and pieces with significant royal and aristocratic provenance.”
The brooch will go on sale at Elmwood’s on August 19th 2026, with an estimate of between £20,000 – £30,000.
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