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More British Royal Tiaras
     Royal Tiaras of the Ladies of the United Kingdom featuring tiaras worn by the children and grandchildren of HM Queen Victoria Back to Tiaras of the Tudor Ladies Work of GOLDENAGED.ER |
 The Russian Kokoshnik  Queen Mary of Teck, Queen Consort of Great Britain (above)  Originally given to Queen Alexandra on her Silver Wedding Anniversary in 1888. SEE BELOW FOR FULL DESCRIPTION  Queen Alexandra and her Russian Kokoshnik  Queen Alexandra, Queen Louise, consort of Denmark (mother of Queen Alexandra), and Alexandra's daughter, Louise, the Duchess of Fife. Alexandra's Russian Kokoshnik Tiara  The Russian Kokoshnik Tiara The tiara was presented to Princess Alexandra on her Silver Wedding Anniversary in 1888 by Lady Salisbury on behalf of 365 peeresses of the United Kingdom. Alexandra had requested that the tiara be in the fashionable design of a Russian girl's headdress, a kokoshnik. She knew the design well from a similar tiara belonging to her sister Marie Feodorovna, the Empress of Russia. The tiara was made by Garrard Jewellers and supervised by Lady Salisbury. It is made up of 61 platinum bars and encrusted with 488 diamonds, the largest of which being 3.25 carats each. Princess Alexandra wrote to her aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. "The presents are quite magnificent. The ladies of society gave a lovely diamond spiked tiara".  One of the interesting characteristics of Kokoshnik or fringe tiaras is that each piece is attached only to the base, so it is free to move unless fastened into a frame. That is why they are often worn as necklaces or swag corsages as well. The tiara in question would not need to be altered from the version Alexandra wore to the version we see now, if the central jewel is indeed a hairpin.  Hairpins were common in the 1870s and 1880s, so this seems viable enough. In order for the tiara to appear "tighter" as it did, for example, when HM wore it recently in Canada, it only need be fastened into a more restrictive frame. The tiara has been a royal favorite ever since.  | The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara  The above picture is the 1913 Version of the Tiara in which the original pearl spikes are removed. The circlet of the Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara is made up of a lower semi-circular band, set with a row of round brilliant-cut diamonds. Nineteen inverted arches arise from the lower band, also set with round brilliant cut diamonds. Where two adjacent arches meet a pillar-like structure is formed that rises up and ends in a large round brilliant-cut diamond, forming a diamond spike. There are nineteen diamond spikes of this nature, and the size of these diamonds decrease gradually from the center towards both ends. A combination of lovers knots and scroll motifs is placed at the upper end of each inverted arch. The center of each lovers knot is occupied by a large round brilliant-cut diamond, from which arises two large drop-shaped pearls, one suspended in the space inside the inverted arch, and the other rising above the surface of the tiara as a spike. There are nineteen arches and nineteen drop-shaped pearls inside the arches, and nineteen drop-shaped pearls rising as spikes, making a total of 38 drop-shaped pearls.  The largest drop-shaped pearl is exactly in the central arch of the tiara, with nine drop-shaped pearls gradually decreasing in size occupying the nine arches on either side. The pearl spikes that rise up above the surface of the tiara also follow a similar trend in size and arrangement. Thus the Lovers Knot Tiara is perfectly symmetrical about its median line. The tiara is essentially made of repeated units of the same motif, consisting of the inverted arch, with the lovers knot and the scrolls and the two pearls, the pendant and the spike situated inside the arch.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II wearing the tiara above.  Queen Mary wearing the 1913 version of the Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara, with the pearl spikes removed. 4 of the pearls that were removed are used as pendants on the 4-strand pearl necklace she is wearing.  Above is the design of the original tiara with pearl spikes. Each pearl was lettered; the top and hanging ones were lettered separately to ensure they were put together correctly. Queen Mary's tiara is similar to the tiara of her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse. It wasn't a unique design to begin with; several others exist that are quite similar. The piece passed from Princess Augusta to her daughter (also named Augusta), who became Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  With the Pearl spikes (above)  *After the divorce of Princess Diana of Wales and Prince Charles the tiara was given back to the Queen.  |  The Fringe Tiara of Queen Mary  Queen Mary This tiara (which can also be worn as a necklace) was made for Queen Mary in 1919. It is not, as has sometimes been claimed, made with diamonds that had belonged to George III but re-uses diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. [Source: The Royal Collection © 2008, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II]  In August 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth later loaned it to her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth II as "something borrowed" for her wedding in 1947.  As The Princess Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace the tiara snapped. Luckily the court jeweller was standing by in case of emergency.  The jeweller was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Queen Elizabeth reassured her daughter that it would be fixed in time, and it was. If looked at closely you can see where the tiara had to be fixed.  The Queen Mother later also loaned it to her granddaughter The Princess Anne for her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.  The Princess Anne, Princess Royal c. 1973  A recent photo of Her Majesty wearing her wedding tiara for a state visit to Trinidad and Tobago, Nov 2009. |
 Queen Mary's Diamond Loop Tiara Queen Mary's "Loop Tiara" was created when she and the future George V were elevated to the titles of "Prince and Princess of Wales" upon the ascension of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. It really is an interesting piece of workmanship, some experts refer to it as "egg shaped". The tiara was formed of oval loops with flowers and leaves. Total weight of the 675 diamonds is 102 3/4 carats.  It was commissioned from Boucheron for Queen Mary when she became the Princess of Wales in 1902.  There was speculation that the tiara was broken up to make the Delhi Durbar tiara.  |  The Strawberry Leaf Ruby Diamond CoronetA diamond tiara of strawberry leaves that was once set with rubies, a favorite jewel of Queen Victoria. The Queen owned many tiaras, some of which are now altered, such as this item, which she had worn at Princess Louise wedding in 1871.Since her husband Prince Albert’s death, the jewels and jewelry which he had arranged for her were talismanic for her.  Along with the tiara there was a matching ruby and diamond necklace and brooch matching the coronet pattern tiara consisting of 14 lozenge-shaped clusters & 13 strawberry leaves with ruby and diamond band - part of a suite with necklace, brooch and earrings.  The suite was given to Queen Victora's daughter, Princess Beatrice, on her marriage 23 July 1885.  Princess Beatrice then loaned it to her daughter, above, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenburg (Queen consort of Spain). The tiara was passed to Princess Beatrice's eldest son, Prince Alexander of Battenberg. His wife, Lady Irene Denison was the last to be seen wearing the tiara in a painting that was commissioned by her.  It was she who took it to Cartier in 1933 to have the rubies removed. Its present whereabouts are unknown. | Queen Mary's "other" Fringe tiara This tiara (which can also be worn as a necklace) is humpier in the middle and shorter on the sides then the Fringe tiara above, while longer round the back of her head compared to the Queen Mum. It's almost like she is wearing a necklace on her head with no frame to support it. There have been many discussions about these photographs and whether it's the Queen Mary fringe or not. She could have altered the tiara which Mary was known to do with jewels.  The fringe tiara/necklace was very popular between the reigns of Queen Victoria and the Queen Mum. Victoria herself gave quite a few tiaras/necklaces as wedding presents to her children and her daughter-in-laws ie Princess Margaret Louise of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught.  |
 The Nizam of Hyderabad Parure The gift of the Nizam of Hyderabad to the Queen of England as a coronation gift included a diamond tiara and set consisting of necklace made of roses and old-cut diamond, the diadem was used several years ago for a tiara and the other does not exist in this form.  According to Leslie Feld's The Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II, 1992 the new form is now what is known as the Burma ruby tiara which includes rubies and diamonds as the main focus. The Burma ruby tiara was apparently made with pieces from this tiara which was made by the court jeweler for the Queen, by Garrard in 1973. The tiara has beautiful roses, set over and over from precious diamonds. The Queen has more than 300 pieces in her private gem collection; the jewels of her late mother and the incredible treasures of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary which include many beautiful pieces which can be seen in their photographs. Her collection also includes pieces from the late Queen Victoria and relatives from the different European houses which the Royal family married into -- some of them were bequeathed to Her Majesty through inheritance.  Made by Cartier and later broken up to be used in new setting, in the Burmese Ruby Rose Tiara, made by Court jeweller Garrard.  The roses of the original tiara were supposedly taken to be made into Rose Brooches for The Queen. This is not for certain though.  |  The Gloucester Palmette Was owned by Queen Mary. The diamond tiara is ornamented with a graduated frieze of styled honeysuckle.  The central ornament is made to be separable; as seen below. It was completed before or during February 1914.  The tiara was a Royal Wedding present to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alice Christabel and her husband.  The Parure was then passed on to the current Duchess of Gloucester  Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester wears the tiara with two different central stones. Pink topaz (above) and an emerald (below). The tiara in both styles has matching necklaces.  |  Duchess of Teck Tiara  Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck; the mother of Queen Consort, Mary. Princess Mary was the granddaughter of King George III of Great Britain and thus cousin to Queen Victoria.  Queen Mary inherited her mother's jewelry The Duchess of Teck, like the neo classical ears of wheat tiara. This tiara is set with diamonds in tiers holding aloft the sheaves of wheat made in gold and silver.  The Teck Circlet is a necklace made to be worn along with the Teck diamond tiara. In both pictures of Mary Adelaide, above, she is wearing the necklace. The necklace and tiara were passed to the Queen Mother. It is not quite sure whether The Queen Mother loaned or gave the necklace to her daughter, HRH Princess Margaret. If she gave it to her it would have been passed to Margaret's son. Margaret's collection of jewels and tiaras were sold at Christie's in 2006. The Teck necklace was not part of the auction so it is thought that the necklace went back to the current Queen as it was a family heirloom.  The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon wears the Teck Tiara (above)  The Teck necklace could also be worn as a tiara which on occassion the Queen Mother did. |
 Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara The Brazil parure is one of the most modern jewels in the collection. In 1953, the President and people of Brazil presented Elizabeth II with the coronation gift of a necklace and matching pendant earrings of aquamarines and diamonds.  Queen Elizabeth ordered the royal jeweller Garrard to complete the parure with a tiara. This wonderful creation has an aquamarine as a focal point which exceeds in size and beauty all other stones of this set.  Originally the tiara consisted of a bandeau with 3 upright aquamarines. Later it was augmented to its present form. When first made in 1957, the tiara consisted of the three upright rectangular stones (detachable for use as brooches), mounted on a simple platinum band. The large central stone was originally the pendant of the necklace given to The Queen by the President and People of Brazil in 1953 as a Coronation present.  In 1971 the tiara was redesigned and adapted to take four scroll ornaments from an aquamarine and diamond head jewel given to The Queen by the Governor of São Paulo in 1968, seen below. The central stone of the first tiara was subsequently returned to the necklace. Source: The Royal Collection  | Greek Key Tiara The tiara belonged to Princess Alice of Battenburg (mother of the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh). Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Alice of Battenberg was born in the Tapestry Room at Windsor Castle in Berkshire in the presence of her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria at the queen's invitation. She was the eldest child of Prince Louis of Battenberg and his wife Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Her mother was the eldest daughter of Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, the second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  This tiara was wedding gift to the then Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) from her mother-in-law, Princess Alice.  The meander tiara is in the classical Greek 'key pattern' featuring a large brilliant cut diamond in the centre surrounded by a diamond wreath. The tiara also incorporates a central wreath of leaves and scrolls on either side. The Queen has never worn it in public and it was given to Princess Anne around 1972. Princess Anne has worn the tiara in public, notably during her engagement to Mark Phillips.  The tiara was lent to Anne's daughter, Zara, above, on the occasion of her wedding on 30 July 2011. | Sapphire Suite Tiara In 1963, the Queen had a tiara and bracelet made to match the King George VI Victorian Sapphire Suite she was given as a wedding present. The George VI Victorian Suite was originally a present by George VI of the United Kingdom to his daughter Princess Elizabeth in 1947.  The sapphire tiara was made with a sapphire collar of Louise of Belgium, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha bought by the QUEEN in 1963.  In 1907 there was a scandal at the Belgian Royal Court, and that's why the family has so few historic jewels. Louise, daughter of King Leopold II, who left her husband, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, had so many debts that her creditors wanted to take possession of her share of her mother's inheritance. It was about the jewels Queen Marie-Henriëtte left her in 1902. Neither her husband nor her father wanted to pay her debts, and that's why the jewels were put up for auction in Brussels. It was a case the press wrote about for months. The Belgian people were against their King, an unfaithful husband, who neglected his wife, Queen Marie-Henriette, for years! But a bigger scandal for the Belgian people was his attitude towards his daughters. He disinherited two of them. Stéphanie, widow of Rudolph, son of the emperor of Austria, married for the second time without his permission. |
 Grand Duchess Marie Feodorovna of Russia's Diamond and Sapphire Bandeau The tiara was sold by Princess Nicholas of Greece (the former Grand Duchess Helena Vladimirovna) in 1921 to Queen Mary while the Greek royal family was living in exile in Paris. The Duchess had inherited many jewels from her mother and sold a number of pieces over the years to raise cash for the family. Queen Mary loaned the tiara to Princess Margaret on many occasions.  |  Queen Mary's Amethyst Tiara  The tiara was bought along with a collection of Amethyst Jewels at an auction. The collection was later sold after it was refused by Elizabeth for the Royal Collection.  | Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau This diamond bandeau had lozenge-shaped motifs and was originally surmounted by 13 large oval oriental pearls set on spikes. By 1946, however, Queen Mary had removed the pearls. In this picture she substituted the pearls for emeralds.  The tiara is currently in the possession of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Pictured above: Katherine, Duchess of Kent. |
 The Mystery Amethyst Tiara of Queen Alexandra  Alexandra, Princess of Denmark (Queen of Great Britain) "The Scotsman 21 June 1946" the following pre-auction report: The Tiara that came from a Tsar "The important diamond and amethyst tiara was composed of seven single oval amethysts graduating from the centre to lozm flowers, supported by twin leaves and single diamonds within a graduated oval diamond frame, each intersected by diamond bars, with single diamond tops, and supported by twin diamond semi-circles, with single line diamond base. The beautiful diamond and amethyst tiara,and the sapphire and diamond collar, were both gifts to her from Tsar Alexander III, and bequeathed from her to the Duchess of Fife, mother of Lady Southesk, from whom the late owner inherited them. The diamond and amethyst necklace was specially designed to the order of Queen Alexandra."  The picture above is Queen Alexandra's granddaughter Princess Maud of Fife, sister of the Duchess and daughter of Princess Royal, Louise. Maud is thought to have worn the tiara along with the necklace before it was sold in 1946. The report from the auction in The Scotsman 27 June 1946: a diamond and amethyst tiara, also the gift of the Czar to the late Queen and bequeathed to the Duchess, sold for £1750. |  Rundell Tiara of Queen Alexandra  Above, Queen Alexandra is wearing her Rundell diamond tiara. On the occasion of her wedding, Princess Alexandra was given the tiara by her groom, Edward the Prince of Wales. Princess Alexandra, who came from Denmark, lacked jewels, so when she married in 1863, her fiance gave her a monumental parure of diamonds, a diamond tiara/coronet with matching necklace, a brooch and earrings with diamonds and pearls. The Princess wore the tiara on her wedding day. The tiara's whereabouts are not known. There has been three different versions of how Alexandra wore this tiara. The first, above, is the original setting. The third version: A "lighter version of the tiara" |  The Teck Turquoise Tiara It was originally made for Princess Mary Adelaide, mother of Queen Mary. For the full collection CLICK HERE It was then passed down to Queen Mary (Mary of Teck)  The picture above shows the original tiara before Queen Mary altered it.  Queen Mary then passed the suite along with the tiara to The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, her son Prince Henry and daughter-in-law, Lady Alice (later Princess Alice) as a wedding present. The parure which includes a necklace and earrings is still in the possession of the Gloucester's. The current Duchess wears the suite as seen below.  HRH Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester |
 STRATHMORE ROSE TIARA  The Strathmore Rose Tiara was a wedding gift to the Queen Mum from her father, the Earl of Strathmore. The Queen Mum was born Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck.  It’s a delicate tiara, worn by the Queen Mum as a bandeau low across her forehead (a stylish way to wear a tiara in the ‘20s and ‘30s); it can also be worn in a more traditional way on the top of the head.  |  GRAND DUCHESS VLADIMIR TIARA MODIFIED VERSION BY QUEEN MARY Queen Mary, who was renowned for her collection of royal jewels, and took pride in superbly bejeweling herself for formal occasions had an intimate knowledge of jewelry and their designing, and decided that the "Vladimir Tiara" needed modification.  Her intention was to make provision for the pearl drops to be interchanged with emerald drops, as and when the need arose. Accordingly she got the court jewelers Garrard & Co. to cut and polish fifteen of her remaining Cambridge emeralds as drop shaped emeralds, and to make provision for their replacement on the tiara whenever it was needed, after removing the pearl drops. As anticipated the replacement of the pearls with the emerald drops further enhanced the beauty of the tiara, which became a favorite tiara for Queen Mary, particularly when she was wearing the matching emerald suite, the Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure. Thus the incorporation of the exceptional quality Cambridge emeralds into the "Vladimir Tiara" made it a complementary piece to the Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure.  |  QUEEN MAUD'S VIFTE TIARA  A fan-shaped tiara of diamonds set in gold and silver, was the 18th birthday gift from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom to her granddaughter, Princess Maud of Wales, the future Queen Maud in 1887. Princess Maud was the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.  Queen Sonja now wears the tiara.  At the pre-wedding gala before her wedding, the future Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the tiara as a necklace. |
 Cambridge Sapphire Tiara Originally this tiara was of a diamond prong design with sapphires at the top. Now it is a grouping of sapphire and diamond flowers set on a velvet band. It was first given to the Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, Duchess of Cambridge who married Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge; son of King George III of the United Kingdom. Her granddaughter, Queen Mary (above) inherited it.  Queen Mary then gave it as a wedding gift to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark in 1934.  The set now belongs to the current Duchess of Kent  | Greek-Key Tiara Princess Beatrice is pictured at the Coronation of King George V, 1911, with her Greek key pattern tiara, surmounted by the Sunray Diadem  that came to her from her mother Queen Victoria,  which was made for Victoria in c. 1866  |  The County of Surrey Tiara  The tiara was given as one of the many gifts presented to Mary for her wedding. The tiara was a gift from the people of The County of Surrey.  The tiara can also be converted into a necklace.  |
| Queen Mary's diamond bandeau  The diamond bandeau, like the one featured further up the page, was originally worn by Queen Mary with pearl spikes.  When she was eighteen Princess Margaret borrowed a tiara from her grandmother Queen Mary. This diamond bandeau had lozenge-shaped motifs and was originally surmounted by 13 large oval oriental pearls set on spikes. By 1946, however, Queen Mary had also removed the pearls on this bandeau leaving it plain. In September 1948, the Princess wore it on one of her first offical engagements when she represented her father, King George VI, at the Inauguration of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in Amsterdam. | Ladies of England tiara of Queen Mary Another wedding gift from the Ladies of England.  The tiara can also be worn as a necklace (above) and as a decorative piece on her gown (below).  | Wedding tiara of Queen Mary  Queen Mary received a fringe necklace from Queen Victoria upon her wedding to the then Duke of York, Prince George (later King George V). Both the Surrey Fringe (above) and the piece from Queen Victoria are nearly identical, which I suppose isn't that surprising given how common fringe designs were back then. I've highlighted the necklace and tiara on the sketch of wedding presents below: The above wedding photo is from Queen Mary's wedding day, where a fringe appears to be peeking out from behind the flowers perched on her head. Queen Victoria noted in her diary that day that Mary had worn her present at the ceremony. |
 The Poltimore Tiara  The Poltimore Tiara was originally created by Garrards in 1870 for Lady Poltimore, the wife of the 2nd Baron Poltimore.  The Poltimore tiara Princess Margaret wore on her wedding day was purchased prior to her wedding, and was seen wearing the tiara in the form of the necklace prior to her wedding and continued to wear the piece in its various forms on many state occasions after her wedding day.  The children of the late Princess, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, sold this and other items at an auction at Christie's in 2006 to pay the inheritance tax due on her estate. The tiara fetched $1.7 million, far more than its $360,000 pre-sale estimate.  |  The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara Originally worn by the Queen Mother, Lady Elizabeth. The tiara was purchased by the Duke of York (King George VI) for the Duchess of York (the Queen Mother) in 1936. It is a rolling cascade of scrolls that converge in a central ornament surmounted by a brilliant diamond.  The tiara was most recently worn at the wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen loaned the tiara to Miss Middleton for the day.  Princess Margaret also borrowed the Scroll Diamond Tiara until given the Art Deco Fan Tiara by The Queen Mother. The tiara was given to Princess Elizabeth (later Queen) on her 18th birthday. The Queen never wore the tiara.  Princess Anne borrowed the Scroll Diamond Tiara from The Queen until she was given her grandmother's Princess Alice's greek key meander tiara in 1972. |  Persian Turquoise Tiara  The antique parure of unknown provenance was a wedding gift from George V to the Queen Mother when she married the Duke of York in 1923. It was acquired at some point by Queen Mary, who evidently never wore it.  The Persian Turquoise Tiara was part of a parure given to Margaret by the Queen Mother on her 21st birthday. In addition to the tiara, it consisted of a necklace of graduated pendant drops, matching pendant earrings, several hair pieces and a brooch. An alteration of the tiara was also made as can be seen by looking at both pictures.  The present whereabouts are unknown. It is thought that perhaps the Queen may have it as it was once property of her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.  |
 Princess Mary, Princess Royal Diamond Fringe Tiara Diamond fringe tiara, composed of fifty-one graduated diamond spikes each intersected by a smaller graduated diamond collet spike, mounted on a graduated cushion-cut diamond collet single-line base. She received this fringe tiara as a wedding gift from Lord and Lady Inchcape. The tiara is detachable from its frame for use as a necklace. This jewel was sold, along with much of the princess's collection, after her death. It sold for $19 600 at the 1966 Christie's auction. Later it was in the possession of the Dukes of Westminster. English, c. 1890  The Lascelles family still retain, however, the Sapphire and Diamond Coronet that had belonged to Queen Victoria. (SEE RIGHT)  |  Queen Victoria's Diamond and Sapphire Tiara Queen Victoria's tiara was designed by Prince Albert as a gift in 1842 and made at a cost of £415. It is "a small flexible tiara in the Gothic taste with kite- and cushion-shaped sapphires and diamonds. The sapphires are set in gold and the diamonds in silver." The tiara is also depicted in the portrait by Henry Richard Graves in 1874.  Above, an early painting of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and North Ireland wearing part of her sapphire parure. She always wore the same tiara but in different ways. The tiara, along with a coronet and brooch were designed for Victoria by her husband Prince Albert which she wore as he had arranged for her. | The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood Princess Mary received the tiara from her father King George V as part of the sapphire parure as a wedding present. Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary didn't use the sapphire coronet. But, it was worn by the Princess Royal on numerous public occasions and after her death it disappeared from the public eye.  When Geoffrey Munn was assembling the tiaras which appeared at the loan exhibition in aid of The Samaritans at Wartski in London in 1997, he wrote to the Countess of Harewood to inquire as to whether they had any tiaras which had been the property of the late Princess Royal. Her reply was that there was only one and it was visible in the Winterhalter. The Samaritan exhibition was its first public exhibition in many years. It was also a highlight of the tiara exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2002. Sources: Munn, Geoffrey. Tiaras A History of Splendour. Wartski. One Hundred Tiaras: An Evolution of Style 1800 - 1990.  The current Countess of Harewood has worn the tiara, as well as Andrea wife of Mark, 4th son of the Earl of Harewood in August 1992, at the occasion of her wedding. |
 Princess Mary here is dressed for Court wearing the jewels her father gave her along with the Queen Victoria cluster necklace with pendant, Queen Mary's sapphire brooch in the centre of her diamond tiara and the Prince of Wales' bracelet.  | The Princess Royal's Sapphires  King George V gave his daughter a truly magnificent parure of sapphires and diamonds as his wedding gift. It consisted of Queen Victoria's diamond and sapphire tiara (description above), her diamond and sapphire cluster necklace with Prince Albert's 1845 brooch as a detachable oval pendant and a bracelet of sapphire and diamond clusters. Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles wore this parure at her first dinner party and dance where she and her husband entered her parents as the honoured guests at Chesterfield House. King George wrote in his diary "Dear Mary looked charming and wore my sapphires." |  Honey Suckle Tiara The tiara was in the possession of H.M. Queen Mary (1867-1953), wife of H.M. King George V (1865-1936) and was a present to her daughter, H.R.H. The Princess Royal, Countess Harewood, (1897-1965) and thence by descent. The tiara was made for Princess Mary, the only daughter of Queen Mary. Composed of five graduated diamond-set honeysuckle panels, circa 1865 - with five brooch fittings, could be worn on a frame with diamonds as seen in the picture above. Sadly, the tiara was eventually sold at auction for $31,817 on 16 November 1999 at Geneva. |
 Spiked Pearl Tiara of Queen Maud  Princess Maud of Wales, Queen consort of Norway Youngest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Queen Alexandra.  This pearl and diamond tiara was given to Queen Maud as a wedding present from her parents, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.  The front part of the tiara can be removed and the rest can be worn in a lower version. The original version was stolen from the British jeweler Garrard's in 1993. Garrard's made a new one with pearls end diamonds who looked like the ones from the original tiara. So today Queen Sonja of Norway wears a copy. Queen Sonja lent this tiara to Princess Märtha Louise for her wedding with Ari Behn. Märtha wore the smallest version.  The Crown Princess of Norway, nee Mette-Marit, below, was also lent the tiara for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010.  | The Duchess of Fife's Massin Diamond Tiara The diamond tiara is mounted in gold and set in silver. The pendant pear-shaped diamonds are articulated and move at the slightest touch. This jewel looks exactly alike to the tiara that Oscar Massin displayed at the Exposition Universelle of 1878.  Some of the stones appear to be a different shape but every element of the design is the same. For these reasons, it is tempting to attribute the splendid piece to the jeweller who was famous in his own time for the lightness of his settings.  Above: HRH Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, (1867-1931), Princess Louise (Victoria Alexandra Dagmar) of Wales, wearing her wedding gift. It was the gift of her husband’s parents to his bride. They were married at Buckingham Palace in 1887.  The Fife Tiara, worn here by Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife, later Princess Arthur of Connaught. (ABOVE) She was the daughter of Princess Louise of Wales and the Duke of Fife. The picture shows her robed for the 1937 Coronation of George VI.  Above is Caroline Bunting, Countess of Southesk wife of David Charles Carnegie, Earl of Southesk; The Earl is the great-grandson of Louise, Princess Royal Duchess of Fife. Caroline was lent the tiara to wear on her wedding day - 16 June 1987. The Earl's sister Lady Alexandra Carnegie wore the tiara most recently for her wedding on 29 May 2001 to Mark Etherington. |  The Ivegh Tiara Originally it belonged to Queen Mary.  Queen Mary wears the Tiara. (above) It was a wedding gift from Lord and Lady Iveagh. A diamond tiara formed by a band of leafage design and scrolls and surmounted with a graduation of round and drop shaped diamond collets. Queen Mary then gave it to the Duchess of Gloucester as part of the her wedding presents.  Princess Alice Christabel (above)  Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (above and below)  A diamond tiara formed by a band of leafage design and scrolls and surmounted with a graduation of round and drop shaped diamond collets.  The Lady Rose Windsor Daughter of HRH Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester. She wore this Tiara on her wedding day, 19 July 2008 at Queen's Chapel, St. James's Palace in London. |
 Princess Maud's Diamond Tiara  This tiara with diamond clusters was a wedding present to Queen Maud, consort of Norway. Queen Maud was the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark. Maud was born HRH Princess Maud of Wales, Princess of the United Kingdom. The tiara is currently worn by Princess Ragnhild. The diamond prongs on the tiara were originally interchangable with turquoises, and Queen Maud often wore the tiara in this version before she inherited the other turquoise tiara. In this painting, Maud appears to be wearing aquamarines on the top of the tiara, but it's actually turquoises. The turquoise prongs are now owned by Princess Astrid, who wears them as a necklace, and they have not been used for the tiara after Maud's death.  Hopefully this tiara will later go back to the royal family and not Ragnhild's children, so maybe Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Maud Angelica or Leah Isadora will wear it. | Diamond Flower Spray Tiara of the Princess Royal, Louise The tiara is composed of a diamond flower spray and forget-me-not brooches, the centre a daisy diamond brooch, flanked on each side by graduated diamonds. The sprays and brooches were wedding gifts to Princess Louise, from: - Mr Farquhar (Lord Fife’s best man) gave: “a beautiful diamond spray (divisible into three brooches, in a design of forget-me-nots and leaves the blossoms being of the very largest size to which the flower ever grows)” And various members of the Sassoon family (from Sir Albert Sassoon, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sassoon and Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Sassoon) gave: exquisite diamond spray of forget-me-nots and leaves.  In both pictures, Louise is also wearing her fringe tiara as a necklace (see right). | Duchess of Fife Fringe Tiara  The fringe tiara was a popular style and many Princess' had tiaras made in this style. Princess Louise was no exception to this as she had a flair for style much like her mother, Queen Alexandra. The Prince and Princess of Wales (The future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), the bride’s parents gave several wedding gifts on the event of Princess Louise, Princess Royal's marriage to Sir Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife. The most splendid was a diamond fringe tiara, pictured above, convertible to a necklace “…of elegant design of alternating and graduating rays, varying from nearly two inches long in the centre to half an inch at the extreme ends”. It was “not dissimilar to that which the Princess of Wales herself wears upon State occasions”. According to Snowman, the tiara was supplied by Hancock’s. Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife wearing the fringe tiara as a necklace.  Below is her daughter Princess Alexandra wearing the fringe tiara in a photo.  |
 The Hesse Diamond Tiara  Princess Alice of Great Britain, The Grand Duchess of Hesse. Daughter of Queen Victoria, wearing the Hessen family tiara. The tiara was left for her son Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse. He married firstly, his first cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of the United Kingdom (who became the Grand Duchess of Russia upon her second marriage). Princess Victoria Melita was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (son of Queen Victoria).  The Grand Duke married secondly Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (below). Both wives are pictured here wearing the Hessen Tiara. Not much is known as to it's whereabouts.  |  Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara The origin of the name "Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond". Queen Victoria, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Empress of India, whose long period of reign of 63 years and 7 months that extended from June 1837 to January 1901 was the longest in the history of the British Monarchy. The tiara is self explanatory, as the celebrated tiara was once the valued possession of the Queen.  In keeping with her status as the monarch of the largest and most powerful empire in the world, Queen Victoria had a fabulous collection of jewelry of all varieties such as tiaras, necklaces, chokers, stomachers, brooches, bracelets, earrings, rings etc. set with the most expensive of jewels such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls. The "Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara" was one of the most exquisitely crafted tiaras in her collection, and also one of her favorite pieces of jewelry, designed by her own husband, the Prince Consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in the Gothic style.  Caroline Dewar, Former Duchess of Fife at the 1960 opening of Parliament. The present whereabouts of the Queen Victoria Emerald and Diamond Tiara are not known but it is believed that the celebrated tiara is now in the possession of one of the descendants of Queen Victoria. It appears that the "Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara" like the "Queen Victoria's Diamond and Sapphire Tiara" never entered the British Crown Jewels, and being Queen Victoria's personal property was bequeathed to one of her nine children or their descendants. "Queen Victoria's Diamond and Sapphire Tiara" is in the possession of the Earl and Countess of Harewood. |  DUCHESS OF ARGYLL TIARA It’s said that this tiara was a wedding gift of the Queen to Princess Louise and that as the Dowager Duchess of Argyll, she left it to her husband’s family. However, the lists of Royal wedding gifts to Princess Louise do not include a diamond tiara and Margaret, Duchess of Argyll’s memoirs indicates that Princess Louise left all her jewellery to the Duke of Kent upon her death. It is a delicate diamond tiara with a gold frame and the diamonds appear to be set in silver. Queen Victoria gave it to her fourth daughter Princess Louise when she married the 9th Duke of Argyll. The tiara has been passed down through the Argyll family.  Jodie Kidd wore the tiara on her wedding day. The bride's paternal grandmother was the Hon Janet Gladys Aitken, daughter of the 1st Baron Beaverbrook, and former wife of Ian Douglas Campbell (later 11th Duke of Argyll), the Hon William Drogo Sturges Montagu, scion of the Earls of Sandwich & Major Thomas Edward Dealtry Kidd, MBE. Jodie and Jemma were descended from the Beaverbrooks. The heiress Margaret nee Whigham was Ian Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll's 3rd wife. Her daughter, Frances Sweeny, married the Duke of Rutland. "My grandmother Bumby left it to me when she passed away in 1988. I think she wore it to her wedding--or one of them, she married quite a few times! when my grandmother married the 11th Duke in 1927, it was passed on to her. I feel honoured to be wearing it.” - Jodie Kidd. Source: Hello Magazine |
| Pearl and Diamond tiara of the Duchess of Connaught  The pearl and diamond tiara the Duchess is wearing in the picture above is composed of 12 bouton and 13 pear-shaped pearls with diamonds and has a chain to form a necklace.  Queen Victoria left the Duchess the pearl and diamond tiara given to her by Aga Khan which was mentioned in the inventory of the Queen's jewellery made by Garrards in 1896. The Duchess' daughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught can be seen wearing the tiara in later photographs; whether or not she received the tiara is not for certain. |  Pearl Swirl tiara of Kent  The tiara worn by Princess Alexandra of Kent is a pearl & diamond tiara of 15 linked diamond circles with a pearl in the centre of each was a gift from her grandmother to her mother, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, upon her marriage to the Duke of Kent. It can be worn as a tiara or necklace.  The Grand Duchess Vladimir, it is believed, gave this tiara to Princess Nicholas of Greece(Grand Duchess Elena) as a wedding gift. (see Munn Tiaras plates 286-287 pages 316-317) |  Duchess of Kent Tiara probably English, circa 1900. This jewel was a favorite of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; which is now with HRH Princess Michael of Kent.  "The strict rules of court etiquette remained unaltered, although many members of the nobility, including, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, regarded the tiara as a nuisance." It was King Edward VII who made his displeasure felt when guests arrived without a tiara. From Cartier By Hans Nadelhoffer  Above, Princess Michael of Kent wears the tiara along with the diamond daisies of the Duchess of Kent. |
 Duchess of Connaught diamond fringe tiara/necklace (the above picture is an example, but not the actual tiara)  Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia married into the British Royal family; marrying Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.  Upon her marriage she was given a diamond fringe necklace formerly the property of the Duchess of Kent (Queen Victoria's mother) as a gift from HM the Queen.  *It is not for certain whether the tiara above is the necklace converted into a tiara or not.  The tiara was later given to her daughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught. Patricia chose a commoner rather than a husband of royal blood. She married naval Commander (later Admiral) The Hon. Alexander Ramsay, third son of the Earl of Dalhousie. On her wedding day, Princess Patricia of Connaught voluntarily relinquished the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and assumed the style of Lady Patricia Ramsay with precedence before the Marchionesses of England. | The Tiara of The Princess of Kent  Given to Princess Marina of Greece & Denmark, Duchess of Kent. This tiara was as a wedding gift from the Lord Mayor and the City of London on her marriage to Prince George of the United Kingdom, Duke of Kent. In 1934 this tiara was presented by the city of London to Princess Marina as a wedding gift. It is a tiara of graduated spikes, made in around 1870 and formerly owned by the Queen of Pudukota. Currently it belongs to Princess Michael of Kent.  This diamond fringe tiara mounted in gold and set in silver. This jewel is unusual in that it flares at the sides to charming effect, and unlike many other tiaras in kokoshnik style, it does not dismantle to make a necklace. Princess Marina was a great-grandniece of Queen Alexandra through her father's side.  In 1968, Princess Marina's daughter Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Ogilvy wore the tiara on her wedding day. (above)  Princess Michael of Kent nee Marie-Christine von Reibnitz wearing two versions of the tiara. The bottom version incorporates a black velvet halo on which the tiara rests; on top is a diamond reviere which was from King George V.  |  The Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess of Greece and Denmark (The mother of Princess Marina) wearing her own Russian Fringe Tiara which was given to her by her mother, the Grand Duchess Vladimir. The Grand Duchess wore it as a head-jewel in the form of a star.  The tiara was not passed to Princess Marina. The tiara was passed to her sister, Princess Elisabeth.  The Kent Fringe Tiara is similar in design to The Grand Duchess', but the difference is, the tiara is an actual Romanov Tiara that belonged to The Romanov Dynasty as Elena was the daughter of a Grand Duke and granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The other difference; there are small gaps between the diamond strands and the 'spikes' do not become blunt at the top. The tiara can be worn as a necklace. After the death of Princess Elisabeth, the head jewel was given to her daughter, Helene Countess Toerring-Jettenbach who wore the tiara at her own wedding.  Many people confuse this tiara with the Kent Fringe and for a time it was listed on the Wikipedia page for 'Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's jewels'. In fact the mix up on Wikipedia claimed this was the 'Kent Fringe' while using the picture of Grand Duchess Elena in her tiara. This tiara and the 'Kent Fringe' were never part of Her Majesty's collection.  Princess Elisabeth's granddaughter, Archduchess Sophie of Austria wore the tiara for her wedding and is currently the owner. |
Tiaras of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom Above in the picture the Princess is wearing a bandeau of diamonds, which was the wedding gift of her brother Edward and her sister-in-law the Princess of Wales (Princess Alexandra, later Queen). The provenience of the pearls and the bow brooch is not established yet. A couple of golden bracelets were also wedding presents in 1866. Contrary to her mother’s criticism, Princess Helena was rather attractive as a young woman. She was clever too, being particularly gifted in languages, publishing a translation of the writings of the Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth and she published also a memoir of her sister Alice. source:The Scotsman, 7 July 1866; The Times, 6, 7, 11 July 1866; Illustrated London News, July 21, 1866  The tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings of turquoise and diamonds above were part of the gift from the Queen to her daughter as a wedding present. The princess is wearing a long pearl necklace and a crescent of diamonds as a brooch. The brooch (which cannot be seen in the photo above) with the three hanging cresents is very similar to the jewelry which was later given as a gift from Queen Mary to the Duchess of Gloucester. |  The Ogilvy Tiara of Princess Alexandra of Kent  Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Lady Ogilvy Windsor Tiara. Daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Both the tiara and necklace has versatile stones that can be changed. Above, the Princess is wearing turquoise stones. Below, The Princess switches the turquoise for pearls. The necklace was made to replica the Jubilee necklace of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.  Another variation includes replacing the stones with Sapphires. For more on the necklace; CLICK HERE  | Victorian Fleur-de-Lys tiara of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, Princess of Battenberg The Victorian diamond set tiara, with stylised fleur-de-lys and scroll motifs graduating from the centre and set with old round brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds, total estimated weight 30cts, all mounted in silver grain and cut-down settings on yellow gold back, convertible into a necklace circa 1870 was sold in 2000 for £42500 and looked very similar of these above in the sketch.  There is no known picture of Princess Beatrice wearing this tiara. |
| The Nobility | ||
The "Other" Spencer Tiara  The "other" Spencer Tiara - usually known as the Honeysuckle Tiara, has been remodeled quite a bit over time. The photo below is the original.  Below is the wife of the 5th Earl Spencer, Lady Charlotte Seymour wearing the tiara in 1885.  Below is the wife of the 7th Earl, Lady Cynthia Beatrix Hamilton, grandmother of Lady Di (wearing the tiara in 1953 at the coronation of the current Queen).  It hasn't been worn in public since. The tiara is on exhibition with the traveling collection of Diana, A Celebration  *The photo above is a mock-up, a photo-shopped picture. Diana never wore this tiara. |  The Spencer Tiara The tiara is entirely a composite with the central element being a gift from Lady Sarah Spencer to Cynthia, Viscountess Althorp as a wedding present in 1919.  It was later remounted. Four other elements were made to match it in 1937. Only the two elements at the end are old and are said to have come from a tiara owned by Francis, Viscountess Montagu and left to Lady Sarah Spencer in 1875.  It was worn by Lady Diana Spencer when she married The Prince of Wales in 1981.  The tiara was subsequently used by Victoria Lockwood when she married the 9th Earl (at that time styled Lord Althorp) in 1989.  | Catherine Victoria Lockwood, The former Countess of Spencer (below)  On 16 September 1989, Charles, then known by the courtesy title of Lord Althorp, married Catherine Victoria Lockwood (b. 1965), a model.  Victoria Lockwood was the last to wear the tiara in public. The Earl and Countess Spencer were divorced on 3 December 1997 and he subsequently remarried and divorced again. The Earl and his first wife had four children, including Lady Kitty and his heir, Louis, Viscount Althorp. On 18 June 2011, the Earl re-married to Karen Gordon, a Canadian. The tiara was not worn by the new Countess of Spencer. *The tiara is the property of the Spencer family. The tiara can now be seen at Diana's ancestral family residence, Althorp Estate.  Some believe that the tiara is "cursed" -- as the last few women that have worn it on their wedding day were divorced years later. |
The Wedding Tiara of The Countess of Wessex HRH Sophie, Countess of Wessex According to Ingrid Seward in an article she wrote for Majesty magazine (vol.20 no.7 p.15): "A diamond tiara from the Queen's private collection held the veil of silk tulle spotted with crystals in place even as it was buffeted by the wind."  Sophie's wedding tiara is said to have been made from the four anthemions that were detachable from Queen Victoria's Regal Circlet.  Sophie of Wessex at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 2010. The tiara is similar to the Honey Suckle Tiara of Princess Mary (above) According to Royalty magazine vol.16 no.1 p.40 (there is no mention of an author of this article), "Sophie wore a diamond tiara from the Queen's private collection, consisting of three open-work scroll motifs, designed and remodelled by the Crown Jeweller, David Thomas, at Asprey and Garrard." According to Judy Wade in an article for Hello! magazine, June 29, 1999 issue, no.556 p.60, "Her 'something borrowed' was the diamond tiara with three open-work scroll motifs, designed by court jeweller David Thomas at Asprey & Garrard, which was lent by the Queen from her private collection." |  THE LADY MOUNTBATTEN’S TIARA M O U N T B A T T E N - B A T T E N B E R G  Lady Mountbatten dressed for the coronation of George VI, taken by Yevonde, 1937. Lady Edwina Ashley married the uncle of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Edwina was a descendant of nobility; George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough and Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort. She was also a direct descendant of Princess Mary Rose Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk through their daughter Lady Eleanor Brandon.  Thought to have been made around 1910 by a leading French jeweller, possibly Chaumet or Cartier, it is pierced and millegrain-set with circular-cut diamonds in a design of meandering scroll and trefoil motifs. Set in platinum, the tiara has a distinctly modern feel - its fluid symmetry setting it apart from the more formal designs associated with heavier and earlier pieces set in silver and gold.  The tiara and jewels were passed on to Lady Mountabatten's daughter, Lady Pamela Hicks nee Mountbatten, who was a bridesmaid in her cousin Duke Philip's wedding to the future Queen Elizabeth in 1947. | THE HARCOURT TIARA A magnificent tiara worn at the coronation of both King George VI in 1937 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Christies offers in his catalogue: "One of the most outstanding and illustrious tiaras of English history which has been in the same family for over 100 years (estimate: £300,000-400,000). Appearing at auction for the first time."  The beautiful Harcourt tiara was worn at the 1937 coronation of King George VI by the Dowager Viscountess Harcourt, in the picture above, dressed in her robes for the coronation of George VI with the emerald and diamond tiara on her head and the Harcourt necklace made for her by Cartier in 1920. Her daughter, Lady Ashburton, later wore the same tiara at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Lady Ashburton was the elder sister of William, Second Viscount Harcourt. She married the Hon. Alexander Baring, later sixth Baron Ashburton, in 1924, the father of the present owner. The exquisite tiara is composed of sprays of diamond flowerheads and leaves running between borders of continuous diamond ribbon motifs with the focus centering on seven outstanding emeralds. The tiara was worn by the Dowager Viscountess together with the ‘Harcourt Emeralds’ – a magnificent emerald and diamond necklace - which Christie’s sold for £1,870,000 in London on 21 June 1989 ( to the jeweller Graff). The emeralds themselves have a fascinating provenance: they originally descended from Mary Hayes Burns, the sister of the banker J. Pierpont Morgan, to her daughter Mary, who married Lewis, first Viscount Harcourt, in 1899. The tiara dates from their wedding.  Another more famous jewel in Mary Harcourt's collection, previously sold at Sotheby's New York in 1995, was a necklace set with diamonds once forming the chains of the great comb à pampilles belonging to Empress Eugenie. |
Diamond and Aquamarine Tiara Sophie Countess of Wessex wearing a diamond tiara with an very large oval aquamarine as center-piece. The origins are unknown.  HRH Sophie, Countess of Wessex wearing a diamond tiara with an very large oval aquamarine as center-piece, the centre stone of the tiara can be easily taken out and replaced by other gems, it is also wearable as necklace.   HRH Sophie of Wessex wearing the Wessex Tiara as a necklace. |  Kent Pearl Tiara  Lady Helen Windsor wore the tiara her mother the Duchess of Kent wore on her wedding day (which was a gift from the Duchess' parents Colonel Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Bt. and Joyce Morgan Brunner). The wedding of Lady Helen Windsor, daughter of Dukes of Kent and Tim Taylor was held in a fairy tale scenario at the Windsor Castle. The wedding gown was inspired in Tudor style and was designed by Catherine Walker. | Diamond Tiara of Gloucester The diamond tiara in the foreground was the gift of the bridegroom, HRH the Duke of Gloucester to his wife Alice Christabel (later Princess Alice). It is possible to convert the diamond tiara to emeralds and diamonds as illustrated in the pictures above and below.  Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester |
 The Duchess of Windsor Tiara  Made of diamonds and thought to be sapphire beads.  One of only a few times that The Duchess was ever seen wearing a Tiara. Surprisingly she was not very fond of them. Shocking, yes, when you compare her jewel collection to that little fact. |  Duchess of Marlborough tiara The diamond tiara was made by Boucheron for Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Marlborough. The Duchess was part of the great American family, the Vanderbilt's, from whom Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper descend. In the late 1800s, early 1900s, there were many weddings of European aristocrats with American heiresses. For the nobles of the Old World, such unions were shameful, but useful in financial terms; the nobility looked upon the Americans who married into their caste as intruders, unworthy of their new position, much like they did with Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.  Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, dressed in court attire. |  Lady Curzon's tiaras  Born in Chicago, Lady Curzon was born Mary Victoria Leiter. She was an American socialite and debutante. She met her husband while in England. In 1895, in Washington D.C., Mary married Lord Curzon of Kedleston who would later become Viceroy to India.  Her other tiara, above, had pearl spikes. |
 Courtesy Albion Art Collection Countess of Spencer diamond and pearl tiara Is worn by Princess Diana's step-mother, Raine, the Countess of Spencer.  The Countess's first marriage was to the Earl of Dartmouth. |  The Essex Tiara According to Geoffrey C. Munn's Tiaras - A History of Splendour (page 257), this tiara was made by Cartier for Adele, Countess of Essex in 1902. Lady Churchill borrowed this tiara from the Countess for the Queen's Coronation in 1953.  Above is Crown Princess Margarita of Romania,who borrowed the tiara from Cartier for her wedding in 1996. |  Marquess of Tavistock Amethyst tiara The Tavistock tiara is owned by the Duke of Bedford and is named after the title of the heir to the dukedom, that of Marquess of Tavistock.  The tiara is an amethyst and diamond tiara in the form of vine leaves, circa 1870. In the law of precious stones, the amethyst stands for devotion.  |
 THE PORTLAND ANTIQUE SAPPHIRE, DIAMOND AND NATURAL PEARL TIARA Geoffrey C. Munn, Tiaras a History of Splendour, Antique Collectors' Club, 1988, pl 86, 87 and 88 Designed as a series of twelve graduated cushion-shaped sapphire and old-cut diamond clusters to the openwork frame of diamond-set swag and husk motifs, embellished with bouton-shaped pearls and diamond line borders to the pear-shaped pearl finials and sapphire collet accents, mounted in silver and gold, circa 1890, inner circumference 54.0cm Accompanied by report No. 57829 dated 15 November 2010 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating the origin of five sapphires is Ceylon, of four sapphires is Burma and of could not be determined for the remaining three. A sample of three pearls was tested and they were found to be natural saltwater The tiara is thought to have been made by E. Wolff & Co. for Garrard shortly after the 6th Duke's marriage in 1889. A painted miniature on ivory of Ivy, Duchess of Portland (1887-1982), when she was Marchioness of Titchfield, depicts her wearing the tiara and the matching stomacher brooch. Ivy was the 7th Duke's wife. It is noted in the 1887 inventory that several of the family jewels were dismantled to construct the tiara.  Born Ivy Gordon-Lennox, she was Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and after wards Dowager Duchess. By both parents she was descended from illegitimate children of the Stuart kings and other nobility linking her to Princess Margaret Tudor and Princess Mary Rose Tudor. |  The Londonderry Tiara  The tiara worn by Theresa, Marchioness of Londonderry, above, has been dramatically altered since it was first made. At one time, each individual element was set with a pearl, but these have been replaced by diamonds and its original gallery of pear-shaped pearls has also been removed. The diamond parure was made by Garrard in 1854 from stones removed from the jewels and second Garter insignia of the Marchioness Emily.  This tiara along with the stomacher was on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England (Summer 2010) |  Princess Marie Louise’s Indian Tiara  The Indian tiara was originally owned by HH Princess Marie-Louise, daughter of HRH Princess Helena, the fifth child of HM Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was born Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein at Richmond Lodge in Windsor Park, Berkshire, England. Princess Marie married Prince Aribert of Anhalt. The couple had no children. The tiara is lavishly filled with sapphires and diamonds. The Princess Marie-Louise wore this tiara for the 1953 Coronation of the present Queen. She died in 1956. Marie was godmother to Prince Richard, the later and present Duke of Gloucester. Below is the current Duchess of Gloucester, Birgitte.  It is not known whether she bequeathed the tiara to Princess Alice of Gloucester or to the Duke, but it became property of the Gloucester's and the tiara is worn now by the present Duchess, as she did for the Brazilian State Banquet. |
The Kent Aquamarine Tiara  The Fouquet Tiara with Aquamarines, Diamonds and Pearls  (Katherine Worsley, Duchess of Kent) He presented this new type of jewels at the Brussels Exhibition 1910: a diadem in the form of a flexible gold bandeau consisting of five oval motifs. In the centre of each of these ovals was a large Sibirian aquamarine, the colour of which was heightened by the addition of blue enamel, surrounded by an openwork design made up of small arches set with lines of diamonds and 6 pearls. The jewel was of kokoshnik form in finest style, probably as a tribute to the Russian orgin of the stones. It was his favorite gem, Georges had such a strong predilection for this blue stone that dealers dubbed him "the father of aquamarine". |  The Duchess of Northumberland Strawberry Tiara  Lady Helen Percy nee Gordon-Lennox, Duchess of Northumberland She was Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother from 1937 to 1964; wife of Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland. She was the daughter of the 7th Duke of Richmond.  |  The Duchess of Devonshire  1893 Devonshire Tiara The Duchess of Devonshire, née Lady Evelyn FitzMaurice "The Queen has been complaining about the weight of her tiara ... the Queen doesn't know what a heavy tiara is." ---- Evelyn, Duchess of Devonshire about Queen Mary, for whom she was Mistress of the Robes. The tiara rests on a band of pairs of stylized buds between collet-set diamonds, surmounted by a sequence of palmettes outlined by diamond borders linked at the base to lotus flowers graduated toward the back, in total ca 1900 diamonds. The design is made in 1802 by Skinner of Orchard Street for the Duchess of Devonshire, who was presumably given this tiara at the time of her marriage in 1889. Since then the tiara has descended through three generations. The imposing size and the severity of the classical motifs lend a majestic air to the tiara, entirely appropriate for the wife of a man whose wealth won him the title of "king of Lancashire". |
 FABERGE ART NOUVEAU TIARA From the collection of the Duke of Westminster A remarkable Faberge Tiara by the famous Russian goldsmith, his jewelery is rare and his tiaras are rarer still. The craftsmanship and design that has made the Faberge atelier so famous you will see at that tiara in the form of a graduated band of Cyclamen coum tied with knots of ribbon, purchased from Faberge for the Hon Mrs Wilson Fox. The tiara can be effortlessly removed from its gold frame and worn as an articulated fringe necklace.  The Jewel come from the workshops of the chief master jewelery work of Faberge, Albert Holmström in 1903. Constance, the Duchess of Westminster nee Cornwallis-West (a descendant of Mary Boleyn) not only possessed this tiara but also the amazing enamelled platinum kokoshnik forget me not created by Chaumet (right column). Constance was wife to the 2nd Duke of Westminster. |  WESTMINSTER LAUREL WREATH TIARA This Head Ornament in brilliant diamonds, composed of two sprays of myrtle leaves and berries, the stalks are engraved gold network, leaves rubbed-over in a silver setting, pierced to suggest veining and then backed in gold. Each spray, which is made in two parts measures 7 1/2 inches in length and is made by Faberge work master Albert Holmström. Purchased to mark the marriage of Hugh William Grosvenor and Lady Mabel Florence Crichton, which took place in 1906. This version of tiara was popular at the turn of the nineteenth century as a revivel of the Neo-classical style. It was a revival of the Neo-classical style. Myrtle leave and berries were sacred to Aphorodite and Faberge used this interpretation of this ancient theme as allegory of grace, love and virginity for this bride - diadem.  The most recent bride to wear the diadem was Lady Tamara Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster, upon her marriage to Edward van Cutsem. |  WESTMINSTER RUSSIAN KOKOSHNIK A unique work, forget-me-not flowers of diamonds and jewels on a background of blue transparent enamel, dreamlike work in platinum tiara by Chaumet, Paris.  It was modeled on the court kokoschnik the Romanovs, with blue velvet and precious stones. A delicate jewel decorated with trails of forget-me-not flowers seen against a background of blue plique-a-jour enamel Chaumet composed this kokoshnik closely based on the blue velvet kokoshniks decorated with jewelled ornaments worn at the court of the Czar, this tiara makes an amusing visual pun, as it has as thought by alchemy, been turned into blue enamel and diamonds. The flowers on decorations is set with 280 brilliant-cut diamonds. This is such an important tiara from the perspective of design and quality. Purchased by the second Duke of Westminster for his wife, Constance Cornwallis-West (descendant of Mary Boleyn) in 1911 from Chaumet, Paris. The present Duke aquired it again for the family, after many years. |
The WESTMINSTER HALO TIARA The large round center diamond was thought to be the Hastings Diamonds.  The Arcots are on either side. The Arcots were a present from Nawab of Arcot in 1777 to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. The Arcots were among the two 'smallest' stones received by the Queen. The Arcots were placed in a crown for George IV and later in the crown of Queen Adelaide, the consort of his successor, William IV. Queen Adelaide died in 1818 and under the terms of her will the Arcots were ordered to be sold to Rundell & Bridge in 1804. In 1930 the Parisian jeweler Lacloche mounted the Arcots in the Westminster Tiara, a bandeau style piece, together with the round brilliant and no less than 1421 smaller smaller diamonds. The tiara was pieced to form a design of pavè-set scrolls with arcading, and with clusters of marquise-shaped diamonds between the sections, tapering slightly at the sides, with baguette diamond banding framing the large center stone and with diamond baguettes dispersed singly throughout the tiara.  In her memoirs, Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, third wife of the second Duke of Westminster, wrote about the Arcots, "fixed by themselves on the safety-pin they looked extremely bogus, so that a friend who saw me that evening remarked, 'What on earth does Loelia think she's doing, pinning those two lumps of glass on herself?'"  In June of 1959 the third Duke of Westminster sold the Westminster Tiara to help meet the cost of heavy death-duties. Harry Winston paid £110,000 for it at auction - then a world record price for a piece of jewelry.  Loelia, Duchess of Westminster photographed by Cecil Beaton in 1931 wearing the Kokoshnik halo-shaped Tiara diamond tiara made by the designer Ladoche without the Arcot Diamonds.  Rose Movius Palmer purchased the tiara and replaced the Arcot diamonds with turquoise stones. |  WESTMINSTER PINK DIAMOND SPINEL BAGRATION TIARA The parure is dated c.1810. It was attributed to Fossin & Fils, a predecessor of the French jeweler Chaumet. The parure was purchased by the Russian Princess Katharine Bagration, heiress to Prince Potemkin and listed in the 1836 inventory of her jewels. Its extravagant size and pattern suggest the illustrious lineage of its first owner. In May 1977, the parure was sold at Christie's, New York, for $121,000 (£71,160) by the 6th Duke of Westminster.  This tiara is part of a parure in which the jewels that match can be found on the Royal Jewels of the Ladies of Great Britain page no. 2. It consists of a tiara, head comb, pendant necklace, and earrings. History of the combination: This splendid set originally belonged to Princess Ekatarina Pavlovna Bagration, née Skavronskaia (1783 - 1857) Crown Prince Potemkin and the wife of Peter Ivanovic Bagration prínicpe (1765 - 1812), a descendant of the Georgian kings Bagration, himself a distinguished General against Russian forces fighting Napoleon at the battle of Borodino. She had many admirers and remarried, an English lord.  It is estimated that the set was created in 1810 by French jewelers Fossin & Fils, Chaumet predecessors, and first appears in the inventory of jewels of the Princess Bagration, dated 1836.  The 6th Duke of Westminster gave the set to his girlfriend, who wore the tiara at their wedding in 1978 at Westminster Abbey. In the photo, Natalia Phillips, wears the tiara on the veil. The Duchess of Westminster is a descendant of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich and Sophie of Merenberg, Countess de Torby. The Grand Duke was the grandson of Nicholas I, Tsar of Russia and his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, nee Princess Charlotte of Prussia. By both maternal great-grandparents Natalia descends from Sophia, Electress of Hanover, the mother of George I of Great Britain. Therefore she is part of the Line of Succession to the British throne due to the law which allows all descendants of Sophia a position in the Line of Succession (see Margaret and Mary's Descendants). Her sister, Alexandra is the Duchess of Abercorn, married to James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn. | WESTMINSTER PEARL DROP TIARA Seven beautiful large ancient oriental pearl drops from the treasury of the Dukes, were framed with diamonds and mounted by old brilliant-cut diamonds, creating seven brooches - which can also be attached to each of the 6 round beads or on the diamond seven similarly-cut diamond husk motifs.  The diadem, pearls, and diamonds are mounted in silver and yellow gold, circa 1860 from Garrard Co.  The round pearls surrounded in diamonds can be worn separately as brooches as well and form the basis of the diadem.  The compounds are numbered on the back so when the diadem is configured no mistakes happen. It can be compiled in 2 different heights and versions, a very versatile gem, with beautiful, rare pearls. Some may find it 'ugly' when fully assembled but if viewed separately..... Victorian ladies enjoyed being able to wear versatile pieces. As mentioned before, this diadem can be dismantled into a simpler diadem, several brooches, and earrings.  The jewels and tiaras of the Duke of Westminster were photographed for a magazine -- these pictures show models, not the actual Duchess herself.   |
| Extended family and Descendants of Queen Victoria | ||
Sources
Some tiaras already have the source in the box, for others:
Alexander Palace Time Machine Forums
Christie's of London ONLINE
CNN
Cartier By Hans Nadelhoffer
Forbes.com
Internet Stones website
Mandy's British Royalty Blog: British Jewels
The Official Royal Collection website
"The Royal Jewels" -REVISED- by Suzy Menkes
"The Queen's Jewels" by Leslie Field
The Royal Magazine website
The Royal Forums
The Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Yahoo! News
Wikipedia
Some tiaras already have the source in the box, for others:
Alexander Palace Time Machine Forums
Christie's of London ONLINE
CNN
Cartier By Hans Nadelhoffer
Forbes.com
Internet Stones website
Mandy's British Royalty Blog: British Jewels
The Official Royal Collection website
"The Royal Jewels" -REVISED- by Suzy Menkes
"The Queen's Jewels" by Leslie Field
The Royal Magazine website
The Royal Forums
The Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Yahoo! News
Wikipedia
 House of Windsor Tiara's (belonging to Queen Elizabeth II, the crown, or the individual noted)
Not seen in decades (or broken up):
Sold:
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