Was anybody expecting the Princess of Wales to show up to the German State Banquet in Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet tiara? I definitely wasn’t!
But now that I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor, I’ve been thinking: there are more tiaras hiding away in the vault that I’d love to see get some sunlight soon. Here are a few that I can’t wait to see again.
EMPRESS MARIE FEODOROVNA’S SAPPHIRE BANDEAU
(Screenshot / YouTube / Fair Use)
If I never see this atop the head of a royal lady it’ll be the greatest jewel-related tragedy of my lifetime. I’m obsessed with it: the art deco styling, the large sapphire in its centre, the sunburst design… it packs a punch for being a relatively small tiara.
Queen Mary is said to have purchased this along with a few other pieces from Empress Marie Feodorovna’s estate and she’s the first to have worn it in public. She left it to her daughter–in-law, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who never wore it publicly. She gave it to her daughter, Princess Margaret, who wore it to great effect in the ’50s and ‘60s, and then it disappeared.
Did you know that it hasn’t been seen in public in over 60 years? Kate, I’m begging you. You love your sapphires, dig this out of the vault and break the internet again!
QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S BRAZILIAN AQUAMARINE TIARA
Okay, it hasn’t been all that long since we’ve seen this interesting (to put it mildly) tiara. Queen Elizabeth II last wore it during the Spanish State Banquet in 2017 and it hasn’t been seen since.
What I love about this piece, aside from the aquamarine gemstones, which are some of my favourites, is the unique design. Queen Elizabeth II commissioned the design herself to match jewellery given to her by the President of Brazil as a coronation gift. In 1971, she had the tiara altered once more to accommodate four scroll aquamarine pieces gifted by the Governor of Sao Paulo in 1968.
This tiara is opulent and stunning. The aquamarines are such a brilliant shade of blue, and I can’t imagine this tiara not making its wearer look like the ultimate queen. Queen Camilla, what are you waiting for? Please pull this one out of the vault soon!
THE DUCHESS OF TECK’S CRESCENT TIARA
(YouTube Screenshot / Fair Use)
What a beautiful tiara. With its three diamond roses and its 20 diamond crescents, this would be perfect for a whimsical royal portrait. Perhaps by the royal woman who spends a majority of her time extolling the virtues of nature? Hint, hint.
The story behind the Teck Crescent tiara is this: it dates back to the 1850s and originates within the family of Queen Mary (formerly Princess May of Teck). At some point, she either inherited or purchased this piece from her maternal family and introduced it to the Royal Family. Queen Mary never wore this tiara in public, but Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore it during her husband’s reign and when she died in 2002, it passed to Queen Elizabeth II. Rumour has it that Queen Elizabeth II—who also never wore this publicly—passed it along as a lifetime loan to Queen Camilla after her 2005 wedding, but she’s also never been pictured wearing it. Ladies, what are we waiting for?
QUEEN ADELAIDE’S FRINGE TIARA
Once upon a time this was the most identifiable jewel that belonged to Queen Adelaide. She was the queen consort to William IV, who had the piece commissioned with diamonds that belonged to his mother, Queen Charlotte.
While it may have started out as a necklace, it was made to be convertible into a tiara, which is how Queen Victoria frequently wore the piece in her early reign. After she died, she declared that this piece would pass from queen to queen.
Queen Mary, ever the jewellery magpie, turned it back into a tiara when it came into her possession. Then Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother turned it back into a necklace when she inherited the piece. Queen Elizabeth II inherited the piece in 2002, and never publicly wore it, and to date, neither has Queen Camilla.
Please, Queen Camilla. This is one of the oldest jewellery pieces in the Royal Collection and one of the rare items that didn’t get sent to Hanover when the King of Hanover demanded his ‘rightful’ jewels after Queen Victoria’s accession. Nobody tell them!
But somebody please tell Queen Camilla to haul it out. It’s been a necklace, a belt, and a tiara. Put your own spin on it!
THE TURQUOISE TIARA
(YouTube / Fair Use)
Be honest: when you picture Princess Margaret in a tiara, you probably think of the Poltimore tiara (where is it? Please tell us that Queen Elizabeth II quietly bought it back from the auction block and it’s just been hiding in the vaults for over 20 years).
But if you think a bit longer, you probably conjure up a glamorous Swinging Sixties image of her in the Turquoise tiara. Garrard designed this turquoise laurel tiara as a wedding gift for Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, a gift from King George V and Queen Mary to their new daughter-in-law. Princess Margaret would later receive the tiara and other turquoise pieces from her mother, reportedly as a 21st birthday present.
They became a fixture in Princess Margaret’s rotation in the ‘60s and she wore the parure pieces throughout her life. After she died in 2002, her children inherited the turquoise parure but they didn’t join the Poltimore tiara on the auction block, so where are they?
If the 2nd Earl of Snowdon’s daughter can reveal what happened to Princess Margaret’s engagement ring, can she also tell us what happened to the rest of Princess Margaret’s jewels?
