Features

The tiara that one queen kept although it really belonged to another

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10th October 2024
Although opal is October’s birthstone and can come in a variety of hues, it is rarely seen in a tiara. In the early twentieth century, many believed that opals were considered bad luck and had the jewels replaced with other stones. Some of the most beloved royal tiaras were originally set with opals, including Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet. Prince Albert designed this tiara for…
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Royal News

Queen Mary turns to centuries old tiara for State Dinner

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9th October 2024
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark welcomed Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir and her husband, Björn Skúlason, on Tuesday to begin the first incoming State Visit of their reign. For the State Dinner on Tuesday evening, Queen Mary turned to a 200 year old tiara. Queen Mary wore the Pearl Poire Tiara, a tiara that belongs to the Danish Royal Property Trust. The pieces in the…
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Features

The sparkling royal jewel inspired by flowering gum

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4th October 2024
There are very few opal tiaras in royal collections. In the twentieth century, opals fell out of favour and many royals replaced the opals in their tiaras for other stones. There are some remaining opal pieces though, such as the Australian Opal Spray Brooch. The then-Princess Elizabeth received this brooch as a gift for her 1947 wedding to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, from the Returned…
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Features

A diamond tiara passed from queen to queen as a personal gift - but who owns it now?

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3rd October 2024
While Queen Mary was known to be a magpie with a large jewellery collection, her mother-in-law also had a strong collection of her own. And amongst the most famous pieces is the gem now known as Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara. In 1888, the then Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Lady Salisbury organised a group of 365 peeresses who donated funds to…
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