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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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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The late Queen's stunning tourmaline brooch

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2nd October 2024
October has two birthstones, pink tourmaline and opal. Although neither are common stones in royal jewellery vaults, Queen Elizabeth II received a stunning pink tourmaline brooch with a strong Canadian collection. In 2013, the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan…
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The story of the stunning lace veil worn by Princess Theodora

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29th September 2024
In addition to wearing the Khedive of Egypt Tiara for her wedding in Athens on Saturday, Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark borrowed another historic family heirloom for the ceremony. Princess Theodora wore a lace veil that has been in the family for over a century and has been worn by a string of royal brides including four different queens.  [getty src=”2175318945&#8243…
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The secrets of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh's engagement ring

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25th September 2024
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s engagement ring may not have as much attention as The Princess of Wales’ engagement ring (once worn by Diana, Princess of Wales) but it is a beautiful ring that was created by a favourite jeweller and with a love message hidden in its stones. When Prince Edward announced his engagement to Sophie Rhys-Jones in January 1999, the engagement ring was front and…
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