Queen Camilla brought a striking piece of royal history back into the spotlight at the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception on Tuesday evening, wearing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara – the same spectacular jewel chosen by Princess Eugenie for her wedding day in 2018.
Its reappearance marks the first time the tiara has been publicly worn since Eugenie’s marriage to Jack Brooksbank, when the bride stunned observers by opting against the York Tiara and instead unveiling a rarely seen emerald diadem from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s private collection.
The tiara was created in 1921 by Boucheron for the society hostess Margaret Greville, whose exceptional trove of jewels was considered among the finest in Britain. Designed in the fashionable kokoshnik style, inspired by traditional Russian court headdresses, the diadem is centred on an imposing 90-carat emerald set in platinum and surrounded by pavé diamonds. Smaller emeralds are threaded through the geometric frame, adding depth and colour rarely seen in royal bridal pieces.
Embed from Getty ImagesUpon Mrs Greville’s death in 1942, her jewellery collection – later known as the Greville Bequest – passed to Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother. Among the bequeathed pieces was the diamond diadem now frequently worn by Queen Camilla. When the Queen Mother died in 2002, the emerald tiara and its companion jewels were inherited by Queen Elizabeth II.
Princess Eugenie’s decision to wear the emerald kokoshnik on her wedding day was regarded as one of the great style surprises of recent royal nuptials. Royal brides traditionally favour tiaras of diamonds or pearls, but Eugenie broke with convention, pairing the vivid emeralds with diamond-and-emerald earrings gifted by Brooksbank. The effect was striking, contemporary and instantly memorable.
Queen Camilla’s decision to bring the tiara back into circulation places the piece once again in the public eye, highlighting a jewel whose history spans society grandees, two queens, and a modern royal bride. Its re-emergence is a reminder of the depth of the royal jewellery vaults – and of how a single tiara can carry a century of stories across generations.
