This rarely seen royal tiara was accidentally borrowed for decades by someone who wasn’t meant to wear it

This week marks the 125th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s birth.

She was born on 4 August 1900 and became Duchess of York on her marriage to the second son of George V in 1923. Her husband became King in December 1936 and from that point onwards, the new Queen Elizabeth had access to a huge range of stunning jewels. The diadem known as the Oriental Circlet remained one of her favourite tiaras. She wore it through her life but, technically, she shouldn’t have used it after her daughter became Queen in 1952. 

Born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon in 1900 to Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck, Lady Elizabeth caught the eye of the Duke of York in 1921. However, it took three proposals from the nervous prince before a wedding announcement was in order. 

The new Duchess of York had relatively few tiaras. However, with King Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936, Elizabeth was Queen and suddenly had access to many jewels, including the ruby and diamond tiara that became a favourite. 

Prince Albert originally designed this intricate tiara for Queen Victoria in 1853. Made by Garrard & Co, the tiara had lotus flowers set in seventeen Mughal arches and was set with opals and over 2,500 diamonds. 

With Victoria naming it an Heirloom of the Crown, the tiara was reserved for the Queen. After Victoria’s death in 1901, Queen Alexandra replaced the opals with rubies and reduced the seventeen arches to a streamlined eleven. 

While neither Queen Alexandra nor Queen Mary chose to wear the Oriental Circlet publicly, Queen Elizabeth wore it frequently. And although Queen Elizabeth II should have worn it beginning in 1952, she allowed her mother to continue to wear the ruby and diamond tiara for the rest of her life. She wore it for several state visits, as well as several galas, ballet and opera performances. The Queen Mother also chose it for her 80th birthday celebrations in 1980.

Queen Elizabeth II wore the Oriental Circlet publicly only once, for a Maltese State Dinner in 2006. 

Since then, it’s not been seen in public. Queen Camilla could now wear it but it remains to be seen if she does choose to use it.