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The colourful tiara that passed from a queen to a duchess

While The King has inherited a number of stunning tiaras that he can loan out to the members of his family, the other branches of the British Royal Family have their own jewels. The Duchess of Gloucester has a substantial tiara, the Teck Turquoise Tiara, that she wears periodically for important occasions. 

The Duke and Duchess of Teck commissioned the original diamond and turquoise floral tiara in the early 1850s, as well as a necklace, a pair of earrings, and multiple brooches. They continued to add to the parure before giving it to their daughter, Princess Mary of Teck, for her 1893 wedding to the Prince of Wales. 

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After her husband became King in 1910, the then-Queen Mary had a number of her pieces of jewellery altered to suit her tastes, including the Teck Turquoise Tiara. In 1912, Mary had the firm E. Wolff and Co. adjust the tiara and remove the peak. 

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Queen Mary gifted the turquoise set to her new daughter-in-law in 1935, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. Princess Alice would repeatedly wear the set throughout her life at public events and even for a set of portraits done by Cecil Beaton. 

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The current Duchess of Gloucester inherited the Teck Turquoise Tiara from her mother-in-law and will often wear multiple pieces from the parure. 

About author

Historian and blogger at AnHistorianAboutTown.com