The tiara of a deposed monarchy that sparkled at the birthday celebrations of a king to be

Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece wore a glittering diamond tiara to Prince Christian’s 18^th birthday celebrations, calling back to the fallen kingdom of a two-time Queen of Greece.

The Queen Sophie Diamond Tiara dates back to the wedding of Princess Sophie of Prussia and Crown Prince Constantine of Greece in 1899.

The youngest child, by far, of the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia (Frederick III, later German Emperor and Victoria, the Princess Royal and eldest daughter of Queen Victoria), Sophie was raised with British influence thanks to her grandmother, and met her future husband whilst in the United Kingdom for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria.

The young royals were clearly smitten, and both Sophie’s mother and grandmother hoped for a marriage between them, but it wasn’t until a year later that they reconnected, at the funeral of Sophie’s grandfather. They announced their engagement in September 1898 and were married the next year.

Sophie became Crown Princess of Greece on 27 October 1899, with one of her wedding gifts the diamond tiara that bears her name. The tiara has unknown origins, but is speculated to have been a gift from either her mother or her brother, Kaiser Wilhelm II (who, it must be said, was against his sister’s marriage but did not stop it).

The Queen Sophie Wedding Tiara features rectangular diamonds in circular nature-inspired motifs and became Sophie’s go-to throughout her years as Crown Princess and later, Queen of Greece. Her husband, King Constantine I reigned from 1913-1917 and 1920-1923.

After Queen Sophie’s death in 1932, her surviving sons, King George II and King Paul, inherited their mother’s tiara. King Paul’s consort, Queen Frederika, was the last Queen of Greece to wear the tiara in public. After the Greek monarchy was abolished, Queen Frederika kept the tiara in her possession, and didn’t pass it to her daughter-in-law, Queen Anne-Marie.

When Queen Frederika died in 1981, many assumed that the Queen Sophie Diamond Tiara had been long gone—sold in exile—and there were no confirmations or denials by the Greek royals.

It wasn’t until 2012 that the Queen Sophie Diamond Tiara was seen in public again: on Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, the would-be queen of Greece, at the Ruby Jubilee celebrations of Queen Margrethe.

Since then, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal has worn the tiara on several big occasions, including the 18^th birthday galas of Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Christian.