In the height of the Russian revolution, the tiara was dramatically smuggled of the country, and was eventually sold to Queen Mary of Teck in 1921. Throughout the years, the tiara has undergone several renovations and reconstructions, and today is made of platinum. In 1924, Queen Mary would arrange for 15 of the Cambridge cabochon emeralds to be mounted as pendants, so that they could be worn in place of the pearls. The versatile tiara could also be worn without the pendants, allowing its elegant silhouette to shine. Indeed, as a personal favourite of Queen Elizabeth II, the Vladimir tiara has more than seen its share of the sun, with the sprightly queen even commenting that it is ‘quieter’ when worn without the hanging stones.
Perhaps one of the most widely-seen British royal tiaras of today, the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara was a particular favourite of Princess Diana’s, and today, is worn by her daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales. A beautiful piece well deserving of its place in contemporary royal history, the diadem first came to life in 1913, when it was commissioned by Queen Mary.
Produced by E. Wolff & Co. for the House of Garrard using diamonds and pearls from Queen Mary’s private collection, the tiara was made to mirror the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, which was owned by Queen Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. It is said that Queen Mary sacrificed one of her own pieces — the Ladies of England tiara — to produce the replica.
Its design is inherently gothic revival, prominently featuring lover’s knot bows repeated along the entire length of the tiara. 19 oriental pearls sit perfectly suspended beneath each knot, each featuring a large brilliant-cut diamond. Upon her death, Queen Mary passed the tiara on to Queen Elizabeth II; the tiara would eventually find its way to Princess Diana, for whom it became a great favourite despite its staggering weight. On Diana’s divorce from King Charles III (then Prince Charles), the tiara was returned to the palace and safely stored away. It remained out of public sight until 2015, when Catherine, Princess of Wales, publicly wore it for the first time at that year’s annual diplomatic reception. It remains a personal favourite of the Princess, who has worn it faithfully through the years for numerous state occasions. This British royal tiara is estimated to be worth £1 million.
A wedding gift presented to Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) from her mother-in-law, Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark (also known as Princess Andrew), the Meander tiara, which is also known as Princess Andrew’s meander tiara, features neoclassical Greek and Roman design elements.
The classically sleek tiara borrows its series of interlocking spirals from the design of the Greek key; a traditional symbol of harmony, it is a favoured design for royal bridal tiaras. The spirals are punctuated by large diamonds, each wreathed in laurels and scrolls to lend additional sparkle and shine.
Although Queen Elizabeth herself never wore the tiara publicly, it was nonetheless occasionally worn by her sister, Princess Margaret. In 1972, this British royal tiara was given to Princess Anne, who for all intents and purposes appears to favour it greatly. The tiara in question was worn during her engagement to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, and for an official portrait to mark her 50th birthday. In 2011, the tiara was loaned to her daughter, Zara Phillips, who wore it for her wedding.
Queen Mary’s Fringe tiara
First commissioned in 1919, the fringe tiara is a beautiful kokoshnik-style piece that was forged using diamonds that were part of Queen Victoria’s wedding gifts to Queen Mary (then Princess Mary) in 1893. Named for the spires that form its iconic shape, this British royal tiara began its life as a necklace that had once been worn by Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra, until it was transformed into its current state. As a tiara, it was well-loved by Queen Mary, who favoured it over Queen Alexandra’s kokoshnik which had been larger, and likely harder to manage.
The tiara would eventually be given to Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) in August of 1936. Since then, it has become a well-loved wedding tiara, and has been worn at three royal weddings: that of Queen Elizabeth II (Then Princess Elizabeth) in 1947, Princess Anne for her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, and Princess Beatrice for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020.
A magnificent masterpiece of splendour, Queen Mary’s Fringe tiara boasts 47 tapering bars bearing 633 brilliant and 271 rose diamonds; these are arranged in alternating fashion with smaller spikes bearing lozenge-set diamonds. Because of its versatile nature, the tiara can also be worn as a necklace — though there is quite literally, a catch. As Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) was getting dressed on the day of her wedding, the tiara snapped by accident.
The monarch later recounted of the incident, “The catch, which I didn’t know existed, it suddenly went [gesturing with her hands]”. Thankfully, the court jewellers Garrard had been stationed on site in case of emergency, and the tiara was restored in time for the proceedings. Oh, happy day.
The tiara is estimated to be worth £5 million.
Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara
Perhaps the grandest and most expensive piece in the British royal family’s collection of jewels, the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara is estimated to be worth a staggering £10 million. Once a part of an incredible chest of jewels belonging to British society hostess and philanthropist Dame Margaret Greville (also known as Mrs. Ronnie Greville to the London social set), the tiara, alongside many other glittering bon bons, came to land in the hands of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, through an unlikely friendship and an uncanny bequest.
A close friend of King Edward VII, Dame Margaret maintained fond ties with King George V and Queen Mary of Teck. This multi-generational friendship would endure the years, and she fostered a familial relationship with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, frequently referring to the latter as the ‘daughter she had never had’. Upon her death, her extraordinary collection of jewellery, which included over sixty pieces from jewel houses the likes of Cartier and Boucheron, was bequeathed to The Queen Mother. Among them: The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara.
While rumoured to be The Queen Mother’s favourite, the sparkling tiara never saw the light of day — at least not until the wedding day of Princess Eugenie of York in 2018, when it was worn as part of the princess’ wedding ensemble. The 1920s Art Deco piece, which was constructed by French jewellery house Boucheron, features brilliant and rose cut diamonds pavé set in platinum, and thirteen emeralds – the largest of which is a cabochon rumoured to weigh 93 carats.
The George IV State Diadem
While not necessarily a British royal tiara, the George IV State Diadem presents far too imposing and extraordinary a profile to be excluded. Crafted by Rundells in 1820 for the notoriously colourful coronation of King George IV, the opulent diadem features a silver and gold-lined openwork frame set with 1,333 diamonds (weighing 320 carats) and a narrow band of pearls.
Four crosses-pattée encircle the diadem alongside four sprays to represent the national emblems of England, Ireland, and Scotland: roses, shamrocks, and thistles. A four-carat pale yellow brilliant diamond sits in pride of place within the front cross.
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