Tiaras     Earrings     Necklaces     Bracelets     Brooches

 

 

 

Queen Mary's "Girls of Great Britain & Ireland" tiara

This tiara was given to Princess May of Teck as a wedding gift. Lady Eve Greville's committee raised the money from "the girls of Great Britain and Ireland" for the tiara, which garnered more than £5000.

May, a German princess, was engaged to Prince George, son of King Edward VII. She would be known later in life as the formidable Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II's mentor in all things royal.

 

 

 

The Cambridge "Lover's Knot" tiara

Queen Mary instructed Garrard's to create this tiara in 1914, copying the design of a tiara worn by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse.

The tiara is named for the Cambridge side of Queen Mary's family, of which Princess Augusta was a part. She was married to the first Duke of Cambridge, a son of King George III. Her tiara was set on a base of pearls to match the hanging drop pearls that were suspended from diamond lover's knots. Queen Mary's design for the tiara did not have a base of pearls, but diamonds instead.

This tiara was frequently worn by Diana, Princess of Wales. It was a gift to her from Queen Elizabeth II.

 

 

 

The Poltimore Tiara
©Christie's Auction House

Created by the famed jewelers Garrards in 1870 for Lady Poltimore, this grand tiara was famous mostly for its more recent owner - HRH Princess Margaret. The children of the late Princess, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, sold this and other items at an auction at Christie's in 2006.

The Princess, who died in February of 2002, wore it for her wedding to Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon. Like many of the tiaras in the Royal Family, the Poltimore tiara was seen in several alternative forms such as a diamond fringe necklace and as brooches.

 

 

 

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII, commissioned Garrard's to create this tiara in the style of a Russian peasant girl's headdress. Her sister Princess Dagmar, who had become Empress Marie of Russia, had a similar tiara which was the inspiration for the Kokoshnik.

It is composed of sixty-one platium bars and filled with 488 diamonds. It is often worn by HM The Queen today.

 

 

 

 

Grand Duchess Vladimir's Tiara

This tiara is a genuine Russian article, made by a Russian jeweller for the Grand Duchess Vladimir. During the Russian Revolution, the Duchess moved with her family to safety while her jewels were hidden in a vault in the Vladimir Palace. The looters never found the treasure, and a member of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service friendly with the Duchess' family managed to rescue the jewels and send them back to her.


The Royal Collection © 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Duchess commissioned the tiara to have Oriental pearl drops, as seen in the first image. This is the original design. When Queen Mary bought the tiara from Princess Nicolas of Greece, Duchess Vladimir's daughter, she had the last of her Cambridge emeralds made into drops and set in the tiara (above). These emeralds are interchangable with the pearls, and both styles are worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II today.

 

 

 

 

King George IV Diadem

The diadem is worn by Her Majesty on state occasions such as the Opening of Parliament. The Queen is seen wearing the diadem on coins and paper money. It was originally made for HM King George IV in 1820, and has undergone many extensive repairs throughout its lifetime. Garrard's carried out a complete refurbishment in the early 1990s, restoring it to full glory.

 

© 1998-2008 Mandy's British Royalty

Home