Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement announcement, I have been so excited to begin a new series of posts covering all aspects related to the big day. Over the next four months, we'll be taking an in-depth look at an array of topics, including the wedding venue, Windsor Castle, the reception, traditions, guests, and the potential titles Her Majesty will bestow upon Harry and Meghan. Of course, we'll be discussing the dress, potential styles and designers and looking at how protocol might affect the selection, too. We'll be asking you to submit your predictions for the overall ensemble. Tonight, we're taking a look at a topic I'm particularly fond of: tiaras.
As royal watchers know, tiara appearances for the British Royal family are few and far between these days. White-tie events such as State dinners and the annual Diplomatic Reception offer the most likely opportunities. The day of the royal wedding will mark the first occasion we see Meghan wearing one; Her Majesty will loan her one which may become her 'signature tiara' after she has married. It's important to take a look back at previous royal brides to get a sense of tradition and what we can expect for Meghan.
When Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, Diana wore her family's 'Spencer Tiara'. Diana continued to borrow it from her father and later her brother throughout her royal life. She favoured it over the Lover's Knot Tiara, loaned to her by the Queen, as she found it headache inducing and terribly heavy to wear. Five years later, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. The bride wore a diamond tiara with leafy diamond scrolls. Media reports were abound that it was borrowed from a family friend. In fact, it was purchased by the Queen from jewellers Garrard for her new daughter-in-law. It was to become the one and only diadem Sarah wore during her royal life. It is thought Beatrice or Eugenie may wear it on their wedding day. Sophie's wedding tiara in 1999 caused a bit of a stir leaving royal watchers baffled as to its origins. According to the always insightful Order of Splendor, it is widely believed "the tiara's elements are actually four detachable anthemions from Queen Victoria's regal circlet". Sophie has worn it on numerous occasions since. She also wears a small diamond tiara and an aquamarine tiara. Royal commentators have drawn lines between the wedding tiaras and the marriages associated with them. While neither the Waleses or Yorks had happy endings, Edward and Sophie's marriage has endured the test of time.
In 2011, it was reported Kate wanted to wear flowers in her hair; her hairdresser James Pryce revealed it was the plan initially, however, it changed a couple of months before the royal wedding. Indeed, the late Queen Mother, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon opted for flowers on her big day. I remember reading the stories at the time and thinking, there's no way the future Queen will not be wearing a tiara; it has become embedded in the tradition of royal weddings.
Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the elegant Cartier Halo Tiara. The piece was made by Cartier in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York (later King George VI) for the Duchess of York (later the Queen Mother). It is a striking piece composed of stylised petals, paved with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds. The name derives from its halo shape. The tiara served as a 'starter' piece for the Queen, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate has never worn the piece since, instead sporting the Queen Mother's favourite Lotus Flower tiara and, more recently, Diana's Lover's Knot, which has become Kate's favourite.
When choosing a tiara for Meghan, there are a number of factors to consider and a plethora of options in the jewel vaults. I think we'll either see a seldom worn diadem, which will be used by Meghan for decades to come, or a piece steeped in royal history and symbolism. Considering the latter, Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara springs to mind.
It was created for Queen Mary in 1919 in the Russian style reminiscent of a kokoshnik, which was particularly popular during the first half of the twentieth century. The majority of the diamonds used were taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria in 1893 from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary.
In 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to the late Queen Mother, from whom it was borrowed by Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947. As Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace before leaving for Westminster Abbey, the tiara snapped. Luckily, the court jeweller was standing by in case of an emergency, and was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Her Majesty wore it occasionally afterwards before loaning it to Princess Anne for her wedding. It's a substantial piece, absolutely sparkling with diamonds. Not only would it look beautiful on Meghan, it would be fitting to see her in the piece chosen by Her Majesty for her own wedding.
A piece widely considered to be a front runner is the more dainty and delicate Strathmore Rose Tiara. The tiara belonged the Queen Mother, who received it as a gift from her father, Lord Strathmore, for her wedding in 1923. The diamond tiara features a garland of roses mounted in silver and gold. Created by jewellers Catchpole & Williams, it was supplied with two alternative frames, one invisible which allows the piece to be worn as a bandeau, the other padded for wear on the head.
The tiara was inherited by Her Majesty the Queen in 2002. Perhaps it's time to take it out of the royal vaults and give it's history a new chapter.
Earlier in the post, we chatted about the possibility of a tiara with little provenance associated with it. A simply beautiful, feminine piece is Marie Feodorovna's Diamond and Sapphire bandeau. Born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (a sister of Queen Alexandra), Marie married Alexander III of Russia and acquired an incredible collection of jewels before her death. Queen Mary collected a number of the pieces, including several sapphires. Below we see, Empress Marie wearing her sapphire parure.
The tiara was left to the Queen Mother who never wore it, however, Princess Margaret was quite fond of it in her youth. It is not known where the piece is today or if it has been disassembled to create brooches. There's a dazzling collection of sapphires in the royal vault. Absolutely dazzling. This simple but effective bandeau could provide the crowning touch for Meghan's wedding look.
If sapphires are on the table, and one is considering a 'go big or go home' approach, take a look at the Queen's Modern Sapphire Tiara. To supplement sapphires given to her by her father, Her Majesty purchased a sapphire necklace that once belonged to Princess Louise of Belgium. The necklace was converted into a tiara and has been worn many times by the Queen since.
Another tiara I simply must mention is the magnificent Vladimir Tiara.
The history of the tiara is a fascinating one. Hugh Roberts wrote in The Queen's Diamonds:
Queen Mary certainly had a voracious appetite for all things sparkling, and purchased some of the Grand Duchess's collection including the tiara. It was in a state of disrepair following the journey from Russia, but was brilliantly restored by Garrard. In 1924, Queen Mary had the tiara adapted to take fifteen of the Cambridge Emeralds and use them as an alternative to the pearls. The tiara has been worn with emeralds and pearls by the Queen on numerous occasions throughout her reign.
I very much enjoyed this tiara filled journey through the royal vaults. Which tiara would you like to see Meghan wear? Do you have a favourite that's not listed here? Do you think it's possible we'll see a new tiara? Possibly one created using royal jewels? It will be interesting to see if Meghan wears her hair in an updo or down on the day.
A special word of thanks to Order of Splendor and Hugh Roberts, The Queen's Diamonds. Both incredible resources.
As royal watchers know, tiara appearances for the British Royal family are few and far between these days. White-tie events such as State dinners and the annual Diplomatic Reception offer the most likely opportunities. The day of the royal wedding will mark the first occasion we see Meghan wearing one; Her Majesty will loan her one which may become her 'signature tiara' after she has married. It's important to take a look back at previous royal brides to get a sense of tradition and what we can expect for Meghan.
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| PHOTO: The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh 1947 |
When Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, Diana wore her family's 'Spencer Tiara'. Diana continued to borrow it from her father and later her brother throughout her royal life. She favoured it over the Lover's Knot Tiara, loaned to her by the Queen, as she found it headache inducing and terribly heavy to wear. Five years later, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. The bride wore a diamond tiara with leafy diamond scrolls. Media reports were abound that it was borrowed from a family friend. In fact, it was purchased by the Queen from jewellers Garrard for her new daughter-in-law. It was to become the one and only diadem Sarah wore during her royal life. It is thought Beatrice or Eugenie may wear it on their wedding day. Sophie's wedding tiara in 1999 caused a bit of a stir leaving royal watchers baffled as to its origins. According to the always insightful Order of Splendor, it is widely believed "the tiara's elements are actually four detachable anthemions from Queen Victoria's regal circlet". Sophie has worn it on numerous occasions since. She also wears a small diamond tiara and an aquamarine tiara. Royal commentators have drawn lines between the wedding tiaras and the marriages associated with them. While neither the Waleses or Yorks had happy endings, Edward and Sophie's marriage has endured the test of time.
In 2011, it was reported Kate wanted to wear flowers in her hair; her hairdresser James Pryce revealed it was the plan initially, however, it changed a couple of months before the royal wedding. Indeed, the late Queen Mother, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon opted for flowers on her big day. I remember reading the stories at the time and thinking, there's no way the future Queen will not be wearing a tiara; it has become embedded in the tradition of royal weddings.
Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the elegant Cartier Halo Tiara. The piece was made by Cartier in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York (later King George VI) for the Duchess of York (later the Queen Mother). It is a striking piece composed of stylised petals, paved with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds. The name derives from its halo shape. The tiara served as a 'starter' piece for the Queen, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate has never worn the piece since, instead sporting the Queen Mother's favourite Lotus Flower tiara and, more recently, Diana's Lover's Knot, which has become Kate's favourite.
When choosing a tiara for Meghan, there are a number of factors to consider and a plethora of options in the jewel vaults. I think we'll either see a seldom worn diadem, which will be used by Meghan for decades to come, or a piece steeped in royal history and symbolism. Considering the latter, Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara springs to mind.
It was created for Queen Mary in 1919 in the Russian style reminiscent of a kokoshnik, which was particularly popular during the first half of the twentieth century. The majority of the diamonds used were taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria in 1893 from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary.
In 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to the late Queen Mother, from whom it was borrowed by Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947. As Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace before leaving for Westminster Abbey, the tiara snapped. Luckily, the court jeweller was standing by in case of an emergency, and was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Her Majesty wore it occasionally afterwards before loaning it to Princess Anne for her wedding. It's a substantial piece, absolutely sparkling with diamonds. Not only would it look beautiful on Meghan, it would be fitting to see her in the piece chosen by Her Majesty for her own wedding.
A piece widely considered to be a front runner is the more dainty and delicate Strathmore Rose Tiara. The tiara belonged the Queen Mother, who received it as a gift from her father, Lord Strathmore, for her wedding in 1923. The diamond tiara features a garland of roses mounted in silver and gold. Created by jewellers Catchpole & Williams, it was supplied with two alternative frames, one invisible which allows the piece to be worn as a bandeau, the other padded for wear on the head.
The tiara was inherited by Her Majesty the Queen in 2002. Perhaps it's time to take it out of the royal vaults and give it's history a new chapter.
Earlier in the post, we chatted about the possibility of a tiara with little provenance associated with it. A simply beautiful, feminine piece is Marie Feodorovna's Diamond and Sapphire bandeau. Born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (a sister of Queen Alexandra), Marie married Alexander III of Russia and acquired an incredible collection of jewels before her death. Queen Mary collected a number of the pieces, including several sapphires. Below we see, Empress Marie wearing her sapphire parure.
The tiara was left to the Queen Mother who never wore it, however, Princess Margaret was quite fond of it in her youth. It is not known where the piece is today or if it has been disassembled to create brooches. There's a dazzling collection of sapphires in the royal vault. Absolutely dazzling. This simple but effective bandeau could provide the crowning touch for Meghan's wedding look.
If sapphires are on the table, and one is considering a 'go big or go home' approach, take a look at the Queen's Modern Sapphire Tiara. To supplement sapphires given to her by her father, Her Majesty purchased a sapphire necklace that once belonged to Princess Louise of Belgium. The necklace was converted into a tiara and has been worn many times by the Queen since.
Another tiara I simply must mention is the magnificent Vladimir Tiara.
The history of the tiara is a fascinating one. Hugh Roberts wrote in The Queen's Diamonds:
'The magnificent tiara was made for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir and sister-in-law of Emperor Alexander III, by the Russian court jeweller Bolin, apparently at the time of her marriage in 1874. The Grand Duchess's spectacular jewels - considered a close rival to the hose of her sister-in-law, the Empress Maria Feodorovna. During the Russian revolution, the tiara, together with many other of the Grand Duchess's jewels was sunggled out of Russia by her close friend and confidant, Albert Henry Stopford.
Queen Mary certainly had a voracious appetite for all things sparkling, and purchased some of the Grand Duchess's collection including the tiara. It was in a state of disrepair following the journey from Russia, but was brilliantly restored by Garrard. In 1924, Queen Mary had the tiara adapted to take fifteen of the Cambridge Emeralds and use them as an alternative to the pearls. The tiara has been worn with emeralds and pearls by the Queen on numerous occasions throughout her reign.
I very much enjoyed this tiara filled journey through the royal vaults. Which tiara would you like to see Meghan wear? Do you have a favourite that's not listed here? Do you think it's possible we'll see a new tiara? Possibly one created using royal jewels? It will be interesting to see if Meghan wears her hair in an updo or down on the day.
A special word of thanks to Order of Splendor and Hugh Roberts, The Queen's Diamonds. Both incredible resources.