The ugliest tiaras

Probably the royal woman who has the worst tiaras is poor Princess Astrid of Norway. Her diamond aiglette is so awful it's hilarious--it looks like devil's horns.

Poor Astrid, no beauty, looks even worse with the tacky tiaras she inherited. The golden bandeau she has looks like a toy out of a Crackerjack box.

Even when younger Astrid, the current king's oldest sister, was no looker, and was made to look worse with bargain-basement tiaras, like this turquoise one.

This tiara of Camilla's looks like an aluminum party crown that a bride-to-be might wear to a male strip club.

And this one looks like it was worn by Miss Gay USA 1983.

My favorite awful Seventies one belongs to Queen Sonja of Norway--it looks so cheesy, especially when worn with the matching jewelry set (or parure).

More awful hilarity from Princess Astrid.

She apparently uses these jewelled antennae to summon her insect hordes to royal events.

LOL—Queen Sonja's regalia looks straight out of the Fall 1974 Avon catalog.

It would be hilarious if Megan wore that horned tiara to her wedding.

When queens or future queens of Sweden marry, they by tradition wear this weird cameo tiara, here worn by Crown princess Victoria on her wedding day.

The Norwegians don't get it right because for a thousand years, THIS was their symbol of majesty.

Queen Saleha of Brunei obviously has some expensive shit, but it's so overdone that it might as well have come from FierceDragJewels.com.

Crown Princess Victoria has to wear some really strange ones. This is the "Four Button Tiara"

It's been rumored that the Braganza tiara owned by the Queen of Sweden weighs six kilograms.

R2 wins so far!

I have to assume Princess Astrid has a sense of humor about these things. I have to.

The Swedish "Nine Prong Tiara" looks strange on anyone, but looks especially so on perennial DL favorite Princess Birgitta.

Yikes!

Can anyone tell me the story on this hideous thing? It looks like snail shells with rhinestones on. Maybe it IS snail shells with rhinestones on!

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark looks like she whipped this beauty together with craft supplies from Hobby Lobby.

I think forever-young Princess Brigitta may have spent a little too much time in the sun in the Seventies.

Birgitta looks ROUGH. Take away the jewels and she could be Tonya Harding's aunt.

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Come on, mother-of-the-groom! That whore Jared's marrying deserves to upstaged at that godforsaken charade of a wedding you're being forced to attend, and we have just the thing to do it — the Romanian Greek Key tiara, now available at Claire's!

Princess Anna of Bavaria

Poor Victoria in another profoundly ugly piece. This one looks like Sarah Coventry after the "goldtone" finish turned.

I kind of like that one, R23.

But poor Princess Victoria, R24! Not only is her crown ugly in its own right, it was obviously designed for a much daintier woman.

This one worn by Queen Maxima is kind of cool but also looks like it could be worn by Mrs. America.

This weird art deco one worn by the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Josephine Charlotte, looks like two of the sapphires fell out.

Threads like these are why I come to DL!!!

OP, is that really a tiara or just separate individual jewel thingies that clip onto her hair? Whatever they are, they sure do bring out the yellow of her teeth (I'm not just snarking, I mean it). I'm a sucker for the avante garde, however, so I won't completely dismiss it. I feel like it might work if the jewels were a different color (sapphire maybe?) and on a younger woman with non-gray (preferable richly dark) hair.

This thread really illustrates how silly-looking and fugly modern "royals" are. Especially the... things at R12 and R19.

More Astrid.

I actually like R24. It was obviously designed for a fair-haired woman with fine and delicate features, however.

Again, Charlotte Josephine's tiara that looks like two giant sapphires fell out on either side of the central one.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia's bling isn't terrible, but the Ginny from Billing glasses kind of defeat the purpose of wearing a tiara.

Portugal's Diadema das Estrelas, or Swarovski Christmas brooches on toothpicks?

DL favorite Queen Fabiola of Belgium had giant tiaras to go with her giant hair.

Sometimes Queen Fabiola wore small tiaras to go with her giant hair, and the results weren't so fab.

LOOK AT ME!!!

Countess Gunilla von Bismarck

Now THIS is a tiara gurl

Empress Farah sissies that wiglet

r29, this is what is called the Queen of Denmark's "golden poppies tiara" when not worn in her hair. It's called a tiara, although there are huge debates on the Internet (really!) as to whether it qualifies as a real tiara or not: in any case, it is all of one piece.

Zoom in on the golden poppies tiara to see bugs on the flowers -- there's even a big old daddy long legs!

Queen Rania atop the Boucheron float at last year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie

That tiara could feed a lot of very poor Jordanians.

R41 ok the bugs push it from avante garde to just plain weird territory. I still like the creativity behind it but really odd execution

I have a winner! Empress Farah of Iran's Seven Emerald Tiara!

Because nothing goes with deep emerald green like multicolor pastels!

Ugly bump

[quote]I have to assume Princess Astrid has a sense of humor about these things.

She's reportedly joked that when she wears the aigrette (see R1 and R7), she can pick up transmissions from London and Moscow.

I actually like R1's tiara. It's quirky, whimsical, unique. I love the idea of Meghan wearing it on her wedding day - what a total F.U.

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. I am sure I am going to laugh out loud all day long, remembering Tonya harding' s gramma and daddy long legs in golden poppies.....

Brutal assessments. I love you crazy bitches.

Seems of these are quite pretty.

I hate Queen Elizabeth II's Brazil Tiara

Princess Astrid of Norway is pretty quirky and weird, but she's nice. Her late sister Ragnhild was not only uglier but was a total bitch, and said nasty things about the Crown Princess Mette-Marit when she married into the family.

Here's Ragnhild from 30 years ago with Crown Prince Haakon looking very young. She's wearing a pretty normal tiara, but she was such a fright.

Ragnhild looked like LBJ in drag.

The cameo tiara looks like a Burger King crown. I love Vic, though.

I actually like op’s golden poppies tiara, especially when being worn and with the accompanying earrings

Princess Astrid suffers from headaches, so the lighter the tiara, the better.

The crown Camilla is wearing in R5 was worn by the Queen Mother, hence the Rottweiler's big smile.

I actually like Camilla's. I don't care for her but the tiaras are quiet nice.

R55 I think she resented her place in life . She was the first born but had no succession rights as a girl . Her baby brother got that role . Astrid being the second child was never in that position of being passed over for a younger male sibling. I think that made her bitter .

Seeing R1 I can't help but think of Cousin Itt.

[quote] [R55] I think she resented her place in life . She was the first born but had no succession rights as a girl . Her baby brother got that role . Astrid being the second child was never in that position of being passed over for a younger male sibling. I think that made her bitter .

She resented losing her rank as a Royal Highness for marrying a commoner. Her nephew was allowed to marry a commoner with a "colorful past" and she being given the title of Crown Princess with the rank of Royal Highness really angered Ragnhild. But, these were decades apart and times had changed.

Kids! Kids! It’s not the tiaras that are ugly. It’s the faces of the queens wearing them that are ugly.

OP, the Queen of Denmark's golden poppy tiara is indeed hideous but at least it matches her smoke stained yellow teeth.

I like Princess Mary of Denmark (below) but the tiara and matching accessories looks a little heavy and over-the-top.

Princess Charlene of Monaco. I can't decide whether I hate the tiara or if she's just wearing it wrong.

The Double Laurel Leaf tiara on Princess Sofia of Sweden. At least it distracts from her wonky teeth.

R24, that tiara is one of two ‘cut steel’ tiaras in the Swedish collection, this is the smaller of the two and only reappeared within the last few years. They’re steel mostly, possibly some gold accents but also possibly brass. Neither are very flattering. From what I’ve read on jewelry blogs, highly polished cut steel looked great under sparkling candlelight and was considered a real novelty in the 19th century.

Charlene's tiara looks unique.

And the Swedish cameo tiara is pretty unique, too, and looks amazing - if it suits your facial features. Victoria looked lovely wearing it.

Now imagine Sofia wearing it - LOL.

The royal ladies of Luxembourg have plenty of tiaras at their disposal, so it’s a mystery to me why they use necklaces mounted on tiara frames. It can work with the right necklace, but not this one. Behold Hereditary Princess Stephanie, wife of the heir to the Luxembourg throne. That thing on her head looks like a complete afterthought.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge is overwhelmed by this large aquamarine tiara. Her hair is a mess. Did she get ready herself?

Let me try again sorry

Queen Rania of Jordan. The pointed top is just odd.

Rania's Ivy Leaf tiara. It would probably look better on a redhead. Or maybe I'm just being optimistic.

Sorry! Google is completely fucking with us now with how they handle images. I tried to link to a photo but it takes me to the website instead. I guess I’ll have to use Bing. Fuck this.

R72 this pic is 'shopped, you plonker.

Oh Rania, what the hell is this monstrosity?

That's one ugly tiara worn Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg.

This gold tiara may be in contention for the "ugliest tiara" contest.

The Spanish Duchess of Alba tiara is not pretty.

The King of Sweden's aunt wore this little number.

I'm not sure if I like this tiara but Princess Anne never looked better.

Queen Marie Josee of Italy (bottom right) was a beautiful woman but this tiara wore her, she didn't wear it.

The Hesse tiara. Many royals in the twenties wore tiaras on their foreheads. I'm not a fan of this style.

Princess Margaret's daughter Sarah wore this floral tiara at her wedding. It doesn't grab me.

This extravagant tiara overpowers Lady Astor.

Empress Farah Diba of Iran. The hairdos don't help the tiara look its best.

A tiara from the Belgian Royal Family. Should we wear it across the forehead or on the head?

Rule Number#1 - a tiara should never be bigger than a lady's head.

One of the most unusual tiaras around - The beautiful Queen Of Bhutan's Jade Tiara.

The Westminster Halo Tiara - it breaks Rule# 1 in R90.

Some tiaras look more like crowns. This is the Northumberland Tiara.

The late Queen Mum.

Please put your hands together and welcome to the stage your current reigning GRAND DUCHESS OF LUXEMBOURG!

Even the sublime Princess Grace of Monaco couldn't save this tiara.

Princess Astrid wasnt THAT ugly when young. She's teethy tho and kinda cross eyed.

Princess Mary's of Denmark's Ruby Tiara looks like something that dropped from a passing bird.

From the vaults of the Belgian and Luxembourg royal families...a tiara that is so boring it could be considered ugly.

The Greek Emerald Tiara - just plain ugly no matter how it was worn.

Astrid looks like she'd be a hoot after a few white wines.

Best Post ever....laughed all day!!!

R98 Mary worked hard for those bird droppings, what do you think she spit out those 4 kids for, her health?

Mary’s ruby parure may have graced the neck of a lady at the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor. It’s quite old, and has changed hands multiple times due to marriages and inheritance. They’re actually tiny rubies that are grouped together to look larger from a distance. The tiara was rebuilt twice for Mary, and most of the other pieces are extremely adaptable and can be worn in different ways.

Like for example the necklace can be shortened. The earrings can be shortened. Brooches can be made from leaves of the tiara, lots of variations. She’s worn it in more different ways than the previous owner Queen Ingrid did. And that’s what they’re for, wearing!

A little blog post on ugly tiaras

All that money and so little taste....

I disagree that the tiara should not be larger than the lady's head--the Westminster Halo Tiara looks lovely on Loelia Grosvenor in the photo up above. You can get away with a tiara that big if you're pretty enough.

Some of these tiaras are not bad at all. Please only post the hideous ones and save the nice ones for the other thread.

I like the Swedish cameo tiara on Princess Victoria. She's a big strapping Viking of a gal, and the tiny steel "Sarah Coventry" tiara looks ridiculous on her, while the big sucker with the cameos looks just right. She's probably the only princess who's ever looked good in it!

Some of the tiaras on this thread aren't actually ugly, they're just worn by the wrong person or with the wrong hairstyle. Or down on the forehead 1920s style.

Some of those old and ugly ones should be redesigned.

I think some of them could have the jewels removed and then the gold melted down so they could be re-purposed.

Two hideous ones I think that could be done to pretty easily are the "gold bandeau" of Princess Astrid at r2 and the Seventies golden tiara of Queen Sonja. those both belong to the Norwegian Crown, not the women individually, so when King Harald and both women die and Prince Haakon assumes the throne, Mette-Marit (as the new queen) could have them melted down and redesigned.

Of course, being Norwegian herself, she probably thinks they're beautiful!

It was the one at R2 I was thinking of too! It looks like it’s from the year 800 or something, either retire it to a museum or bring it up to date somehow. It’s rather unkind to expect a woman of today to wear it.

Here's a hideous one we somehow missed!

Queen Juliana, wearing the Dutch "Ears of Wheat" Tiara!

Some of the tiaras on this thread are actually wonderful.

Astrid looks like a 1970s transvestite. I have no doubt she's a lovely lady and a pleasure to know.

How odd. I'm reading this thread and just glanced over at the TV. It's showing a Psych rerun and there are a bunch of black hos running around a video arcade wearing rhinestone and plastic tiaras.

[quote]Queen Juliana, wearing the Dutch "Ears of Wheat" Tiara!

Her Royal Meemaw

Queen Juliana serving a Dame Edna lewk

The vast majority of these women are unfortunate looking. Okay. Butt hair ugly. The ugliness of the tiaras pales in comparison, in fact.

I'm really warming to Princess Astrid. She seems delightful.

Princess Astrid's sister was even uglier and teethier.

Does Cloris Leachman = Princess Astrid

Here's one that Princess Anne wears quite a bit, that was a gift from her grandmother the Queen Mother, who herself received it as an anniversary gift from her husband George VI: the Aquamarine Pine Cone Tiara. It doesn't look that bad from a distance, but it's just so weird that its motif are pine cones made of aquamarines. Why are they pine cones?

Princess Anne wearing the Aquamarine Pine Cone Tiara.

This Dutch tiara is called Queen Emma's Tiara. It's not so bad in and of itself, but Princess Laurentien shows us why it's necessary to have proper tiara hair if you're going to wear a tiara.

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This insane tiara is made of emeralds and a pink diamond, and is in the Persian crown jewels. it's from the 19th century, but i couldn't find a picture of anyone wearing it.

Queen Sofia of Spain wearing The Fleur de Lys Tiara.

Not a fan.

Recently Princess Charlene of Monaco, to make up for her miserable life trapped in Monte Carlo as Prince Albert's sex slave, was given a very odd new tiara called the Diamond Foam Tiara. It's very... modern...

Oh, I think it's lovely, R128. Is it Edwardian? And the one at R126 is totally cool.

The dragonfly tiara belonging to "Barbie" Castro

Too vertical and the top stones are too large. It would be a nightmare to keep from sliding down the side of the wearer's head.

It's real, but looks costume.

Just no.

Princess Fatimeh wore R126, but not frequently. You can barely see it in the picture below.

The pink stone is a spinel and the emeralds had been used in something prior as the drilled holes have been set with tiny diamonds.

Where in the hell is the rest of it??

I love the Duchess of Castro's dragonfly tiara from the 1890s. It's very Art Nouveau, and was designed by Lalique.

It would look prettier on a woman who did not always look like she was receiving instructions from outer space.

I love the aquamarine tiara with huge matching matching necklace Elizabeth wears above. It is certainly over-dramatic and too too Disney-pretty but Lillibet carries it off. She's probably one of the very few women who could.

[quote]R85 Many royals in the twenties wore tiaras on their foreheads. I'm not a fan of this style.

Di briefly gave this look a whirl.

In retrospect, it was probably a desperate cry for help.

^ Lots of us wore headbands in the 80s!

R136, that's absolutely lovely, but it's it more of a crown than a tiara?

And Princess Charlott's "seafoam" tiara is pretty nifty as well, and apparently she can either wear half of it as a spray or both halves as a full tiara. It'd look stunning on a woman who didn't always look like she's about to burst into tears.

I think the one in the OP is very beautiful...though it would be prettier in silver.

The matching earrings are overkill, though.

R138, QE's massive aquamarine tiara would be pretty fabulous, if she weren't wearing it with two equally huge necklaces and a pair of whopping big earrings.

God knows how many rings, bracelets, medals, and brooches she's got on out of camera range.

[quote]R140 Lots of us wore headbands in the 80s!

We know, Livy.

Lol r6, I agree!

I posted above about loving many of the tiaras here and reposted The Queen's aquamarine tiara. I also love r10's Swedish tiara. Yes it's unconventionial but also dignified and exquisite.

The one on the left (on Aline, Condesa de Romanones) picks up radio transmission....

Well maybe dignified isn't the right word but I still think it's distinctly unique and classic.

Oh jesus f-ing christ......!!

Cathleen Florence May, Duchess of Newcastle

Some kind of head piece.. may not be a tiara but anyway...

R125 Wow, people comment on her yellow teeth all the time but I didn't know they were THAT bad. They're almost brown. YUCK!!! Nobody expects elderly head of states to look like movie stars, but what's keeping her from bleaching them to at least a normal shade?

I think the headpiece is called a mantilla. I have no idea what that is under the mantilla.

Lord above, R149! That one looks like something out of an 80s sci-fi movie!

And I love turquoise, but I hate this tiara. I believe this is a young Duchess of Alba with the big lumps of rock on her head.

r141, technically it is a circlet.

I have a reference book on gemstones, and it points out that without extremely close examination, it's almost impossible to tell the finest flawless turquoise from turquoise-colored plastic.

Hence a tiara that looks like it's cheap plastic.

The really bad ones look like they're trying too hard. But then, I guess the whole point is so a crowd of commoners can see them from a distance...so it's tricky.

One of Princess Grace's was small, and while it may have been in better taste, it just looked dinky.

r156, do you know who is and isn't a commoner?

R156 Maybe not.

I would think...the untitled (ie, majority of population, who gather outside in mobs to spot royalty.)

Taste wise, this is a good compromise...big stones in a fairly simple band.

(Queen Maxima of Orange-Nassau) (Netherlands)

R152 - She was the Duchess of Alba (Spanish). She died in 2014.

She liked to dance up until the end.

Oh, The Duchess of Alba was divine and legendary and should be the Patron Saint of DL. She at least deserves her own thread if theren't already many.

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Re: r162

Sorry....her much younger [italic]husband,[/italic] not boyfriend.

Wow - she was worth 3 billion? Isn't that far more than Queen Elizabeth is even estimated to be worth?

R162, she didn't leave him anything in her will to avoid inheritance battles but she left him quite comfortable in gifts and bequests while she was alive.

And yes, r164. She was worth much, much more than Elizabeth. And she was fabulous! She was smart, fun, and had one of the most incredible royal pedigrees ever. And she just kept dancing and loving it all.

The Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna would like to remind everyone that the office fridge is being cleaned out on Friday.

Are those DIAMONDS, R159? I guess you can go with simple if your rocks are the size of gobsmackers.

lol she does have frauface r166

The Duchess of Alba had a huge amount of titles, but not really pedigree. At least not royal. The Spanish nobility never intermarried with the Spanish royalty. They were considered the servants of the King and his family, even if they were richer and/or had more titles.

R141’s is stunning and shouldn’t be in this thread.

I'm fascinated by her worth ... to amass 3 billion is quite impressive... especially when Lillbet only has a measly 500 mil (est)

Link isn't working. Here's article:

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[bold]Duchess of Alba, who died aged 88, leaves NOTHING to her 64-year-old toyboy while her six children get the £3billion fortune - and a palace each[/bold]

* Duchess of Alba, known as 'Cayetana', had a £2.2billion fortune and owned palaces, castles and fine works of art * The 88-year-old was rushed to hospital on Sunday with pneumonia and two days ago showed signs of recovery * She raised eyebrows and caused family friction in 2011 when she married a man 25 years her junior, Alfonso Diez * A relative of Winston Churchill, the duchess shared toys with Queen Elizabeth while living in England as a girl * Following her death, her six children are set to inherit a palace each as well as large acres of land across Spain

The six children of Spain's flamboyant billionaire, the Duchess of Alba, are set to inherit a palace each following her death aged 88.

Worth an estimated £2.2billion, the Spanish duchess was one of Europe's wealthiest aristocrats when she passed away yesterday at her Seville residence, Duenas Palace.

Friends, relatives and well-wishers paid their respects to the duchess, also known as 'Cayetana', after she died following a battle with pneumonia.

Her 64-year-old husband Alfonso Diez, who is 24 years her junior, was said to be at her bedside when she passed.

He is not set to receive any of her fortune, which includes an impressive property portfolio, 50,000 pieces of artwork and 18,000 rare books, after he signed a document renouncing himself from her wealth prior to their marriage in October 2011.

Instead, the Duchess - who is a direct royal descent from King James II of England - has left her entire estate to her six children, with them each receiving a palace, as well as thousands of acres of land. Her eight grandchildren are also said to have inherited a substantial chunk of her estate.

Details of her will were published prior to her marriage to Diez three years ago after she announced she had divided her estate among her children.

It came after a family feud following objections from her relatives that she wed Diez, who was a civil servant.

At the time, she confirmed her third husband had signed an official document renouncing any claim to her wealth and said: 'Alfonso doesn't want anything. All he wants is me.'

The owner of fabulous palaces and priceless works of art, Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia FranciscaFitz-James Stuart y Silva, known as 'Cayetana', was known for her flamboyant lifestyle and was the world's most titled person, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

The duchess last came to international attention in 2011 when she - then aged 85 - danced flamenco at her third wedding to Diez, who she married despite objections from her six children.

To win their approval Diez renounced any claim to the duchess's wealth and just before the wedding she divided up much of her estate among her five sons and one daughter in her will.

However, she kept control over the assets - reputedly worth between 600 million and 3.5 billion euros ($750 million and $4.4 billion) - until her death.

With her cloud of white hair and face moulded by plastic surgery, she was rarely out of the Spanish gossip magazines.

'If they forget you, you are nobody,' she once told one of the Spanish celebrity magazines of which she was a fixture. Many of the palaces, castles and works of art belonging to the House of Alba have restrictions placed on their sale because of their historic importance for Spain.

'I don't like to talk about money. Many people confuse having cash with having assets - we've never had a lot of cash,' she wrote in her autobiography.

(Marrying the boy toy, below.) (He was 20 years younger)

Queen Silvia @ R14 was gorgeous when she was young. Unfortunately, she's had too much work done and now she has that Joker-esque look.

I agree, R170. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's ugly. I think it's gorgeous.

Ya'll realize that all these queens and princesses of today would be at best the "morganatic" wives of the royal mensfolk of yesteryear.

You mean, before women could inherit? Why wouldn't they get the title though?

The [italic]Little Mermaid[/italic] look.

Countess Ruth of Rosenborg, wife of Prince Flemming Valdemar (Denmark)

I agree with r170 and r174 that r170's piece is exquisite. I posted way back in the thread that some of the examples posted in this thread are actually wonderful.

R172, The Duchess of Alba's children were suspicious her "young" husband might be a gold digger, so all that was taken care of before the marriage. Everyone was satisfied with the various pre-nuptial contracts and her new will before the marriage. He didn't inherit but he was well taken care of. He was no spring chicken himself, provided her with genuine loving companionship and not greedy.

R167

Yes! It's called the "Dutch Diamond Bandeau," apparently made in 1937.

It's more than a hundred carats.

[quote]The Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna would like to remind everyone that the office fridge is being cleaned out on Friday.

R166 LOL!! Best description ever. The makeup reminds me of Mimi from the Drew Carey show.

For all of their (supposed) wealth and refinement, there sure is a lot of awful taste amongst the royals. Eyeglasses and tiaras should just never be worn together. Contacts, LASIK, or have your lady-in-waiting lead you by the hand, IDC what you do, just no to the glasses/tiara combo.

I think one main issue is that the really flowery, decorative, delicate designs should be left to the younger women. Meanwhile only older woman can successfully pull off the stronger, more minimalist designs.

[quote] there sure is a lot of awful taste amongst the royals. Eyeglasses and tiaras should just never be worn together. Contacts, LASIK, or have your lady-in-waiting lead you by the hand, IDC what you do, just no to the glasses/tiara combo.

One would hope this needn't have to be explained to them, but apparently it does.

What do they really have to [italic]see[/italic] super clearly for the night? It's not like they're driving.

Old money is like that, though. They don't think of it as looking like Ginny in billing. They just enjoy being able to see, and if the readers clash with the rocks, then so be it.

I blame the inbreeding....

I wish I could find a picture of this emerald and diamond kokoshnik tiara being worn by a Tsarina, it doesn't seem to have the right shape for a tiara at all and probably looks ghastly on. I keep wondering if it should be worn the other way up.

Maybe it's a very fancy napkin ring?

Wow, now THAT is an ugly tiara, R184. Even the emeralds are ugly - how is that even possible.

I've been unable to find out where this little monstrosity came from, but it's combination of ivy leaves, cutesy cameos, and a discordant Greek key band is uniquely hideous.

Ick. Any of the elements would be fine on their own, but not mishmashed together : (

As far as I can tell this coral tiara isn't royal or owned by an aristocrat worthy of mention... but I still think it belongs in this thread.

Fuck, I can't sleep and I have nothing better to do that look for ugly tiaras.

Some of these tiaras are artistically significant in that they may be very representative of the period they were created, and signed by the original jeweler. So in that case, it makes it difficult for the family to make the decision to scrap it down for stones and gold/platinum if it’s considered a fine example of Art Deco or Art Nouveau from an established jewelry house like Merillio or Faberge. It’s worth something more than just the components by themselves. There’s also provenance of the pieces. A tiara that passes from a Romanov Grand Duchess who married into a continental royal/princely family and then makes its way to several significant royal heads over the generations is a precious heirloom, the various owners makes it valuable. The current owners know they’d be frowned upon for destroying such pieces just for financial gain. So, they’re stuck with them. Else, they auction them in their complete stage with original case and papers. It leaves the family, and winds up in the bank vault of an anonymous collector and never seen again.

So the jewelers are the ones who design the uglies?

R184 isn't hideous. It needs very high, very structured hair.

R189 That looks like a disease

[quote] The one on the left (on Aline, Condesa de Romanones) picks up radio transmission....

Well, she was a spy, so it's not so far fetched.

Oh, Norway.

Oh, Birgitta.

Well, she did find a way to distract from odd tiaras.

I got to see the Devonshire parure in person. Here's one of the tiaras. There's a lot going on there.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the ugliest tiara of all?

The royal ladies were competing at the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II.

The final test: How many jewels can you wear without falling over?

The royal ladies were competing at the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II.

The final test: How many jewels can you wear without falling over?

Sorry but posting twice.

I'm not a fan of this turquoise tiara of ex-Empress Farah of Iran.

A Russian grand duchess wore a tiara AND a crown for her wedding. Both were ugly.

Little Lady Rose Windsor stole her mother's tiara. The bloody nerve. The Duchess was amused.

They had big crowns but lost their throne. There's a lesson there.

Rule No# 2: don't wear a tiara that is practically the same color as your hair.

This Queen Rania tiara seems to be floating.

I have a couple of these.

Sometimes I wear them at the same time sideways.

Aerodynamic!

And I look like a raptor in them, too.

Empire, hear me roar!

I never liked this tiara that Diana wore. It was just a blasé and lifeless blob stuck on her head.

Turquoise is tricky, and not just because of all the ways stabilization (it's such an easily damaged stone and it can lose color when exposed overmuch in its natural state) and falsification can produce the plastic effect R115 cited.

I like the Persian Turquoise Tiara, a gift from George V to Cookie when she married Bertie. It is part of a parure, and Elizabeth the QM had a row of diamonds removed to simplify it. She gave it to Margaret on her 21st birthday, but it seldom looked good on her because of the blousy, high-hair looks she fancied before her collapse(s).

The many hairdos of Queen Sonja of Norway did nothing to enhance the Empress Josephine Emerald Tiara.

The tallest square emerald in the middle probably could hold a secret camera.

I had it made into a gunt-trellis when I "inherited" it..

Tiaras be damned...Move aside. No one can top me! Get yourselves a heavy crown and then we can talk.

The former Queen Anne Marie of Greece wearing a ruby tiara. If that wasn't bad enough, she had to wear a matching necklace that looks like a Mayor's chain of office.

Amethysts would be difficult to pull off. Hair color, eye color and dress color would have to be carefully considered.

The asymmetrical setting on the top left in that amethyst necklace makes me wince.

I don't like this Scroll Tiara. Catherine wore it on her wedding day.

The Battenberg Tiara, worn here by Princess Alice, Prince Philip's late mother, "looks" fake anc cheap.

The Floral Button Tiara worn by Sophie the Countess of Wessex on her wedding day did nothing for her.

I rather like the ruby tiara R212 shared. And it's not like the Greeks have the money to reset and refashion. However, the necklace would look better chopped up and redistributed in a more stylish way - it NEVER would have looked good, in any era. The Borgias, at least, had the excuse of the state of goldsmithing and gem cutting at the time.

Actually, after looking at all these tiaras, I think the whimsy of op’s poppy tiara makes it the most beautiful. And I like the matching earrings.

Princess Shahnaz - is the hair wearing the tiara or is the tiara wearing the hair? That is the question.

Those sixties hairdos were gravity defying feats of madness.

The Marchioness of Queensberry - what can one say?

Does this count as a tiara?

It’s amazing that the Greeks managed to hold onto to their rubies and emerald sets. Their value must be priceless. They have finer jewels than actual reigning houses like Belgium. Ex-King Constantine must have made it out of Greece with some serious money that he was able to resist selling them prior to the influx of cash when he got the dowry from Maria Chantal Miller.

The slinky sylph groom at R201, yummy.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Before she fried herself to a crisp in the sun, Princess Brigitta of Sweden was genuinely pretty when young, and she made a genuinely lovely bride. here she is on her wedding day wearing the traditional Cameo Crown the Swedish royal women wear on their wedding days.

Her groom was HOT.

R219, the person who says she likes the poppy abomination the best.

No, not ugly.

But such an unfortunate example of cultural appropriation.

Which is ugly, in its own way.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

Sometimes no tiara is pretty enough.

The Greek royal family is doing badly, considering the decades of disconnection from their former wealth. You know, of course, they're just ancillary members of the House of Glücksburg, intermarried everywhere and keepers of the thrones of both Norway and Denmark as well as, in the past, Greece.

Prince Pavlos' wife's family is worth more than 2 billion dollars, Constantine made something like 10 million dollars off the Greek government for dropping his claims to property there, and a sale of family silver and other odd items in 2007 brought about 18 million dollars. The London house is worth over 5 million dollars. It all adds up.

I don't believe they ever had to trade or paste-off the major family jewels, the pieces they retained.

Most of us jewel fans think Maria Vladimirovna was wearing a fake hair ornament to that event.

R230, you must mean “not doing badly” no? Because it sounds like there’s money in the bank.

R227,no, you are!!!........na na na na naaa na....

Yes, R232, I accidentally deleted the "not." The marriage of the so-called Crown Prince certainly sets the dynasty-in-exile up for a long time to come.

Thanks for the correction.

Jewels do not retain their value, unless they are very famous ones.

I’m not unhappy that the Greek royal family lost their throne, monarchist that I am. The Greek people don’t need those Germans, sorry ‘Danes’, as their representatives. I don’t see them ever reclaiming it. Serbia, Romania, and Montenegro have a better chance. The time for a foreign Greek monarchy is well past, and rightly so.

There's no such thing as a bad tiara, they're all fabulous.

Hard to pull 'em off though. Brigitte is KILLING it with her whole vibe.

Queen Sylvia of Buganda (Uganda). Beautiful woman

More queen Sylvia

The Nnabagereka (Queen) Sylvia Nagginda Luswata

I think tiaras look fabulous in those big 60s hairdos like in R220.

R149 is definitely the most hideous.

Does anyone know who this dreadful tiara with enamel bits on belongs to?

It's associated with a page of Duchess of Cornwall stuff, but I haven't seen her actually wearing it. It's comforting to know that there is jewelry in this world so hideous that even she won't pile it on.

[quote][italic]"Does anyone know who this dreadful tiara with enamel bits on it belongs to?"[/italic]

I'm hearing you announcing this on the DataLounge P.A. system...!

If I DID announce it on the Datalounge PA system, R244, I'd probably get an answer!

Which is why I love it here.

[italic]"Would the owner of a dreadful tiara with enamel bits on it please report to Muriel's office? Anyone seen wearing, or associating with, such a tiara will be immediately detained. This is a CODE MAGENTA violation of the 'DL Style Guide,' 4th Edition. Surrender yourself now, and no harm will come to you.."

I know, but I'm on break.

I'll get back to you when I'm back on the clock.

Okay, break's over.

It belonged to Helena, Duchess of Albany and was either given to or left to her by her mother-in-law, Queen Vic. Helena pawned it off on Queen Mary in exchange for something less hideous for the wedding of her daughter, Princess Alice. Sadly, they both ended up wearing teacups on their heads.

It's currently in the Indian Collection, but unlike the Koh-i-Noor, India doesn't want the stones back. I can't imagine why!

R248, you are awesome!

But are you awesome enough to explain why those ladies are wearing ermine and teacups, and sitting on a heap of velvet?

Thank you, r249. I'm awesome enough to know that sitting in a massive pile of velvet was a Victorian/Edwardian precursor to Depends.

A lady never walks away leaving the sign of the cross on her chair!

So sad that US First Ladies don't wear tiaras. Mamie would have divine sporting one.

Can't you see her making her famous fudge in one?

Ahem R251. I'm first lady

R251 Did you meet me?

Now that the preview links are busted, would people please explain what their photo link is?

^ Turn off link previews in your settings and you can click the links to open them in a new window.

Here's an unusual one: Tiara of horn and moonstone made by FJ Partridge for Liberty & Co, England, c.1900.

The perfect tiara when you're going to marry an old goat

For when you're marrying an osteopath/alternative medicine specialist

A jewel of the House of Hesse (perfect for marrying into the Wonder Bread fortune)

A Lalique that is perfect for a "Lord of the Flies" themed wedding

Pagan wedding

Pagan Royalty Wedding at Michfest

R258 & r260 are pretty hideous.

When you're marrying a Sea Monkey

DISCO BALLS

A tiara for a steampunk wedding. Words fail.

Those aren’t teacups on their heads. They were dressed for the coronation of George V, those things on their heads are miniature open crowns called coronets. It was their right to wear one as a Princess of The UK of GB and Ireland. They would be wearing purple velvet robes trimmed with ermine too. A coronation used to be quite a show, I hope when Charles and Camilla are crowned the rumored changes to the ceremony don’t include the royal garb of princesses.

I'm gobsmacked over some of those necklaces.

Damn! Some monster rocks going on.

Someone on the other thread mentioned that Wallis Simpson had an emerald-and-diamond tiara she never wore. Good thing she kept it out of sight, isn't it, the thing is hideous!

Apparently the things that look like rough black marbles are emeralds the size of... marbles.

I like the wheat one.

And I like the art nouveau one at R256, the one made of horn and moonstone.

But I'm absolutely fucking mystified by the diamond goat at R257!

The wheat one is beautiful.

So is the one worn by the Monacco Queen.

Every time this comes up in my thread watcher, I think it says "the ugliest trans" . This has happened a dozen times now. Do I have dyslexia or has DL conditioned me?

[quote]I'm absolutely fucking mystified by the diamond goat at [R257]!

Maybe the goat is on their family crest or something.

[quote]Those aren’t teacups on their heads.

Oh, fank you, r267! I was always told that DL's most reviled idiom, "spill the tea," began with the Helena's penchant for tilting her head when she whispered gossip, scalding the recipient in the process.

So good to know that's not the case.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Okay, that also didn't work.

[quote]R276 try this one and close the space before the colon...

Why don't YOU try closing the space before YOUR colon??

Yes the goat (actually a ram) is the emblem of the royal family of Albania. There’s a very old crown that has some association with the old principality of Albania (before it was a kingdom) that looks like a Viking helmet with a ram on top. So this tiara is supposed to call back to that. Even the present day Crown Princess of Albania wears a diamond and sapphire tiara with a small ram on it. Poor thing.

Sapphire ram head tiara of Albania, worn by the new Crown Princess at her wedding a few years ago.

[quote] Every time this comes up in my thread watcher, I think it says "the ugliest trans"

That would be quite a thread!

....

When will these bitches learn that if you're wearing a tiara with a frame an inch high, you've got to fluff your hair up a bit to keep the scaffolding from being visible! NO SLEEK HAIR WITH TIARAS!!

And I don't like the tiara a bit, and not just because of the scaffolding. I suppose it's meant to be grape vines, but all the pave diamonds make the "grape leaves" look like they have some plant disease.

I actually love the tiara at R283 but I agree that the 'scaffolding' needs to be hidden.

Crown Princess Mary had the tiara of R283 rebuilt. The framework isn’t as visible now.

Bumping thread in honor of the royal nuptials

OH NOES! Princess Astrid and Queen Margrethe must combine their bejeweled powers in Scandinavian solidarity!

William H Macy is SHOCKED by this news.

I condole you, William.

What has become of Queen Noor's starburst tiara? It's one of the prettier ones.

What I don't understand about that story, R287, is that the Swedes apparently have multiple sets of crown jewels. Enough pairs that this pair was displayed in a church. That seems like a rather humble setting, even if the people who wore them are buried there.

I thought each country only had one set of crown jewels which were passed down the line from ruler to ruler. They also must have been really rich if they buried the royals with their jewels?

The Duchess of Manchester at the Coronation of King George V

Queen Nazli, who later settled in LA.

I'd never heard of a Duchess of Manchester so I looked it up in Wiki. Talk about a family spiraling downhill from that time period. The 12th Duke (now dead) makes MM's family look high class.

R294 If you think the Duchess of Manchester was scandalous you should read about the adventures of [BOLD] Norah, Lady Docker.[/BOLD]

She should be a DataLounge poster girl. Sure there is a pic of her in a Tiara, gets mixed up in her infamy though

Princess Astrid looks like a sweet, fun lady.

You can bid on this dazzling fleur-de-lis tiara from the Bourbon Parma family. It's estimated bid range is $350,000 to $550,000.

R292, that gal looks like a character from "Alice in Wonderland"!

Farah Pahlavi, last Empress of Iran, deserved to lose her throne for this alone.

Camilla at R4, oh honeychild all the bonding in the world ain't gonna hide them indjun winged incisors and shovel teeth.