Favourite Royal Tiaras and Crowns

The Boucheron Tiara that Beatrice wore to her wedding. Truly stunning.

Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. I think it is the quintessential tiara look, that would work on any woman's head. It just screems head bitch in charge.

I absolutely ADORE the Meander tiara which represents the Greek heritage of the current Mountbatten-Windsors. It's so minimalistic and just so... classic.

This tiara was a wedding present to Elizabeth from her mother-in-law, Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark. The Meander Tiara is in the classical Greek key pattern, with a large diamond in the centre enclosed by a laurel wreath of diamonds. It also incorporates a wreath of leaves and scrolls on either side.

The Queen has never worn this item in public, and it was given in 1972 to her daughter, Princess Anne, who has frequently worn the tiara in public, notably during her engagement to Captain Mark Phillips and for an official portrait marking her 50th birthday. Anne lent the tiara to her daughter, Zara Philips, to use at her wedding to Mike Tindall in 2011.

Norway's Crown Princess Mary's Ruby Parure Tiara is one of my many fav's.

Very nice, R4. For me, QEII's Burmese Rubies Tiara is probably the crown I like the least. Very cheap 70s style IMO.

[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.]

Supposedly it was not her first choice (she coveted a tiara with emeralds; the flap was called Tiaragate) but I thought the tiara Meghan Markle wore at her wedding to Harry was beautiful and went with her gown perfectly. It was Queen Mary's bandeau tiara. The center stone of the tiara is a brooch, which features ten diamonds and which Mary of Teck received as gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893 when she married then-Prince George, Duke of York. Forty years later, in 1932, the diamond and platinum bandeau tiara was specifically made to accommodate the brooch. The tiara is a flexible band of eleven sections, featuring interlaced ovals and pavé diamonds along with large and small brilliant diamonds. Queen Mary officially bequeathed the tiara to Queen Elizabeth when she died in 1953. Not gaudy like a lot of other tiaras, its simplicity makes it even more beautiful and dazzling.

I prefer this crown -

A pity these crowns and tiaras are wasted on old women and their ill-favored grandchildren.

Oh to see a sensual, svelte (NOT ANORECTIC, sorry Kate) woman in a beautiful tiara...

I think Camilla wears The Greville tiara beautifully. Not many can.

r4, that is indeed princess Mary wearing that tiara in your photo, but she is the crown princess of Denmark, not Norway. The Crown Princess of Norway is named Mette-Marit.

r7, the emerald tiara Meghan coveted is the one at r6: the Vladimir tiara. it is one of the queen's favorites, and probably her "blingiest" tiara since the Cambridge emeralds (often worn with it) are so huge. It will probably only be worn by whoever is queen--whether regnant or the current queen consort. Which brings me to r9...

r9, big jewels are supposed to be worn by older women, to distract from their wrinkles. Younger women in European and British society are supposed to wear smaller jewels, especially if they are pretty (as Kate and Meghan are), because their beauty is supposed to be ornament enough. So it makes sense that Camilla wears the big tiaras often to the crown by the Queen Mother.

The exception to that rule is always whoever is queen--they can wear big jewels when young, as Elizabeth II did. But that was because of her station, not because they would enhance her looks.

Many of Elizabeth II's tiaras will probably never be worn by anyone else in her lifetime: the Vladimir tiara, the big one with the rubies at r5, the big sapphire tiara (which is as equally ugly as the ruby one), the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara at r2, and the Imperial State diadem. They're just too big of a deal to lend to anyone else. Her daughter and her daughters-in-law get the castoffs.

Liz Taylor had one (of course she would). It was given to her by Mike Todd. The tiara dated from around 1880 and was made of old mine-cut diamonds mounted in platinum and gold in a design that includes central scroll motifs topped by single diamonds and separated by latticework. It was sold when her jewelry was auctioned off at her death. It carried an estimated price of just $60,000 - $80,000, but bidders were enthusiastic throughout the sale and in the end the tiara sold for $4,226,500. Its current whereabouts are unknown. Back when Liz first got it it was considered unusual for someone technically royalty to be wearing a tiara; when questioned about the propriety of wearing one Liz supposedly said "Doesn't every girl have one?"

This is the queen's sapphire tiara and parure, given to her by her father George VI. She looks great in sapphires because of her intense blue eyes, but I think the design of this tiara is pretty ugly even so.

R9 Okay, Miranda

R12 pics please?

R13, here is QEIIs Brazilian Aquamarine tiara. I can't decide whether I love it or hate it. It's super over the top and, apparently, she kept adding to it throughout the years because the Brazilians gifted her a ton of aquamarines. There are also other jewels to go with it - a heavy necklace and earrings, and maybe more.

Here you go - Tiara-rama

It looks nice and pretty modest, R17 - in no way inappropriate IMO.

r18 - yes, it was perfect for her because of it's verticality, it added height to her. The picture is a candid. Here's a younger, slimmer Liz w/Todd.

You can wear tiaras if you're not royal--most of the married British female aristocrats have them. And women in British and French and American high society used to wear them occasionally for the most special of special occasions.

The only thing that should prohibit you from wearing a tiara is if you've not been married. Only women who have been married are supposed to wear them.

Also, they're to be worn only for the fanciest of occasions: formal dinners while entertaining very special guests, balls, attending the opening of the opera season. About the only reason to wear them during the day would be for a coronation.

I prefer the Teck Tiara. A big tiara for a big woman, who wore it well.

The tiara’s first wearer was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. She was the granddaughter of one king (George III) and the grandmother of two more (Edward VIII and George VI). Mary Adelaide married Francis, the Duke of Teck, and they became the parents of Queen Mary, linking them back once more to the main line of the royal family.

Interesting! I've never heard the married woman rule, R20. Why does it exist, do you know? I've always connected tiaras with princesses, i.e. unmarried young women.

Teck Teck Teck!

If you want to follow the age-old tradition, then tiaras are only supposed to be worn by brides on their wedding day or by married women. This is because of the tiaras roots in classical antiquity - it was seen as the emblem of the loss of innocence to the crowning of love.

You learn something new every day! Thanks, R25!

Love the Cambridge Lover's Knot

and the Grand Duchess Vladimir

And the State Diadem but I think that it reserved for a reigning Queen or Queen Consort.

Only fancy occasions, R20?

I, for one, like to wear mine when I’m doing the Sunday housework — just me, my tiara, and my feather duster.

(Sometimes that’s all I have on, tee hee hee!)

Seriously, I really enjoy this thread, thank you OP.

R4 . That tiara that Princess Mary of Denmark is wearing is stunning. Damn, it's gorgeous...and so is Mary.

I have to post it again:

[quote] Interesting! I've never heard the married woman rule, [R20]. Why does it exist, do you know? I've always connected tiaras with princesses, i.e. unmarried young women.

For some reason that's just a rule, and even still most aristocrats and royals obey it. (Princess Margaret was an exception.)

You won't find a non-Photoshopped picture of Princess Beatrice in a tiara, nor her sister Eugenie in one until her wedding day.

Here's all the rules about tiaras.

Married women, women on their weedding day and princesses of the blood royal can wear tiaras, according to this. That explains why Margaret wore one before she married, but it doesn't explain why Beatrice and Eugenie haven't worn them before their wedding days (since they are of the blood royal, they should be able to)

I like the big, OTT ones that would be appropriate for a Miss Gay America or Drag Race queen ...

* The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara (UK)

* The Empire Tiara (Luxembourg)

* Queen Sophie's Tiara (Greece)

* The Braganza Tiara (Sweden)

* The Stuart Tiara (Netherlands)

Classic thread on ugly tiaras

Hahhhaha, thank you, R36. Gotta love Princess Astrid and her antennae :D

The big ones just look like party hats.

Does any other ruling house have a collection like the British? Seems they really cleaned up in Victoria's time.. I feel bad for these little kingdoms filled with Queen that must choose between maybe 3 gaudy tiaras and one modest selection, the Elizabeth would have gifted to a distant cousin decades ago.

Actually, r39, although nobody has a collection quite like the queen's in size, some of the other royal houses have equally nice stuff. Maxima, the queen of the Netherlands, has incredible jewels, and so do the Spanish and Swedish royal families--and Belgium and even Liechtenstein and Luxembourg have some decent stuff too. Norway has the most pathetic stuff, but it's hard to imagine they care much.

Fuck off bitches. It's not the tiara, but the white princess wearing the tiara.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir (known in the family as "Miechen") wearing her tiara. It was bought by Queen Mary after the Grand Duchess' death.

Here is old Diamond Drawers herself, wearing the Vladimir Tiara with the Cambridge Emeralds fitted for it.

Am not sure if this is true, or if rules have changed over years but IIRC historically yes any woman could wear a tiara but only royal or noble ladies in presence of monarch/BRF. Only other qualification seems to be that woman in question must be married, or at least once was (widowed, but now guess divorcees are included).

Lady Diana as a daughter of peer wore a tiara when she walked up the aisle at her wedding. OTHO Sarah Ferguson did not (if memory serves) , but after being pronounced "man and wife" Prince Andrew and the Princess Andrew withdrew to sign the registry; there headpiece duchess of York wore previously was swapped out for a tiara.

In early part of last century la belle monde in USA fashioned itself after the royal courts of Europe, along with nobility and high society. The grand ladies of United States were determined to have everything (and more) that European women did, this includes grand houses and jewels. As such yes, many American women wore tiaras.

The Russian Large Pearl Pendant Tiara is my vote.

Sadly it like many other jewels belonging to the Romanovs was seized during revolution and hasn't been seen since.

My absolute favorite is the Cyclamen tiara which is owned by the Duke of Westminster. It seems to be only a show piece displayed in museums. I think there's only one known photo of it being worn and it's not really visible since the photo is ancient in B&W and the wearer's upswept hair conceals it.

I never liked the Vladimir tiara, it looks very heavy, and the design is repetitive and lacks delicacy. IMHO it's really too much for a small woman like Elizabeth, although maybe a bigger gal like Princess Victoria of Sweden could carry it off.

It's more attractive with the pearls in it. I mean, I love emeralds and wish I could wear them to work and the grocery store, but they do nothing for this particular tiara. At least the pearls give it a bit of delicacy.

I love this tiara, a favorite of Queen Letizia's. It's very beautiful, Queen Sophia and the two infants have worn it as well. Francisco Franco gave then Princess Sophia The Spanish Floral Tiara's as a wedding gift. Strange to think the Falangist dictator had such good taste.

Let's not forget Diana wearing the Spencer tiara. She wore tiara's with aplomb, a factor of her face, hairstyle and the fashions of the Big 80s.

[QUOTE] Guess which duchess it will never go to, for any reason? Guess who will never, ever, ever get to wear it? EVER.

And guess which duchess does not give a flying fuck about the fusty queen and her ugly tiaras? If she cared what the spazzy queen thought, she wouldn't be spending Christmas in the Maldives with Harry and Archie.

R49 I always felt Diana’s horsey face made her tiaras look like expensive show bridles.

Diana was ugly. Thin lips, huge nose, hooded eyes and dykey hair.

As during French Revolution when France finally got rid of both the Bourbons and Bonapartes, it had the mother of all jewel sales. While a few pieces were kept most of the lot which had made up the "crown" and other jewels belonging to French royal (Bourbon) or imperial (Bonaparte) family was sold at auction.

History has repeated itself as now just like France and various French groups are spending huge sums to get back furniture, furnishings, and art from the infamous Versailles auction, they are doing so with the jewels as well.

One piece was a magnificent tiara once owned by Empress Eugenie (was a wedding present from her husband Emperor Napoleon III.

Wedding present or not, the magnificent pearl and diamond tiara was considered part of state French crown jewels, and thus empress Eugenie couldn't take it with her when fleeing France into exile. The piece along with others was at first on public exhibit, then when into that aforementioned fire sale.

Last owner was none other than that 1980' bad girl princess Gloria von Thurn and Taxis . Having been purchased by the von Thurn and Taxis family decades prior Princess Gloria sold it as part of a huge unloading of art and other things in the mother of estate sales after Prince Johannes died.

I wonder how long it takes to make these elaborate tiara-ready hairstyles like the one on Queen Letizia ^ or even Elizabeth's usual regal curls? Any info on that?

Anyway, I like this tiara in the picture. I think Liz was married in it and it's really the absolute perfection in simplicity and style. My quick check reveals that it's called Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara and was originally a necklace.

Looks like green eyeliner to match the jewels at r49!

I've always been partial to the Braganza Tiara owned by the Swedish royals. Queen Silvia does do it justice.

Empress Alexandra suffered from migraines, among other things. Tiaras brought about severe headaches, so she commissioned one that was much lighter. It was sold by the Soviets in the 1920s.

Here's Gloria Thurn un Taxis wearing Empress Eugenie's pearl tiara... with an 80s perm.

So why did she hold a fire sale? Did she succeed in wasting her husband's reportedly humongous fortune?

Margaret loved this crown because she was short, and it gave her some height.

I'm watching "Victoria" on Amazon Prime now. Not sure how historically accurate the costumes are, but some nice tiaras & crowns to look at.

R58 Prince Johannes was quite good at spending down his family's fortune. Gloria sold it shortly after he died, to pay of debts and estate taxes. It was bought by the "Friends of the Louvre" and donated to the Louvre.

Princess Charlene (Monaco) in the Lorenz Baumer Diamond Spray Tiara.

[quote] It's very beautiful, Queen Sophia and the two infants have worn it as well.

I think you mean "the two infantas." An infant would be too young to wear a tiara!

I don't really like the Lorenz Baumer Diamond Spray Tiara. The idea is good but to me, it looks cheap and like a head decoration for some New Year's Eve school play or pageant.

Princess Charlene doesn't seem to like it either. She hardly ever wears it, preferring another tiara, the Ocean Tara (pictured), that Prince Albert bought her for her wedding, or to go (sometimes in defiance of convention) without a tiara at all.

The Ocean Tiara is GORGEOUS, R65! And looks great on her with that short hairstyle.

He gave her two water-themed tiaras because she's a swimmer, which is kind of sweet.

I wonder if it's still true (as had been rumored) that she's a virtual prisoner in the palace and cannot leave Monaco? That would be less sweet.

Albert fathered a child by another woman while he was with Charlene, before they married. I heard that she tried to leave him so many times that her passport was confiscated to prevent her fleeing Monaco.

Poor Charlene looks so unhappy at R62.

This is horrible, if true, R67 R68. There is something wrong with this Albert. I'm convinced he's not straight and it's all for appearances but keeping a woman against her will is sadistic and scary.

The City of London tiara worn by the Kents is one of my favorites.

I can't figure out why Princess Michael got all the nice tiaras and jewels when Princess Marina died, and yet the Duchess of Kent (the wife of Prince Michael's older brother, the Duke of Kent) didn't get nearly so much. The Duchess outranks Princess Michael.

[quote] I don't really like the Lorenz Baumer Diamond Spray Tiara. The idea is good but to me, it looks cheap and like a head decoration for some New Year's Eve school play or pageant.

What do you expect? The Grimaldis were always tasteless and vulgar.

R57

Same reasons really many other European nobles have had to sell up; death duties and other issues meant the family needed ready money.

When I say "mother" of all estate sales, am not exaggerating.

Likely not since the French or Russian revolutions has so much royal or noble "stuff" been put up for bidding.

"After Prince Johannes' death, the Thurn und Taxis empire almost collapsed under the weight of death duties and adventurous financial speculation. The princely couple's extravagance also contributed to their mounting debts. Princess Gloria was forced to open the doors of her husband's castles and hold auctions. She also sold off most of the enterprises that were in deep financial straits, while reducing the family's expenditures. The Princess' actions to safeguard the future of her son's inheritance has raised the ire of many members of the family, yet she did not have other options. Johannes' death did not allow him time to prepare his affairs and thus reduce the amount of tax levied on the Thurn und Taxis empire by the German government. Princess Gloria's activities in favor of her son's future seem thus far to have saved a large portion of the family's patrimony. Long-gone are the endless parties, the constant thundering of nightclubs and the nasty encounters with paparazzi. These days, Princess Gloria spends most of her time dedicated to the upbringing of her children and to the dutiful restructuring of the Thurn und Taxis legacy."

Despite their territory being rather small, the Thurn und Taxis family is one of the richest in Europe, royal or common. Many other royal families would love to marry into or otherwise form an alliance with that princely family.

Thurn und Taxis were smart; they got themselves "dirty" by going into commerce/trade early one (postal service) and that is how they made their money. Further expansions into various industries created yet more wealth.

All this was at a time when royalty and nobility considered in common and vulgar to be in trade or otherwise work for a living. One was supposed to earn money from land and or investments. In fact until Edward VII began shaking up the peerage persons engaged in trade or whatever couldn't be presented at court. HM also greatly expanded the peerage by opening things up to bankers, bakers, brewers, industrialists, and others who made their fortunes by actually working for a living. Well at least they founded commercial enterprises and so forth. Prior to this you got a peerage primarily based upon services to the monarch or crown. This and or perhaps services rendered by a wife or daughter. Anne Boleyn's family was raised up when she became queen. Only to lose much if not all of it when she was beheaded.

HSH Prince Albert of Monaco likes his women dark.

While his sisters were out bedding all sorts of questionable men; PA was pulling black airline hostesses and a few others.

As Monaco was never going to accept a "dark" princess, and the succession wasn't secure Albert had to find a suitable bride.

Monaco's constitution makes clear, in absence of a heir the country falls under control of France.

Had PA not married and produced his two sisters could inherit but as they each have complicated lives things are better if a straight succession is assured.

R72

Princess Marina died in 1968, long before Prince Michael of Kent married Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz in 1978 .

As common with nearly all families jewels were split between eldest and other sons; meaning Prince Edward (now Duke of Kent), and Prince Michael copped the lot. This is of course outside of any bequests or gifts to others.

This is how families keep their stones; they are passed down through male line, again usually the heir gets lion share or all, but sometimes things are split. As such don't believe Princess Michael "owns" much if any of her mother in laws jewels; rather they belong to her husband's house and will pass to his heir Lord Frederick Windsor.

Of course anything can happen.

If you recall Brideshead Revisited Lord Marchmain took such a violent dislike to his heir Brideshead marrying an old common widow (with no money), he essentially cut him off. The estate and other properties were split between Julia and Cordelia, this likely included the family stones since cannot imagine Lord Marchmain wanting someone he found so repulsive as his new DIL getting her hands on them.

The Meiji Scroll Tiara used to have detachable diamond stars where the round diamonds are today.

"Johannes' death did not allow him time to prepare his affairs and thus reduce the amount of tax levied on the Thurn und Taxis empire by the German government"

Johannes was 64 when he died, and of a class when most people start their estate planning at age 21 and update it throughout their lives. If a man in his sixties hadn't taken steps to protect his children's inheritance, he was just a damn fool.

"Johannes' death did not allow him time to prepare his affairs and thus reduce the amount of tax levied on the Thurn und Taxis empire by the German government"

Johannes was 64 when he died, and of a class when most people start their estate planning at age 21 and update it throughout their lives. If a man in his sixties hadn't taken steps to protect his children's inheritance, he was just a damn fool.

I like the Vladimir Tiara and think it looks magnificent with the Cambridge Emeralds. I love the fact that there were/are so many of them that Queen Mary had a "stomacher" made from them. Essentially a girdle, it is a testament to QM's bearing that she could carry off the majesty of jewelry.

OP, check out this site also. While it's been on hiatus since January there is a trove of reading material and photos.

Oh, thank you, R84! What a gorgeous site! I have never seen that dress of Princess Eugenie in the latest post and it is one of the most beautiful sartorial creations I've seen in a long time.

Can someone among the DL experts here tell me more about the Cambridge Emeralds? I read a bit somewhere but am not quite sure if they are the ones that go in the tiara (detachable?) or those in the necklace/earrings? And why Cambridge?

I prefer to hear it from you guys.

The story--and it may be just that--is that the Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850), youngest son of King George III to survive into adulthood--was on a trip to the Continent with his young bride Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassell when they bought a chance on a box at charity auction. Said to contain 30-40 cabochon emeralds, they came into the Cambridge family; thus, Cambridge Emeralds. Adolphus and Augusta had three children: George (1819-1904), later Duke of Cambridge, who married unequally, had three non-royal children; Augusta, who married into the German grand ducal family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; and Mary Adelaide, who married Franz, Prince of Teck. Mary Adelaide and Franz were the parents of May, who married a distant cousin, Prince George of Wales, who became King George V. Through Queen Mary the emeralds are now part of the Crown Jewels. Mary had brothers to whom the jewels might have gone, but they all made aristocratic rather than royal marriages.

The power of jewels, and the history of them, are truly compelling. That's why I cannot stand those borrowed numbers on awards nights.

[quote] Through Queen Mary the emeralds are now part of the Crown Jewels. Mary had brothers to whom the jewels might have gone, but they all made aristocratic rather than royal marriages.

Actually, the emeralds were inherited from their parents by May/Mary's adored brother Prince Francis, who left them in HIS will to his mistress. May, by this time Queen Mary, had to buy them off the mistress to avoid an enormous scandal. It ended well because she loved jewels so much.

Spain’s Fleur de Lis tiara, worn beautifully by Queen Letizia in a simple black velvet gown.

Not a tiara or crown but jewels nevertheless...The Queen's brooches Part Four. If you missed parts 1-3, scroll down on the website below.

R67 She isn’t a prisoner of the palace. I think she has an arrangement with Albert. A few weeks back, while Albert and the kids were in Japan for the rugby world cup, she was acting like a trashy bar wench at bar in Monaco. Pictures and video were all up on Instagram. This princess stuff is all an illusion. Before the wedding, she was rather coarse and rough during the YEARS she dated and lived with Albert. And rumor is she lives most of the time in an estate on the French Riviera. She got extreme fame, fortune and a massive makeover with plastic surgery and designer clothes like she wanted and he got a legitimate heir.

The Belgian Nine Provinces Tiara is very versatile. Swipe for photos.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium's Cartier Tiara was worn low on the forehead or high on the head.

R86, amazing story! I also find the history and legends surrounding jewels at least as exciting as the jewels themselves. They take away with them a bit of the essence of their previous owners, being the focal point of so many passions and rivalry and being worn so close to the body - don't you think? I especially love stories about cursed jewels.

R87, I have read this story here! Although, did she buy them back or did she just take them, as she was wont to do? I've heard both versions.

R90, in spite of her riches I feel sorry for her. There seems to be more to her marriage than meets the eye. Albert strikes me as a major creep and living with him must have turned out less of a fairy tale and more the stuff of nightmares. Not to mention royal living seems to be less than easy, especially for women - all eyes are on them, they are heavily criticized and scrutinized, their every move is controlled and the expectations to bear an heir are huge. Some, like Empress Masako of Japan, have accepted their fate but at a terrible cost to their mental health and personal happiness. It's a huge sacrifice. I'd be hitting the bars too.

R92 I LOVE tiaras worn low on the forehead!!! I managed to find a photo of my actual favourite tiara - it was worn by the Queen Mother, also low on the forehead. It's simple and floral.

R93 I wish someone would wear the Strathmore Rose tiara again.

"Queen Elisabeth of Belgium's Cartier Tiara was worn low on the forehead or high on the head. "

That was a fashion during the 1920s, it wasn't something the jewelers who made the tiaras intended! Women were wearing headbands and "panaches" and cloche hats low on the forehead, and those who had family tiaras managed to jam them down several inches lower than they'd been intended to go.

I have no idea how one makes a tiara that's supposed to sit high on the head stay down on the forehead, unless nails were involved.

Gosh I love those 20s fashions...

r63 - sorry about the infants (infantas); it's also tiaras not tiara's.

"It was late, I was tired, they were friends" - I mean there's no edit button

I’m still cracking up at Astrid’s antennae at r37. My god, that’s funny.

And R87 I think that Queen Mary had her brother's will sealed due to its scandalous nature, thus starting another tradition of not publicizing royal wills. It wasn't an ancient tradition, but something from 1910 because those two (George & Mary) knew how to hold onto their throne. They'd later finesse this by changing the German house name during WW1, stripping inconvenient cousins of British titles, and, um, turning a blind eye to events in Russia.

LOL, she looks like a friendly ladybug, R98

I love you, R99 (etc).

The Fife tiara, made for Victoria's granddaughter Louise, is one of the most beautiful Royal tiaras ever made. Pity it's so fragile now that it can't be worn.

By all accounts Louise was unbelievably dim and actually hated wearing the tiara, which is heavy and loud due to all the pivoting diamonds. But what piece of bling.

Another stunner is the Oriental Circlet tiara. I usually don't like ones with colored stones, but this uses rubies perfectly.

Not exactly Royal, but the Westminster Halo Tiara, owned by the Dukes of W and worn by their wives, is certainly something different.

R93

We discussed Queen Mary's battle to get those family jewels back in another thread.

Yes, Queen Mary had to buy back the jewels, there is no other logical explanation.

Nellie, the Countess of Kilmorey was legal owner of the Cambridge emeralds having been left them by Prince Francis of Teck. She already had them in her possession, indeed had wore them to coronation of Edward VII.

Despite ordering her attorneys to have the will sealed of late brother, Queen Mary couldn't have deceived, bullied or demanded the countess hand over the jewels as the lady must have known she inherited them free and clear. Had Queen Mary tried anything "funny", the countess would have been within her rights to bring legal action. She didn't steal, use undue force (mental or physical), or whatever to get Prince Francis of Teck to give her those jewels. More to the point the jewels legally and wholly belonged to Prince Francis to do what he pleased without restrictions.

That event wasn't the last time a member of BRF or even monarch had to buy back family jewels.

Edward VIII as Prince of Wales had possession of jewels that belong to the BRF, cannot recall if they were inherited from George V, and or part of what goes with being "prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, etc.." but never the less he had them.

After abdication the newly created Duke of Windsor forced his successor and brother George VI to buy the jewels back. Those funds plus the not small sums squirreled away as prince of Wales (all that revenue from duchy of Cornwall and so forth), helped the d. and dss. of Windsor live rather well aside from what money they got from BRF.

Before the device was ended, best way of keeping jewels in the family was tie them up with rest of estate in fee entail trust. This way a hard up eldest son or whoever couldn't sell, pawn or otherwise dispose of said property. It also prevented things from being attached or otherwise taken to settle debts.

I love tiaras worn in the 20s style. My favorite is the Lotus Flower Tiara worn by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A colored photograph from the 20s.

(I love how they hand colored photos back then!)

Royal and noble women moved with the times fashion wise, and that included their jewels. As the Jazz Age replaced Edwardian many ladies updated not only their wardrobes, but hairstyles as well.

Tons of hair (your own or mixed with pieces) was common during Victorian through Edwardian periods. All that big hair made for easy anchoring of tiaras, especially larger varieties. When ladies began to "bob" their hair many of the old tiaras no longer worked; there was little to pin them down into. Hence all the tiaras which sat lower on head.

On another note royal/noble ladies were always reworking their jewels. When stomachers went out of fashion the things were broken up with stones set in other pieces.

Many royal or noble ladies found wearing all those jewels an ordeal, especially when it came to dressing for court or other formal functions such as a coronation.

The gowns in of themselves were often made from heavy materials and richly embroidered. In order to support the weight of various broaches, stomachers, honors et al often bodices had to be reinforced with buckram. This was on top of fact until they went out of fashion ladies would be tightly corseted as well.

Queen Mary like many other royal/noble ladies had a mannequin set up in her dressing rooms. There she and the others would spend hours "trying" on various jewels in aid of deciding what would be worn.

In regards to changing fashions, Queen Mary wasn't one of those women who went that route. She longed to wear the "shorter" skirts (if you can call ankle length short), that younger and even some older women were going with, but feared a violent response from her husband.

One day a plan was hatched. George V and his queen were due to attend an event. Queen Mary deputized one of her ladies who would be attending HM (a young maid) to wear one of the shorter skirts . Their majesties and court were in cars waiting to depart when the young lady emerged last to come out of palace wearing that short skirt. George V caught sight of her at once and promptly exploded. The lady was ordered to return inside at once and change into more suitable skirts. Queen Mary though gutted had her answer; this is one reason why until her dying days she was dressed in those long skirts.

In many ways Queen Mary lead a life to be envied; all the money she wanted to spend and so forth. But OTOH George V kept his consort on a very tight lead indeed.

r107

[quote]In many ways Queen Mary lead a life to be envied; all the money she wanted to spend and so forth. But OTOH George V kept his consort on a very tight lead indeed.

I can see why she killed him now.

[quote]What in fact happened was that Queen Mary and her son, soon to be Edward VIII, explicitly told the king’s physician, Lord Dawson, that they did not want King George’s life needlessly prolonged if his condition was fatal. There was no explicit command to commit a killing, but the way was left clear for Dawson to “do the right thing”, and he clearly understood this. He actually telephoned his wife an hour before killing George to get her to tell the Times to hold back its front page for the desired formal announcement. It was premeditated.

Here's the Westminster Halo Tiara being worn. It seems to be one of those tiaras with interchangeable parts, the upthread picture showed it as all diamonds, but this woman has bits of turquoise in, as well as fifteen pounds of other jewels.

Who is she, BTW? A duchess?

I dunno, but she looks like John Inman in drag

former Dutch Queen Beatrix

I thought it was royal relative of Lovey Howell.

[quote] My favorite is the Lotus Flower Tiara worn by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

Catherine Cambridge wears it now.

R109, that's socialite Rose Movius Palmer, an American socialite. The Westminster Halo was sold by the Duke of Westminster in the 1950s and ended up in the collection of Harry Winston for the next 3 decades, being borrowed by various celebrities. There's even a picture of Alice Cooper wearing it!

The Westminster Halo is quite stunning on the right woman, but in general it's a hard piece to pull off.

The Bagration Tiara (part of a larger parure) is a stunning diamond-and-pink-spinel creation bought by George Grosvenor for his fiance, Natalia Philips, in 1978. She wore it at their wedding.

George certainly had a type. The other girl he almost married was Sarah Spencer, Diana's older sister, another square-jawed redhead.

Is there a current brf thread? William's Glasses has been deleted.

Gerald, not George, R116 and R117.

[quote] I read a bit somewhere but am not quite sure if they are the ones that go in the tiara (detachable?) or those in the necklace/earrings?

Of the original "Cambridge" emeralds, they were used in a necklace, brooch, stomacher, and the Delhi Durbar tiara (now removed). It's said that three or four unused Cambridge emeralds were used for the Vladimir Tiara, while the remainder came from the Royal vaults and Garrards.

[quote] I wish someone would wear the Strathmore Rose tiara again.

Supposedly it's currently unwearable. It needs a new frame and the diamonds resetting.

Those Grosvenor Dukes all die young--the last several haven't made it to 70. The current Duke needs to get a move on with producing a male heir.

On topic, the Westminster collection of tiaras is rather diverse, and there are some rather odd ones in there. The only really pretty ones are the fringe tiara and the Faberge Cyclamen tiara.

If any of you bitches have 60K to spare, you can wear this fabulous confection to all the Christmas parties this year!

Go big or go home.

It's worth it!!!

I love the Mellerio shell tiara - currently in the possession of Queen Letizia of Spain.

On the Queen.

Queen Mary had another pearl tiara which she wore for "lesser" occasions. It was an Art Deco lozenge diamond tiara with pearl spikes which could be removed by unscrewing them from the frame. The last person seen wearing this tiara was a young Princess Margaret and she wore it without the pearls.

Here's Margrethe II of Denmark being all ladylike

If QEII were quietly selling off some of her lesser-known jewels to maintain the family lifestyle in a time when the popularity of royalty and public incomes are in decline... would anyone know?

LMAO @ Margrethe. She's a cool mothafucka with a tiara, no less

Margrethe reminds me of an aunt of mine. I think probably everyone has at least one aunt who’s a little rough, a little loose, and doesn’t give a shit what you think about it.

God, Queen Mary just looked like a bitch.

Queen Daisy is a DL icon. Beloved in these parts. Her jewels are sublime, but more importantly she's personally designed some of the gowns and frocks she's worn with them.

I didn’t mean to cast aspersions, R133. But you’ve got to admit that picture is a hoot.

Daisy is a real royal and yes she's a hoot. The Danish monarchy is the oldest and longest running in Europe (since the 10th century). They are the real deal. No one is more regal, yet more chill at same time, as Margrethe.

R3. The Meander Tiara is my favorite as well. I love the Greek design, it’s very unique.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is off the the races with this elegant tiara.

I prefer crowns on men myself.

Did someone say Tiara?

My favorite tiaras are the ones worn by the queen of Finland!

Another fan of the Fife tiara r102. It scintillates and sparkles.

No, Queen Margrethe doesn't give a rat's ass what you queens-with-a-small-Q think!

Tell me, did this thing make the old "ugly tiaras" thread?

Um... is Queen Margrethe of Denmark actually color-blind?

Because she's wearing pink, yellow-gold, silver, orange, blue, and tobacco-stain brown at the same time.

She is dazzling. I think I’m in love.

Margrethe is also a DJ.

The Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra of Kent, can sure rock a tiara!

R146, it's a very versatile tiara. The pearls can be unscrewed and replaced with turquoises or sapphires.

Queen Helen of Romania wearing a tiara belonging to the Greek Royal Family. (She was born a Princess of Greece and Denmark.) For many decades, the tiara was thought to have been sold, but it reappeared a few years ago on the head of Marie Chantal Miller whose father bought a marriage for her to Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

Daisy in a pearl and diamond tiara with a look on her face wondering, "How much is that bogan bitch of a daughter-in-law of mine spending on clothes this month???"

Known by many names, most commonly as the "Strawberry Leaf Tiara", it was originally owned by Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. It was created using two smaller tiaras. The tiara was given to Beatrice's eldest son for his wife, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke who occasionally lent it to Queen Ena of Spain, her sister-in-law. Lady Carisbrooke later sold the rubies and in their place were set diamonds that belonged to Lady Carisbrooke's family, the Earls of Londesborough. The Marchioness died in 1956 and the Marquess in 1960. The tiara was either sold to Queen Ena before her brother's death or was left to her in his will.

The Carisbrookes had one daughter, who was all but disowned by the Royal Family by the time her parents died, so no royal tiara for her.

The Empress Feodorovna Pearl Kokoshnik Tiara. Made for Nicholas II's mother, the tiara was sold after the Bolshevik revolution and later became part of the jewel collection of Gladys, second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The tiara was last known to be in a vault in the Philippines after being purchased by Imelda Marcos.

A replica was made a decade or so ago and has been on the market a couple of times with sellers claiming it's the original tiara belonging to the Russian Empress, but it's not.

I want Daisy to have all these nice tiaras! Bitch deserves!

Jeez, Queen Margrethe sure likes to pile on the gewgaws!

But what the hell, what's a few more brooches! If you've got 'em, flaunt 'em, and matching your accessories is out anyway!

Daisy is a Queen for us all!

Excellent Queen, but Rotten Mother R154.

And the Datalounge has a new best friend!

Seriously, can we make her a Gay Icon?

Not that that outfit couldn't make her a Lez Icon on its own.

Princess Fawzia of Egypt who was the first wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah of Iran. A large tiara that never looked particularly beautiful on its own, but was stunning when Fawzia wore it.

Queen Marie of Romania. Marie, or as she was known in the family, "Missy", was the daughter of Queen Victoria's son Alfred and a Russian Grand Duchess, so she was the granddaughter of a Queen and of a Tsar. Prince George of Wales (later George V) wanted to marry her, but Missy's mother wouldn't allow it, so George got stuck with May of Teck.

The circlet tiara Missy is wearing was sent to Russia along with her other jewels for safekeeping as the First World War broke out. Bad choice, of course and they were all lost during the Russian Revolution.

Holy shit, look at Marie of Romania wearing a monster of a tiara! It looks very Art Nouveau, but most AN jewelry is subtle and dainty, while you could sleep a baby in this sucker.

Lost during the Revolution, I presume.

I don't think I've ever seen so many ugly women and so much ugly jewellery in one place before.

Marie is quite the striking woman. Interesting to think to think how different the British monarchy might be now had her mother approved of a marriage to George. For starters, Queen Mary's genes run rampant in the current crop of royals - from the distinctive hooked nose to the sausage fingers with their stubby nail beds.

And that Art Nouveau tiara is quite stunning, shockingly delicate for something that grandiose. I'm sure the current Princess of Wales..... ooops I mean Duchess of Cornwall.... would love to have it at her disposal.

Queen Daily looking regal in the Danish Emerald parure:

A better view, from the long shot. Daisy again: check out the lime green satin gown (self-designed) and all the regal bling:

Queen Daisy's bright green emeralds coordinate beautifully with her bright yellow teeth.

Hahhhahaha, so tell me, does Daysee have a girlfriend? I'd love to be considered!

Daisy gives good QUEEN!

What a grim parade of horrific yellow toothed old hoes. And you bitches have the gall to call Meghan ugly.

The things you learn on DL when thread reappear numerous times over the years.

Tiaras and diadems are the same thing. While people may claim there are technical differences, there are multiple examples of both that violate the rules that supposedly distinguish between the two.

Tiaras and diadems are semi-circular.

All tiaras and diadems are a type of crown.

Sorry R162, I just cant get past those yellow horse teeth to even see the jewelry. EEEEEKKKK!!!

I thought diadems are only the ones that point upwards and are fitted behind the ears, like this:

but oh god, my search for "diadem" yielded the most beautiful crowns I've never seen.

[quote]The “Palo diadem” - a golden diadem manufactured by Greek goldsmiths who worked in Taranto in southern Italy (in Apulia–Italy’s “bootheel”) in the 3rd century BC.

[quote]The wreath was probably discovered in one of the Lacrasta tombs—noted burial sites from Hellenic Apulia. The piece entered the Louvre collection when it was purchased by the second emperor of the French, Napoleon III, nephew and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte—so its modern history is every bit as interesting as its ancient creation.

[quote]This sort of diadem was worn in Hellenic society by women only, and served a purely decorative purpose. Numerous examples have been found from across the Greek world during the time of Macedonian ascension, however this little crown is especially finely made and well-preserved.

[quote]The goldsmiths of Taranto were the master jewelers of their time. Their work was exported around the Hellenic world, but this diadem seems to have stayed close to home until Napoleon III purchased it. The piece inspired a resurgence of gold filigree work among the 19th century jewelers of Italy and France.

Here's Queen Mary's Crown. 2200 diamonds and the fucking Kooh-i-Noor!

But this is interesting, this seems to be an expanded version of the same Queen Mary's Crown with the fucking Kooh-i-Noor, but in this photo it has the arches and globe added to plainer circlet in the last photo, plus the purple fabric.

Does anyone know more about this fabulous piece, and how they manage to double its size?

r173, that is the queen consort imperial crown (sometimes called Queen Mary's Crown), and it is designed to be adjustable because it is to be worn at a male monarch's coronation by whomever is the female consort of the moarch. There is a legend associated with the Koh-i-Noor (the large diamond in it) that it must never be worn by a man.

it was last worn in 1937 by the Queen mother for the coronation of her husband George VI.

Queen Mary wanted to wear it sometimes as a diadem (that is, without the purple velvet cap and arches), which is why it is convertible. At a guess, I think this is so she could wear it this way sometimes in India for the State Durbar visit in 1911 to impress local royalty while reducing its discomfrot (though I do know she wore the full version of the crown for the actual durbar in Delhi).

Thank you, R174.

And here's a picture of Queen Mary wearing the light version of the crown with the fucking Kooh-i-Noor, and thirty or forty pounds of other jewels. And smirking every so slightly, wouldn't we all.

Does he beat her? What's hr issues r68? Besides the hideous castle that the Monaco RF has to live in.

Swipe for the Lotus Flower Tiara.

The young Queen looks quite pretty here.

I'm having my labia majora fitted with diamonds and sapphires.

[quote] Does he beat her? What's hr issues [R68]?

He might, there were rumors about him being physically abusive to women before his marriage.

This isn't royal, but it is rather fabulous! Cartier ivy leaf tiara, with diamonds on blackened steel!

Why aren't black tiaras a thing? Too modern? To tasteless? Not a good color for Princesses Katie or Meghan?

I like Princess Alice's Meander Tiara. Swipe for photos.

R182, That really is rather fabulous!

[quote] Why aren't black tiaras a thing? Too modern? To tasteless? Not a good color for Princesses Katie or Meghan?

The Swedish royal family have cut steel tiaras, but they're not black.

There are going to be problems when whoever is crowned next as queen consort because India keeps demanding the return of the Koh-i-Noor, and it is going to generate controversy if Camilla or Kate wears it at the coronation.

R108 “ “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close,” was the final notice issued by George V’s doctor, Lord Dawson, at 9.30pm on the night of 20 January 1936. Not long afterwards, Dawson injected the king with 750mg of morphine and a gram of cocaine – enough to kill him twice over – in order to ease the monarch’s suffering, and to have him expire in time for the printing presses of the Times, which rolled at midnight...”

The author called it ‘involuntary euthanasia’. WTF.

The Queen in diamonds and sapphires.

I'm not sure if this look works for Diana.

Diana kept trying to make jeweled headbands happen, but they never did.

[quote]Diana kept trying to make jeweled headbands happen, but they never did.

Well, after Grease, who wasn't an Olivia Newton John fan?

Headbands were HUGE in the early 1980s, every other girl on the street was wearing one.

Diana's putting a sapphire bracelet onto a headband was following a trend rather than starting one, and it's not like other girls had their own sapphire bracelets to use the same way.

R191

Two things helped push that head band craze.

First thanks to "Fame" along with other things everyone and their mother was suddenly into being a *dancer*. Ballet, tap, jazz, disco, etc... it didn't matter everyone was going around in headbands, leg warmers, leotards......

Other big influence was the whole aerobics exercise craze that also took off in same decade. Jane Fonda among countless others IIRC all had various VCR tapes out at the time.

Honorable mention of DL fave Tracy James with his series of "The Frim" tapes.

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Yes. I loved the fact that Beatrice was wearing both the Queen's wedding tiara and one of her most famous evening gowns. That said, I'm not crazy about the silver/diamond bits of that evening gown. Bridal dresses should be a big white affair, IMO.

Anyway, the whole thing is really touching.

The crown of Princess Sit-Hathor-Yunet, the daughter of Pharaoh Se'n-Wosret II. 1890-1840 B.C. XIIth Dynasty. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A crown dating from the late 14th century and believed to belong to Anne of Bohemia, the wife of King Richard II of England. It's part of the Treasury of the Munich Residenz.

Hahaha ! Bea pissed all over Meghans whole wedding look ! Wearing Queen Marys tiara and Elizabeths gown ! if that doesnt scream "Look who's in and look who's out" !

My favorite is the very diminutive (only 4.5" in diameter) sapphire and diamond coronet which Prince Albert designed and had made for Queen Victoria. the diamonds are are set in silver, and sapphires in gold. It was inherited by Victoria's granddaughter Princess Mary, and after her death, sold to private individuals. It was recently purchased by an anonymous donor, and given to the V&A where it's on permanent display.

Bodices of Queen Mary's evening gowns were reinforced with buckram to support weight of jewels.

Like many royal and noble ladies of the period a dressmakers dummy was dressed in whatever outfit Queen Mary was going to wear. Once everything was settled wardrobe wise various jewels were brought in and tested. In end once entire ensemble was chosen it only remained for ladies/maids in waiting and dressers to transfer items from mannequin to their mistress.

The Queen of Denmark looks absolutely grotesque, like an ogre in cheap jewels, and cheap frocks. Her face looks repulsive and her teeth are brown.

R162 are you blind? There‘s nothing regal about that picture at all.

This is regal. Fictional tiaras and crowns actually designed by people with taste.

R162 they don’t have dentists in Denmark?

Love the blue and white combo

QEII's George IV Diadem eclipses all the rest for me for historic grandeur with class, as opposed to mere size (the Stuart on Maxima takes that prize closely followed by that Chicken of the Sea number that Silvia wears so often).

And the too rarely seen Russian Kokoshnik (as opposed to the Greville Kokoshnik that Eugenie wore at her wedding) with those solid bars of platinum and diamonds.

On the more delicate side, it's a shame the Strathmore isn't seen any longer - word is that it's too fragile. It was a gift from the Earl of Strathmore upon Lady Elizabeth's marriage to then Prince Albert, but even she didn't wear it at her wedding, although she could have. She wore it infrequently afterward, and it disappeared in the early 1930s - along with the fabulous large Kashmir sapphire engagement ring Albert gave her.

The Strathmore was an exquisite example of late Victorian style.

As for the engagement ring - those Kashmir sapphires can only be gotten through auction or private sale, the mines were empty by the last 1930s. Beyond doubt it eclipsed Diana's large cocktail ring. I'm sure the sapphire and diamonds in Diana's ring are fine quality.

But once you've seen a top quality Kashmir it's hard to look at others except perhaps for the good quality violet Ceylons.

Alas, there are no colour photos of the Queen Mother's original engagement ring, and no one knows where it is. It was very Art Deco: oblong in a platinum setting with stepped diamond baguette shoulders.

On the tiara side, I'm also partial to the staggering ruby and diamond parure given to Mary Donaldson by Queen Margrethe when Mary married Crown Prince Frederik.

^*late (not last) 1930s

Grand as are the jewellery and tiara collections in Europe, which is mostly to say Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and Luxembourgh, I really do think Beatrix of The Netherlands had the most staggering vaults.

The rest of those in that group have plenty, and many of enormous size, but Beatrix's I think outclasses the rest for sheer number and grandeur and size of gems.

^*Luxembourg (not Luxembourgh)

NB: I also believe the Dutch and Lichtenstein royals are the richest in Europe - hence Beatrix's incredible collection. Yes, richer than QEII.

When the House of Orange sold Royal Dutch Petroleum (now just Dutch Petroleum unless it's been sold again) it made a fortune in the multibillions.

And Beatrix being a rather Big Girl herself didn't go in for delicate jewellery.

R104 - The Westminster tiara looks much better worn as a necklace.

R82 - Selling family heirlooms to pay death duties happens all the time with inherited estates.

David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort had to sell the Badminton Cabinet to a Johnson & Johnson heiress to pay death duties when the 10th Duke of Beaufort died . I would have sold that cabinet too as I think it is very "butt-face" ugly but there was a huge outcry from the public and his fellow Toffs of the Somerset Set when he put it up for auction.

One of my favorite tiaras is the Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara. It's worn by Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

Another shot of Mathilde of Belgium in the Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara.

R218 - The Brabant is the one Mathilde wears most often - and that shot, if I remember, is as they were entering Vor Frue Kirke for Frederik's and Mary's wedding in Copenhagen.

Mathilde is very pretty but in an oddly uninteresting way. Talk of scandals - the Belgian royals have had their share, mostly concerning the younger brother, Prince Laurent. He looks like Harvey Weinstein, to boot, and no sane woman would have married him if he hadn't had that title.

Factoid: Philippe's and Laurent's sister, Princess Astrid, was very much liked by QEII and floated once as a possible royal bride for Charles. However, she was Catholic, which was a problem, and Charles wasn't interested in "Asty", which was another. In the end she married Archduke Lorenz of Austria, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorrainequite - somewhat handsome in his day, and immensely tall, and their eldest and heir to the Archducal title, Prince Amadeo (love love LOVE the name) who turned out a quite tall handsome dish.

Laurent used to be higher up the succession chain, but a change in the constitution giving women equal succession rights put Astrid and her children ahead of him. It doesn't mean much, as Mathilde gave Philippe four kids to be on the safe side.

R219 - I believe you have the wrong Astrid. It was Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg who was once linked to Prince Charles. I remember the rumors. Marie-Astrid's mother was Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium so Princess Astrid of Belgium is Marie-Astrid's cousin.

I think this is the gayest thread in the history of DL.

R220 - Thanks! I believe you're right!

And if Charles had had any brains, he'd have married at least one of them instead of Diana . . .

R221 - And what of it?!

^ Nah, that would be this one.

I like both of these tiaras from the British royal family vaults.

R225 - Ah, the one on the left is Queen Alexandra's full Russian Kokoshnik, and my personal favourite - often described as "a wall of diamonds", which were perfectly matched. I believe it was done by Garrard . . .

Passing the crown ......

The Mountbatten Tiara was sold to a private collector. Swipe for photos.

Thanks for info on the Mountbatten tiara. Interesting that it was made for the Countess, as it has a distinctly "Indian" flavour, and the Mountbattens were so closely connected to India - for those who haven't heard it before, Countess Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru had a torrid affair. Despite Mountbatten's bisexuality, he was extremely upset by his wife's infidelities, including this one.

Swipe for some Chaumet tiaras from various royal/aristocratic houses.

R230 - Thank you Tiara Troll! Keep 'em coming.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for the Danish Turquoise Tiara.

The Diamond Floral Tiara worn by Princess Marie of Denmark. Swipe for photos.

Continuing with Denmark...here are photos of the Pearl Poiré Tiara.

Swipe for the Baden Pette Tiara.

One last Danish tiara - the Emerald Parure Tiara.

The Danish royal tiaras do tend towards the small and tasteful, don't they? Nothing vulgar, no ostentatious stones.

Definitely not the sort of thing Camilla will be asking to borrow.

Thanks to the Tiara Troll for the Danish set!

Do not care for the Turquoise or the Palmette

But love the Emerald Parure, Pss. Marie's Floral, the Pearl Poirte (not unlike QEII's exchangeable pearl/emerald drop tiara, the Vladimir) - not the extravagant Belle Epoque pearl and diamond necklace Queen Margrethe wears it with, which is also not unlike a necklace that the Queen has, and has leant to Kate to wear with the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara.

And speaking of which - the SUN ran an article today stating that Tiaragate actually DID happen, and that Meghan later blamed, although there is no real explanation of why, the Queen's dresser, Angela Kelley, for "dragging her feet" on the tiara issue.

So, here we have Meghan yet again throwing the nearest entity under a bus to excuse her own bad behaviour (she was never going to get emeralds), and more or less admitting that she felt the tiara she got just wasn't good enough for the 36 year old American divorcee who'd once been a Deal or No Deal Suitcase Girl.

^*Poire

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark one day is going to come in for some massive jewellery fun . . .

Queen Margrethe just turned 80. Wonder how long she'll last? I'm guessing at least another ten years.

R238 - If you believe anything printed in The Sun, I have some great beach front property in Yuma, Arizona I would love to show you.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for some of the Japanese royal tiaras. It's just diamonds and pearls for these ladies.

Even Thailand has a Fringe Tiara. This type of design is my favorite style.

Swipe for some of Queen Mary's Tiaras

That Vladimir is one knockout of an accessory. Love the Thai Fringe, particularly in the first photo where the wearer has it on more widely, almost in a fan shape.

The Luxembourg-Kinsky honeysuckle tiara.

Sorry, the above should be the Lichtenstein-Kinsky honeysuckle tiara.

R246 Thanks. It is stunning; I never saw it before.

Swedish Princesses Victoria and Madeleine wearing their grandmother's tiara with the huge aquamarines. It was inherited by their aunt when their grandmother died, but the present King of Sweden bought it from his sister to ensure it remains with the Royal House.

I hate the Bains de Mer tiara worn by the Serene Highnesses of Monaco. It looks horribly clunky as a tiara, it's better worn dissembled and used as three brooches, or hair pins.

Even Princess Grace couldn't make it look good.

The Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden Kokoshnik Tiara was stolen from a museum 3 years ago. It contained almost 400 diamonds and the estimated worth close to $1.5 million. The Grand Duchess was born a Luxembourg princess wore the tiara throughout her life and was her favorite.

Charlene of Monaco has a lovely spray tiara, when it's worn as a tiara it's a lovely, delicate, airy way to wear some thumping diamonds.

Even if it should have been paired with some subtler earrings.

Charlene's Spray Tiara is much prettier when she just wears half of it as a hair accessory. Isn't that enchanting?

And R251, your link doesn't work.

Not Royal, but damned close. This Art Deco diamond tiara was made by Cartier for Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, daughter of the Marquess of Crewe and wife of the 9th Duke of Roxburghe.

I meant to post the below here but accidentally posted it in one of the Harry/Megan threads.

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I don't think the emerald tiara that Meghan wanted was the Greville tiara that Eugenie wore because that tiara hadn't been seen in public in decades and was completely off the radar. Where would Meghan have heard about it?

I think she wanted this one, which Albert designed and presented as a gift to Victoria. It's been on display in Kensington Palace for two or three years and a reproduction was seen in an early episode of The Crown. Meghan could have seen it either place. She supposedly taught herself about royal life by watching The Crown.

What she probably didn't know is that the piece is no longer in the possession of the BRF. Victoria gifted it to one of her daughters when the daughter married the Duke of Fife and the Fife family still owns it. And it is being displayed in a museum like setting because it is now far too fragile to wear -- it would fall apart.

Of course, she could have demanded the Vladimir. She's stupid and ballsy enough to demand HM surrender one of her personally owned and most cherished pieces of jewelry that no one else has ever been allowed to wear.

R255 WOW! I’d throw a mighty temper tantrum to get my hands on this tiara too! It’s spectacular.

R252 Darling, that picture is clearly labeled as photoshopped. She’s never worn those earrings with the tiara. Plus the tiara is only one-sided. See R253’s picture.

I like this folksy tiara worn by the "Dragon Queen" of Bhutan.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for the Norwegian Emerald Parure Tiara. What a big clunker.

An amethyst tiara worn by the Norwegian Crown Princess.

R254 - That's a stunner. Thanks for digging it up!

R260 - Nice photo of Mette-Marit.

The Norwegian emerald parure isn't so much less of a clunker than Queen Margrethe's (Denmark), the problem is the huge square centrepiece. Emeralds generally look better in emerald, square, oval, or baguette cuts than in rounds, but this piece would have been better served with a slightly smaller central emerald that went with the rest of the tiara, and turned the bit square centre into a brooch or pendant.

The Cartier Diamond and Pearl Tiara worn by the Spanish royal ladies. I wonder if it feels as heavy as It looks?

Swipe for photos of the Ruby Parure Tiara worn by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

Princess Viggo's diamond, pearl, and garnet kokoshnik tiara. Prince Viggo of Denmark married an extremely wealthy American woman in 1924. Viggo's family lost their own fortune in a financial crash, so his new bride's money was much needed. She had to commission her own jewels as her husband's family had none to give her. One of the pieces, this tiara Princess Viggo commissioned from the Danish Court jeweller. She also ordered two other tiaras to be made.

When Princess Viggo died, she left the kokoshnik tiara to her nephew's wife, Countess Ruth af Rosenborg. Countess Ruth wore it often and was kept in her possession until her death in 2010. Having more of a need for cash rather than a tiara, her children sold it after Countess Ruth's death, but the asking price was too high and it took almost two years to finally sell it.

Another of Princess Viggo's tiaras went to the wife of another nephew, Princess Anne of Denmark. (Princess Anne was born a Bowes-Lyon and was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.) When Princess Anne died, she left the tiara to her daughter from her first marriage, Lady Elizabeth Anson who still wears it.

[quote]The Cartier Diamond and Pearl Tiara worn by the Spanish royal ladies. I wonder if it feels as heavy as It looks?

You think thats bad, check out the hood ornament on Queen Silvia. Bet she needs a couple of tylenols after an evening wearing that sucker.

Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood's butterfly tiara was a unique piece.. Elizabeth II's aunt received this tiara as a wedding gift. Sold a couple of years after her death in 1965, the princess rarely wore the tiara. She had six tiaras but preferred to choose from one of two. (Five tiaras, more accurately, and one diadem.)

Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood wearing her Russian fringe kokoshnik.

Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood and her scroll tiara (diadem) at the coronation of her brother, George VI. She also wore it at the coronation of her niece, Elizabeth II. According to her son, this was the princess' favorite tiara despite being the heaviest and most awkward to wear. The center element in the photograph is a sapphire and could be removed and replaced with all diamonds or another of diamonds and a pink topaz.

The necklace she is wearing was a gift from her father, George V using sapphires and diamonds that belonged to Queen Victoria.

Incredible how both today's Princess Anne the Princess Royal and the Queen resemble Princess Mary, the Princess Royal of her day. I think Anne resemble her even more.

The ruby and diamond Danish parure is amazing - the festoon necklace looks very heavy, but the tiara for all its grandeur is charming because of the leaf motif. It looks terrific on Mary. Those photos are 16 years old, I believe, from the night before her wedding when she and the DRF went to Copenhagen's Royal Theatre for a celebratory Royal Variety-ish performance. The sash Mary wore on that red gown also, I believe, belonged to Frederik's grandmother, Queen Ingrid.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for the Prussian or Hellenic Tiara. Queen Letizia of Spain wore it on her wedding day.

The Greville Bequest.

A modern and unusual Gold Tiara is worn by Queen Sonja of Norway. I'm not a fan.

The Hellenic is gorgeous.

The Countess of Paris, born Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza wearing her diamond and pearl Chaumet tiara. "Madame, La Comtesse" as she was known was married to the Orléanist pretender to the French Throne, Henry, the Count of Paris. He was a philanderer and a political player spending his own fortune and the vast wealth belonging to his wife on money making schemes and attempts to restore the French monarchy. The Chaumet tiara was a casualty of the sell-off of wealth. The Countess of Paris died in 2003 at the age of 91 having spent her final years in a small apartment in Paris with a live-in housekeeper.

The Bernadotte diamond bandeau tiara. Countess Estelle Bernadotte of Wisborg was the American daughter-in-law of Prince Oskar of Sweden and the tiara was a wedding gift from her extremely rich parents. Countess Estelle's husband was assassinated in 1948 by a Zionist hit squad and the Countess remained a widow until 1973 when she remarried a Swedish commoner thereby giving up her place as a member of the Swedish Reigning Family. Although she was no longer a countess, she was still informally referred to as such due to her popularity in Sweden.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden named her eldest child after Countess Estelle.

It's Tiara Time...this is the Spencer Honeysuckle Tiara. Diana never wore it. The tiara looks like two - one on top and one on the bottom.

Diamonds and pearls only...The Japanese ladies all lined up for inspection.

A delicate diamond and sapphire tiara worn by Princess Claire of Luxembourg.

A bandeau style tiara of diamonds and aquamarines worn by Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg,

The Japanese Empress wears a diamond and pearl tiara with matching necklace.

One of the most stylish and elegant Queens was Sirikit of Thailand. Swipe for some of her tiaras and outfits.

[quote]The center element in the photograph is a sapphire and could be removed and replaced with all diamonds or another of diamonds and a pink topaz.

A TOPAZ?! Among HER jewels?! Are you MAD?!?

My favorite of all royal tiaras is the Midnight tiara made by the Ole Lyngaard company for Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The company actually owns it (rather than it belonging to Mary or the Crown), but she gets to wear it for life.

I like that it's so unusual.

Beatrix of the Netherlands and her helmet hair can pull off just about any tiara she wears. This is the Ruby Peacock Tiara,

Beatrix in the Pearl Button Tiara.

A younger Beatrix wearing the the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for British royal wedding tiaras.

R288 - Thank you Tiara Troll!

The Liechtenstein Fringe Tiara. I love all the Fringes!

Swipe for Turquoise Daisy Bandeau Tiara. Queen Margrethe of Denmark's nickname is Daisy.

The Dutch Emerald Parure Tiara.

Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara.

The best image of imperial majesty was a photograph of the last empress of Russia, Alexandra Feedorovna, in her court dress. I don't care much for the tiara, but Alexandra has a haunted look in her expression. Knowing what happened lends the photograph a sad air. I'll post it down below, but Kate Middleton looked beautiful on her wedding day. The dress was perfect and the tiara was lovely.

Maxima looks like one happy bitch.

Maxima always looks like she applied her makeup with Homer Simpson's makeup gun (set on "whore").

Swipe for the Kokoshnik Fringe Tiara.

The Kokoshnik is staggering. The diamonds are all perfectly matched according to the blurb. If you play the very short video it's incredible to see the light playing off HM's head, neck, and ears.

Day-um. Imaging getting dressed to go out and glancing in the mirror before leaving and seeing that.

The Wurttemberg Tiara (The Netherlands).

The Swedish Napoleonic Amethyst Parure Tiara with matching accessories.

The Swedish Cameo Tiara - very unique.

r300 Stunning. Amethysts are my favorite stones, and that collection is the finest I've seen in some time. Thank you for posting it.

r301 That cameo piece is most unusual. Seems somehow Byzantine, because it's not just a run-of-the-mill( as if tiaras COULD be)

Now on to Iran...one of the largest PINK diamonds in the world is featured on the "Light Of The Eye" tiara. The former Empress Farah Diba wore it.

The Turquoise Tiara of Iran.

The Emerald Tiara of Iran made by Harry Winston. It supposedly was the Farah's favorite but I find it gaudy and heavy. There's too much going on.

It's Tiara Time again... here is the Luxembourg Sapphire Bracelet Bandeau.

The Congo Diamond Tiara worn by the Luxembourg royal brides - Josephine Charlotte, Marie Astrid, Margaretha and Maria Teresa.

Swipe for the Saxe Coburg Gotha Turquoise Tiara. Hereditary Princess Kelly just doesn't sound right.

Oy, those multicolored Iranian tiaras are hideous!

The ultimate in expensive tastelessness. No wonder the Shahs fell.

Lady Elizabeth Anson, daughter of Princess Anne of Denmark and cousin of Elizabeth II, is wearing a tiara she inherited from her mother who inherited from her aunt by marriage, Princess Viggo, Countess of Rosenborg. With Lady Elizabeth is her daughter, Fiona attending the 70th birthday celebrations of the King of Norway.

I don't know, those turquoise and diamond tiaras just don't do it for me.

My favorite is the Fife Tiara. I hope Tiara Troll has a picture.

Here's a pic of the Fife Tiara, and its thumping big diamonds.

Damn, that must be worth a few bucks!

R313 - Not the Tiara Troll, Thank you.

I love the Fife Tiara because it is light weight. delicate, can be worn as a necklace and not look ridiculous as a necklace.

Swipe for the tiaras of the Queen of Denmark, former Queen of the Netherlands and Queen Elizabeth.

Bling, bling, bling.

The Emerald Parure tiara worn by former Queen Anne Marie of Greece.

The Duchess of Gloucester wearing the Teck Aquamarine tiara. Originally owned by the Duchess of Teck, mother of Queen Mary. Mary gave it to her daughter-in-law Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and is now worn by her daughter-in-law, the current Duchess.

R317 - Those aren't aquamarines, those are turquoise - probably Persian from the uniform colour.

Re Anne-Marie's emerald parure: for someone who isn't Queen of anything any longer, she certainly gets to bling it up!

Princess Benedikte wearing her fringe tiara. So many fringes out there.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. It has been dismantled.

Don't cry, Tiara Troll. HM has much nicer tiaras than that one. And I do believe Kate was leant the necklace when Felipe and Letizia came to visit.

What's most striking about it, thought, is how it was acquired: the Nizam told Lilibet she could pick anything she wanted at Cartier and the greedy bitch fingered BOTH the tiara AND the necklace.

Reminds me of a scene in "How to Marry a Millionaire" when the Lauren Bacall character is asleep and dreaming of being the wealthy wife in a high-end jewellry store, pointing to what the clerk should wrap up and send home:

"I'll have that and that, and that and that, and that, oh, and that."

Really, Betty, one would have been gracious, selecting two massive items was unseemly, I'm surprised at you.

Princess Benedikte is an interesting woman and apparently quite a strong and independent type known for bold style.

But no one even a Princess of the Blood should blend deep purple gemstones, cherry red lipstick, and yellow teeth in one evening ensemble.

R301 I came here to include the Swedish Cameo Tiara specifically. It's my favorite because it's so very unique. I'm just surprised there were more than three hundred posts before it was mentioned.

R323 - I believe it has been mentioned in earlier Tiara threads (or Tiara intervals to break up the fracas on other royal threads), with photos of Queen Silvia and Crown Pss. Victoria wearing it at their weddings.

I agree is its unique and beautiful.

Moving slightly from jewellery to other ornamental objets associated with royalty (we could do a thread on those vendors given royal warrants, or the hat vendors), here is a factoid I recently discovered whilst considering a purchase of some old Paragon china in an antique shop:

When the Queen was both, her mother, then Duchess of York (Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) commissioned Paragon china for the nursery of Princess Elizabeth. This pattern is known as "Two for Joy", originating from the English number rhyme One for sorrow, Two for joy associated with magpies, and the legend that two magpies were seen at the christening of Princess Elizabeth."

I'd love to find one of those in such a shop!

^*when the Queen was BORN

Don't worry, r321. If HM isn't pure, at least her jewels are.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for the story of why the Queen had to wear the Plunket Tiara.

The different looks of The Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara.

I just accidentally discovered the Dutch Sapphire Parure Tiara (I was just following links, looking for something else, and found it). Wow. Any other fans?

Very Gothic, no?

I love Maxima.

Very few women could carry off a whopper like the Dutch Sapphire Tiara, that thing is huge! And it'll probably blind you if you get too close!

It'd look ridiculous on a petite woman or tasteless on one with a conservative style (like the Duchess of Cambridge), but Queen Maxima is a big tall gal with a warm smile and a bold fashion sense, it looks right on her.

Love the Honeysuckle Tiara and it's, er, versatility.

It is pink topaz, by the way, not Kunzite, and the tiara was made for Queen Mary out of gems taken from older, no longer worn jewellery.

It was completed in 1914, just a few years after Mary became Queen.

^*its (not it's) versatility

R329 - If I got my hands on that tiara, I would dismantle it from the base and wear it as a necklace. I love it.

R332 - Camilla could rock the Dutch Sapphire tiara with no problems.

Swipe for the tiaras worn by the Queen.

Muriel, this is a KLAN GRANNY thread. Please nuke these tiara whores ASAP.

R328 - If you do not want to view tiaras just stay off this thread.

A Russian diamond and emerald tiara that is no more.

In this case, Tiara Troll, I weep with you for those emeralds.

Muriel, this is a KLAN GRANNY thread. Please nuke these tiara whores ASAP.

American heiress Barbara Hutton had this emerald tiara... which I think it hideous.

The emeralds are dark and seem nearly opaque, no life or sparkle there. They don't go with the brilliant diamond setting at all, and are so big and dark they seem to weigh Hutton down in photos of them being worn. The Royals have much better taste.

Fringe tiaras (which are almost always just diamoinds) are popular because they are so versatile. So are most tiaras that are just all diamonds--protocol at the Japanese imperial court is that the empress and the princesses only can ever wear diamond tiaras, and while they get boring after a while, they're almost never incorrect.

This emerald tiara sold for over 12 million in 2011. The tiara was originally commissioned for Princess Katharina Henckel Von Donnersmarck in early 1900. "The emeralds are finest-quality Colombian and collectively weigh over 500 carats. It is believed that they may have previously belonged to a Maharaja who held emeralds in a very high regard. Emeralds were incredibly respected because none were mined in India so it was very prestigious to own them as they would have come from South America."

Tiara Troll What about Brunei and Morocco

This royal Fabergé aquamarine and diamond tiara was commissioned in 1904 by Germany’s Frederick Francis IV (1882-1945), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as a wedding gift for his bride-to-be, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (1882-1963). This historic headpiece has remained in the same royal family for more than a century, and was offered for the first time at auction in the Magnificent Jewels sale on 15 May, 2019 at Christie’s in Geneva.

I was unable to find out the final sale price.

Empress Josephine of France’s diamond tiara.

"The famous Faberge tiara with tear-drop diamonds that were presented by Alexander I of Russia to Empress Josephine of France. In 1890 Faberge used diamonds to create tiara for descendants of Josephine's son, the Duke of Leuchtenberg. After WWI the tiara was inherited by the Count of Flanders who bequeathed it to his sister Marie José, the former queen of Italy, who never wore it in public."

Faberge tiara for the Russian Czarina

Another of the Romanov Czarina's Faberge tiaras.

Another Russian royal tiara, don't know the maker.

Here's the story about the tiara in R351:

"Crafted around 1800 (or earlier) by St. Petersburg jeweler Jacob David Duval for one of two women – either Maria Feodorovna (Duchess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, 1759-1828), the wife of Tsar Paul I, or Elizabeth Alexeievna (Princess Louise of Baden, 1779-1826), the wife of Tsar Alexander I. No matter for whom it was made, it’s remarkable that it’s still intact and nearly unchanged, given its age.

The tall kokoshnik design centers around a spectacular natural pink diamond, a 13.335 carat stone (having at one time been foil backed, which explains the difference in color from image to image) with more than one thousand carats of diamonds surrounding it. The briolette-cut diamonds hanging within the center of the tiara are “en Tremblant” meaning they are free moving, dangling and throwing disco-ball-worthy prisms around with every movement.

It was used as a nuptial tiara in at least two Russian royal weddings.

R346 - as per your request, here is a tiara of Queen Saleha of Brunei. Tiaras just don't look right with head coverings.

Second Brunei Tiara.

Moroccan Princess Lalla Nezha at her wedding in a strange looking tiara. The Moroccan royal women are either hidden away (I don't remember ever seeing the present King's mother) or rarely wear tiaras except at their weddings. Wearing beautiful caftans are their trademark look.

Here is the King's daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija wearing a tiara.

Here is the Morocco Meander Tiara worn by the ex-wife of the present King, the beautiful red haired Salma.

Another diamond tiara worn by Salma.

Princess Lalla Soukaina wore emeralds to her wedding.

Salma with her daughter Khadija.

R348's tiara was sold at Christie's auction in 2007 for GBP1,050,400.

R347's tiara went under Christie's hammer for $1,035,000, "more than doubling its presale estimate".

This is the first time I've been exposed to that facial adornment worn by the Moroccan ladies. That's really fascinating to me.

Muriel, please nuke these Klan Granny whores ASAP! The toxic crones start several new threads a day.

BTW Lalla Salma of Morocco has some truly SERIOUS emeralds! Definitely the perfect gift for any lady with red hair, what redhead wouldn't appreciate ten pounds of top-quality emeralds.

I just wish she hadn't worn them with bright red.

Lalla Salma also has a rather nice sapphire tiara, I wish a better pic was available.

I don't like most of the Moroccan tiaras posted, but I like this one.

R347 - That's the only aquamarine tiara I've ever really liked.

Do we know who bought the staggering emerald tiara?

R352 - Thanks for bringing up that Russian tiara - the briolette cut diamonds must be a knockout when worn as they move, adding more brilliance. Surprised to hear that the centre stone is a pink diamond, as at first glance I took it for an actual padparascha sapphire (they are traditionally a peachy pink exactly like that colour), and the stone looks like lustre, not brilliance, is its character. Sapphires are more about lustre than brilliance because of their crystal structure.

But, hey, if he says it's a pink diamond, I'll take his word for it.

R221 You must not have read the tread ranking Disney princesses by order of royal rank. It was a lively discussion.

R221 - Could you bump-up the Disney Princess thread?

This moroccan prince is hot as hell.

I have bumped the Disney Princesses Order of Precedence thread.

It's Tiara Time... swipe for The Fife Tiara which now belongs to the British people. Well, I guess that's better than being sold.

Some tiaras are very versatile. Swipe for examples.

Love those dangling pear-shaped diamonds in the Fife!!!

Versatile tiaras include the way QE II's fringe (one of them) can be taken off its frame and used as a necklace. There is a photo of HM wearing one of the two Fringe's she owns, with the other off its frame around her neck.

Only she could get away with it.

Wow, is there a Tiara Troll now?! Haven't been here for so long.... This is lovely, lol

Tiara Troll, Pet Troll, Klan Granny Accuser Troll, Welp Troll, Celebitchy Troll - it's a lair of horrors.

I collect precious and semi-precious stones, but never was able to muster much interest in diamonds. It's when I see them handled so skillfully by expert jewelers that I can really appreciate them. Thanks, Tiara Troll!

I love tiaras with some color. Here is the Russian Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara. It now belongs to a museum.

Love this thread! I am going down the rabbit hole googling these many many princesses, duchesses, etc and the labyrinthine ways they are all related.

I can't see that diamonds are of great interest to a stone collector, R378, the stones themselves just aren't terribly interesting or variable. Diamonds all look pretty much alike, with only slight color variations, while other stones like turquoise, jade, or jasper can vary enough in color and pattern to be unique and interesting.

I have a few pieces of turquoise which I love for their color and variability, a friend collects picture rocks. Isn't this piece of jasper more interesting to look at than a tiny sparkly clear thing?

That's beautiful, R380!

Today the former Queen Anne Marie of Greece turns 74 years old. Swipe for some of her tiara collection. I thought she was one of the prettiest European royals in her prime.

Swipe for the Fleur de Lys tiara of Spain.

Can the Tiara Troll be a dear, and identify this knockout of an aquamarine tiara?

I think that's one of the Swedish princesses wearing it.

R384 - that's Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara.

Swipe for more photos of the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara.

R329 I like the Dutch Sapphire Parure Tiara, but the Sapphires are too light for my taste. It reminds me of Queen Victoria's Crown Ruby Brooch, Crown Ruby Necklace, & Crown Ruby Earrings. Those rubies aren't a lovely deep red, but they're on the magenta/fuschia end...and very unappealing. These sapphires aren't as bad as those rubies, but could stand to be a little darker.

R387 "Those rubies aren't a lovely deep red, but they're on the magenta/fuschia end...and very unappealing."

I'd still like to try it on.

Magenta or mauve-toned rubies can be quite beautiful... as long as you don't wear them with a bright red sash.

r377, our Tiara Troll is a friendly appellation for someone we here all love. He doesn't deserve a same sentence mention with the other horrors you have listed.

R387 Here.

R389 They're just not my ideals when I think of rubies. And you're absolutely right: the red sash didn't help at all.

R388 I can't blame you. I wouldn't pass up that opportunity, either, if it were offered. My FAVORITE piece of jewelry in QE2's collection, are "Granny's Chips"; the brooch made from the Cullinan III & Cullinan IV. Not only are the stones EXTRAORDINARY, the platinum setting is absolutely minimal, allowing them to stand on their own. It's said to be the most valuable piece of jewelry in her private collection.

Wowww, those diamonds are surreal, R391! Are they from South Africa?

Thank you Tiara Troll. You are very much loved and very much appreciated.

For all the haters: If you do not like Royal Jewelry, what are you doing on this thread?

It's Tiara Time...swipe for Infanta Eulalia's Diamond and Pearl Tiara. It was stolen and never found. Admiring the lady's piercing blue eyes.

Swipe for The Rutland Tiara.

Photos of Princess Marie Josée of Belgium (later Queen of Italy) wearing a diamond and pearl tiara in a flapper style.

R396's tiara went under the hammer at Christie's in 2007 for GBP 43,200.

R392 Yes, they were originally part of the Cullinan Diamond, which when discovered in its raw form at the beginning of 1905, weighed 3,106.75 carats, or 621.35 grams, which is almost 1.6lbs!

R392 Yes, they were originally part of the Cullinan Diamond, which when discovered in its raw form at the beginning of 1905, weighed 3,106.75 carats, or 621.35 grams, which is almost 1.6lbs!

A 621-gram diamond???

WHY DID THEY CUT IT IN PIECES???

A 621-gram diamond???

WHY DID THEY CUT IT IN PIECES???

Well here's the largest piece of the Cullinan diamond, I think the original stone was an irregular shape and they had to take off big chunks to get a regular sparkling cut diamond out of it.

Who owns the whopping big piece, if the Queen of the Empire only got the leftovers?

Oh poor Tiara Troll - attacked by the Klan Grannie Troll from her halfway house!

She is as shameless as she is ignorant about the Finer Things.

Never mind. You bring, er, all right, I'll say it: sparkle into our lives.

(Rhymes with Markle, said the Pet Troll with a leer, but without the class.)

OP - Do not despair and cut yourself down from the shower head (even faux pearls can add je ne sais quoi to an outfit).

Very LARGE pieces were cut from the Cullinan, and as it is, the huge pear shaped brooch can only be worn with some sort of stiffened ribbon gizmo behind it or HM would fall over.

Had it not been cut and facetted, we would never have had the pleasure seeing it on Queen Mary's and Queen Elizabeth's capacious bosoms.

Plenty was left to go around.

From Wikipedia:

"Cullinan produced stones of various cuts and sizes, the largest of which is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.4 carats (106.08 g) it is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. The stone is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. The second-largest is Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats (63.48 g), mounted in the Imperial State Crown. Both are part of the Crown Jewels. Seven other major diamonds, weighing a total of 208.29 carats (41.66 g), are privately owned by Elizabeth II, who inherited them from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953. The Queen also owns minor brilliants and a set of unpolished fragments."

Below, the top of The Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross, showing Cullinan I.

Bwahaha, I can only imagine the Queen, dragging her feet along a red carpet, a huge sparkly boulder hanging from her neck 🤣🤣🤣

R316 That's a favorite of mine. When I was studying to be a costume designer in college, I used it as the inspiration for a project, where I created a similar tiara that could also be work as a necklace. It turned out beautifully and I got high marks. I wore it to a "Greek-Inspired" party not long after it was finished.

Cullinan II in the Imperial State Crown. The crown is so heavy that Elizabeth can no longer wear it. But since it officially represents the Monarch's sovereignty, at the last two formal state openings of Parliament, it was borne on a pillow beside her and rested next to her on its own chair as she spoke. Her Majesty wore the George IV State Diadem, which is much lighter.

I have. seen the Great Star of Africa diamond in person, along with the Second Star of Africa.

And so has every other tourist who's ever visited the Tower of London, and had a gawk at the crown jewels. I should go again, I really didnt appreciate them at the time.

Klan bitches admiring blood diamonds. What depraved colonialists you are. Let's hope you all get covid and end your lives on ventilators.

What you wish upon others will find you.

Honi soit qui mal y pense, r410.

The George IV State Diadem, aka the The Diamond Diadem.

It's Tiara Time...swipe for Queen Sophia's Pearl and Diamond Star Tiara of Denmark - Part 1.

Swipe for Part Two.

Two of the ugliest tiaras come from Sweden. First up, is Countess Gunilla Bernadotte's Tiara.

Swipe for Countess Bettina Bernadotte's Tiara.

No, the ugliest tiaras come from the Middle East. Huge, ugly, tasteless, vulgar multi-colored things seems to be the rule there. Ostentatious and made without color sense. Here's a wife of a Shah of Iran, wearing.... something large.

What? I love it, R418. It's very much in the Eastern aesthetical tradition. The colours are well matched. It's large but not tacky.

[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.]

It's Tiara Time...Empress Marie Louise's Turquoise Tiara.

Swipe for Monaco's Princess Charlotte's Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara. It has been often worn by Charlotte's granddaughter Princess Caroline.

Swipe for the Prussian Meander Tiara.

The Thai Modern Floral Tiara.

Tiaras with emeralds from around the world.

The City Of London Fringe Tiara of the Kent Family. I love all of the Fringes!

A lot of these jewels look dry and prickly.

It's Tiara Time...photos of Queen Zein of Jordan's tiara.

Swipe for Princess Muna of Jordan's tiara.

Swipe for Tiaras with Sapphires.

The Portland Sapphire Tiara is lovely! Just a stunner!

And so is the huge matching brooch, but wearing the big tiara and the huge brooch together would be, well, vulgar.

R431 - With they brooch, I will be vulgar and enjoy every vulgar minute.

Did this belong to The Dukes of Portland before they died out?

Tiara # 1 from Malaysia - swipe for the Gandik Diraja Tiara. I don't think veils are a good match with tiaras.

Tiara # 2 from Malaysia - swipe for the Pahang Diamond Art Deco Tiara.

Swipe for The Duchess of Alba's Pearl Tiara.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium's bandeau tiara can also be worn as a necklace.

Now for some aristocratic tiaras...this one is the Argyll Tiara. I love the choker more than the tiara.

Swipe for the Wellington Tiara.

This is the only brf thread Muriel allows to flourish. You tiara whores better not mention Meghan.

R439 - Meghan does not own a tiara to my knowledge so your request will not be a problem.

I think the Tiara Troll and Muriel are drinking buddies.

Swipe for Queen Maria Christina of Spain's Cartier Loop Tiara.

Tonight at 8pm (Tuesday, 9/15) PBS here in NYC is running a documentary titled "Secrets of the Royal Jewels" that sounds very interesting:

"The sparkling documentary “Secrets Of The Royal Jewels” takes a closer look at the tiaras, earrings, rings, and neckpieces that make up the royal collection, and tell the incredible stories behind them as they pass through the generations. Presented by Viacom International Inc."

Local PBS stations sometimes run their specials at different dates and times so it might be worth checking your local listings to find out when it shows in your area.

[quote] Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. I think it is the quintessential tiara look, that would work on any woman's head. It just screams head bitch in charge...

I think Elizabeth R looks good in anything. You could put a garbage can lid on her head and she’d still look stunning.

Isn't the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara alleged to be one HM's favorites because of both its looks and its lighter weight?

I'm watching the PBS documentary mentioned about the royal jewelry and it's a lot of fun. Not really scholarly, more gossipy. Backstories and legends about various pieces we all know from here. Lady CC is one of the commenters. And visually, it's royal bling porn.

Swipe for the tiaras of Spain.

Swipe for Tiaras worn by the late Queen Mum.

Swipe for Sapphire Tiaras from around the world.

Swipe for the tiaras of Imperial Japan.

Here is Part Two of Sapphire Tiaras. The first part is @R448.

The Delhi Durbar Tiara.

Swipe for hundreds of foul Klan trolls discussing ugly dusty jewels.

Swipe for the unique Cameo Tiara of Sweden.

An Over The Top Tiara - The Westminster Halo Tiara worn by the Duchesses of Westminster.

Three Queens, Three Tiaras.

Swipe for hundreds of foul Klan trolls discussing ugly dusty jewels .

FU r456 and a comment to note how much we love our Tiara Troll.

Please F&F r456 who thinks he's on a drunken roll.

The emerald tiara of Iran.

Princess Mary's tiaras.

Swipe for Princess Margaret's tiaras.

Ah, there you are!

R272 from the Foibles thread. Thought we'd lost you . . .

That sapphire tiara is just heinous.

Ah, and I thought we'd lost our KGT, too! There you are, pet! How are things? How is all that flagging, monitoring, reporting to the "authorities", etc., etc., going? Anything to report? LSA MMUO thread shut down? No? Thought not.

Ah, well - listen, taste is taste. If you think the jewels are ugly, that's just your taste.

But I'll be damned if HM's collection is fucking DUSTY!

Now, then - I think the Cartier tiara looked better on Kate than it does on Margaret, because, well, Margaret's nose is too big for it. It juts out too far beyond the tiara. Looked much better on Kate with her little nose . . .

Margaret aged so badly. She was such a lovely English Rose until about 25.

Re the photos in R455 - the Kokoshnik puts the others to shame. It is just the absolute BOMB of tiaras!!!

And the young Princess Elizabeth is the spit of her Aunt, Mary, the Princess Royal.

The Dutch Sapphire Tiara.

An unusual tiara...swipe for the Danish Ruby Parure Tiara.

The Dutch ruby parue would be waaay cooler, if the rubies were a brighter red. They're almost purple!

Swipe for the Liechtenstein Fringe Tiara. I love those fringes!

This one on Mrs. Stan Laurel (aka Fanny) was delicious!

The tiara legacy from Princess Margaret of Connaught.

The Talhouet Diamond Scroll Tiara worn here by the former Queen Noor Of Jordan.

Thank you Tiara Troll for all your hard work.

R472 - ah, you're welcome. It's nice to be acknowledged. Thank you.

I, too, tip my tiara to you, Tiara Troll.

R474 - thank you.

Here is Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain's Meander Tiara. Swipe for photos.

The Spanish tiaras worn by the former Queen Sofia. Her daughter-in-law Queen Letizia wears most of them now.

Queen Margherita of Italy's Diamond Wreath Tiara.

Does anybody remember when Beyoncé and Jay Z commissioned a portrait of Meghan and she was portrayed wearing one of the most famous tiaras of the Spanish Royal Family?

R478 In her damn dreams, snort! Meg, watch and learn, amateur.

Thank you, Tiara Troll, for bringing joy and delight through these trying times. If you can scare up another amethyst tiara or two, that'd be swell.

R480 - thank you for your kind words. Amethyst tiara? Your wish is my command.

The Swedish royals have this amethyst tiara in their collection.

The Norwegian Amethyst Tiara. Here it is worn by Princess Martha Louise.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway wearing the same tiara as R482.

Tiara Troll, I think the BRF has an Amethyst collection too.

IIRC, this Amethyst collection Originally belonged to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent.

If found this knockout set called "Queen Mary's Amethyst Parue", but no pictures of it being worn by QEII or any other modern royal. I wonder if it was left to a daughter or daughter-in-law and passed out of the royal family.

It'd look smashing on the Duchess of Cambridge, the amethysts would look glowing in her rich brown hair.

Queen Mary's Amethyst Collection.

Queen Alexandra's "Mystery" Tiara. Where is this beauty?

Queen Alexandra wearing the "mystery" Amethyst Tiara.

The Swedish Royals have an Amethyst Tiara as well. Here is Queen Silvia with her collection.

Queen Silvia of Sweden lets other ladies in the family wear the amethyst tiara.

An aristocratic amethyst tiara worn by the Marquess of Tavistock.

THNK YOU Tiara Troll!!!!

The Norwegians have a smallish collection compared to the Windsors, the House of Orange, the Bernadotte Swedes, and the Glucksburg Danes.

QEII doesn't wear her amethysts often compared to her emeralds, rubies, and sapphires - and they are not likely to suit Kate's colouring as well as some other gems.

Silvia and her daughters wear the Swedish amethyst set much more often.

The gem used also to be associated with mourning in the Victorian era: once out of black, ladies in the next phase wore mauve, lilac, etc., and amethysts went well with those shades, so they took on a sort of sombre association.

I found Them! The Duchess of Kent (mother of Queen Victoria) Amethysts as worn by QEII.

Queen Alexandra's and the Swedish pieces are lovely.

The Norwegian one, while nice, is a bit too "lollipop-y" for me.

The Marquess's, at r491, is a knockout, such large beautiful stones, and the color is exquisite. The setting is very old-fashioned, and most suitable. My new fave.

The Queen, in r494's pic, is wearing one of the more regal looking tiaras, it is most becoming to her.

Who knew amazing amethysts abound? Merci, TT.

A Danish fringe tiara. I love fringe tiaras but this one is not as pretty as some fringes of other royal houses. The space between the diamond spikes are too wide for my liking.

An elaborate tiara with matching necklace worn by Empress Masako of Japan.

R497 - I rather agree - it's one reason I like QEII's Kokoshnik so much, with the spikes so close together. But is that Danish Fringe the one Queen Margrethe's sister, Princess Benedikte, wears so often? I seem to remember Benedikte's Fringe has something squiggly between the spikes?

Yasuko's Diamond and Pearl Tiara with matching necklace and earrings. Very delicate but I do think the pearls in the earrings are a touch too big.

The Thurn and Taxis Emerald Tiara.

The Halo Tiara by Cartier worn by Kate on her wedding day.

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara. Sixty one bars of perfection.

The Queen's tiaras. I still love those two fringes followed by the sapphire one.

R485 Queen Mary's amethysts were given to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother who never wore them and never liked them. She sold them in the 1990s to offset the overdrafts she incurred due to her lavish lifestyle. There is a photo out there of Anna Wintour wearing the necklace for some event. The whereabouts of the tiara is unknown.

Princess Maud of Fife (later known as Lady Maud Carnegie and Countess of Southesk) wearing her grandmother Queen Alexandra's amethysts at the coronation of her first cousin George VI. After Maud's death in 1945, the tiara and necklace were sold. The tiara was restyled and the large amethysts replaced by smaller ones. Both tiara and necklace have reappeared on the market several times over the years.

Also in the photo is Lady Patricia Ramsey (not to be confused with with Mrs. Patsy Ramsey, formerly of Boulder CO) who was born Princess Patricia of Connaught. Lady Patricia is wearing the Russian fringe tiara which belonged to her mother. After Patricia's death, the tiara passed to Princess Maud's son, the then Duke of Fife and it remains in the possess of the current Duke.

The Leuchtenberg Faberge Tiara. Purported to contain diamonds that once belonged to Napoleon's Empress Josephine. Josephine's son (from her first marriage and later adopted by Napoleon) married into the Bavarian royal family and the King of Bavaria gave them the titles of Duke/Prince/Princess of Leuchtenberg. The 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg married the only surviving daughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and was made an Imperial Highness and officially a member of the House of Romanov (albeit, a junior branch) with his children also accorded as Imperial Highnesses outranking all the Royal Highnesses of Europe and the United Kingdom.

The tiara ended up in the Italian Royal Family and was sold by a daughter of the last King of Italy in 2007.

I used to think fringe tiaras were beautiful until I saw this cunt wearing one.

The Prussian Diamond Tiara is now worn by the Spanish Queen Letizia.

R507 - the fringe tiara is still pretty no matter who is wearing it. I'm not a fan of Marie Chantal but her headpiece is lovely.

The Luxembourg Empire Tiara is a little too tall for my liking. It overpowers a short woman like Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. A woman should also have really BIG HAIR and the hairstyle may not be enough to pull off such a grand headpiece.

I know that this has already been said in the thread but thank you again Tiara Troll for giving us a little magic during these depressing times.

Yes, Tiara Troll. You’re a ‘gem.’

R511 & R512 - ah, you're welcome. It's nice to be appreciated. I'll see what gems I can find today on my Internet travels.

Swipe for the Vladimir Tiara.

A video of The Fife Tiara at Kensington Palace.