Our Take on Tiaras

Explore the most iconic tiaras worn by the British Royal family throughout history, many of which are still worn to this day as treasured heirlooms.

Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara

The Lover’s Knot Tiara was commissioned for Queen Mary in 1913 and created by the House of Garrard. An interesting point to note is that Queen Mary sacrificed pearls and diamonds from her Ladies of England Tiara. This was a  fashion-forward and sustainably conscious move, very rare at the time. The Lover’s Knot Tiara has continued to serve its purpose since and was often worn by Princess Diana. The tiara was passed down to Queen Mary’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, after her death. It was later loaned to Princess Diana as a wedding gift and then stored by the crown for several years following her death until the Princess of Wales wore it to a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2015.

Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

The Girls of Great Britain Tiara was gifted to Queen Mary as a wedding present and worn by Royal ladies from there on out. The tiara was presented to Queen Mary from the girls of Great Britain and Ireland, purchased with money raised by a committee organised by Lady Eva Greville. Queen Mary passed the tiara down to her granddaughter Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift. This tiara has become a famous symbol of British royalty, as Queen Elizabeth wore it regularly including in her portrait featured on British  banknotes and coins. Princess Diana later wore it on several occasions despite reporting it to be extremely heavy and uncomfortable.

Cartier Halo Tiara

The Cartier Halo Tiara was bought by King George VI as a gift for his wife, the Queen Mother, in 1936, a few months after Cartier created it. The iconic Cartier Halo Tiara was then gifted to The Queen on her 18th Birthday and later lent to the Princess of Wales on her wedding day. It was also a favourite of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret. Margaret wore the tiara to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. This tiara is sometimes known as the ‘Scroll Tiara’ as it features 16 scroll elements arranged across a geometric band of 739 brilliant diamonds and 149 baton diamonds.

The Spencer Tiara

As its name would suggest, the Spencer Tiara is one of Princess Diana’s family heirlooms. The tiara was constructed by Garrard in the 1930s, from several gifts that the Spencers had received. The Spencers are an aristocratic family with a rich history and would often receive luxury jewels as gifts. The Spencer Tiara features a diamond and floral diadem and made its  first-ever debut on Princess Diana’s wedding day. The Spencer Tiara was put on display at Sotheby’s London earlier this year in honour of  Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, after not being shown in public since the 1960s.

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was made by Boucheron for Dame Margaret Greville in 1919. It was inspired by the ‘kokoshnik’ style that was made popular in Imperial Russia. Comprised of brilliant and rose-cut diamonds set in platinum, it has  six emeralds on either side of a 93.7ct. emerald centre stone. In 1942, the Queen Mother inherited her jewels, and the tiara became part of the Royal collection. The tiara is steeped in fascinating history, thought to have been hidden from the public eye due to its association with Russian history. This speculation came to an end when Princess Eugenie proudly wore the Tiara on her wedding day in 2018.

Thank you for taking the time to read Our Take on Tiaras.

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