Tiaras and Jewels for Prince Harry's Future Wife

[Elspeth]

Considering how much jewellery Queen Mary and the present Queen received as wedding presents from the senior royals, Diana received surprisingly little (just the lover's knot tiara and the choker from the Cambridge emerald parure). You'd think the Princess of Wales would have had more than one tiara from the royal collection.

I sort of doubt that the Delhi Durbar tiara would go to William's wife before he became king; that was made for Queen Mary as a sort of substitute crown to wear at the Durbar, so it's got a significance that many of the other tiaras haven't got.

 

[wymanda]

Originally posted by Elspeth@Mar 30th, 2004 - 12:41 am
I sort of doubt that the Delhi Durbar tiara would go to William's wife before he became king; that was made for Queen Mary as a sort of substitute crown to wear at the Durbar, so it's got a significance that many of the other tiaras haven't got.

Perhaps if they marry it will go to Camilla as items she can wear are going to be limited due to them either being currently worn by other ladies in the family or Diana having worn them (remember she did wear some items on loan from the Queen). I think that this tiara and the Queen Mum's Cartier Tiara would be more suited to a more mature lady like Camilla.

 

[Elspeth]

Well, I don't see the Delhi Durbar tiara being used by anybody who isn't queen; even if Prince William's wife spends time as Princess of Wales first, I really doubt that tiara would be used until she became queen. It's more like a crown than a tiara and it was made for a coronation.

 

[wymanda]

It could be scaled down?

 

[Elspeth]

I was wondering about that. There do seem to be a number of jewels from Queen Mary's time that are too ostentatious and elaborate for present-day uses.

 

[tiaraprin]

Whatever happened to the Moon and Star Tiara that belonged to Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck??

 

[tiaraprin]

William's future wife should get the Lover's Knot Tiara that his Mum got. I hope however, she has use of more than one tiara--not everything goes with pearls!

 

[tiaraprin]

Originally posted by wymanda@Feb 18th, 2004 - 6:36 pm
It is possible that the Queen purchased these from Viscount Linley. Although he will succeed his father as Earl of Snowdon so his wife may have need of a tiara. I would think they would keep the Poltimore as it was a wedding gift to Pncss Margaret and she wore it at her wedding.

According to what I have read, Princess Margaret purchased the Poltimore Tiara at an estate sale before her marriage for 5000 British Pounds??

 

[Elspeth]

I thought it was a wedding gift from the Queen Mother. Can't remember where I read that, though.

 

[kelly9480]

It wasn't "returned" to Earl Spencer, he always had possession of it. She would borrow it and return it to him after each use.

 

[Charles]

Originally posted by A.C.C.@Feb 16th, 2004 - 12:45 pm
I think the Spencer Tiara worn by Diana should be a wedding gift to William's wife, but they could still be able to borrow it from her. They won't need a tiara but for select events like a wedding, if they are invited to a ball or state event, or a coronation (of either Charles or William), because all peers and peeresses are invited.

Anyway, it would be a nice gesture to give William's wife that Spencer Tiara (if they have another tiara for themselves).

Oh? As if they Royal Family doesn't have a plethora of tiaras to choose from...

 

[tiaraprin]

Originally posted by Charles+Jun 20th, 2004 - 9:16 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Charles @ Jun 20th, 2004 - 9:16 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-A.C.C.@Feb 16th, 2004 - 12:45 pm
I think the Spencer Tiara worn by Diana should be a wedding gift to William's wife, but they could still be able to borrow it from her.  They won't need a tiara but for select events like a wedding, if they are invited to a ball or state event, or a coronation (of either Charles or William), because all peers and peeresses are invited.

Anyway, it would be a nice gesture to give William's wife that Spencer Tiara (if they have another tiara for themselves).

[/b][/quote]

That tiara belongs to the Spencer family and there it should be!! It has been worn by several Spencer family brides!

I don't think it would be wise for William's wife to wear it because there are enough tiaras in the royal collection. Wear the lover's knot that his Mum wore but give her another one from the royal collection too. . .

 

[Charles]

That's what I said in my post.

 

[wymanda]

Originally posted by tiaraprin@Jun 20th, 2004 - 1:12 pm
Whatever happened to the Moon and Star Tiara that belonged to Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck??

Unless Queen Mary had it taken apart and made into something else the Teck Rose & Crescent Tiara is still in the royal vaults.

 

[Reina]

Hey if I were the Queen I would keep most and the best jewels for myself....I luuuuvvv tiaras...and rubies...oh my!

 

[james]

The Spencer tiara was "returned" to Earl Spencer before Diana died. Since her marraige she had been loaned the tiara indefinatley as she was the only member of her family who used it on a reguar basis. It was kept in a safe at Kensington Palace with the rest of her jewels but was returned to Althorp about a year before Diana died. According to Paul Burrell Earl Spencer withdrew permission for her to wear it after the two of them had a furious argument and she had to give it back.

 

[Warren]

The Teck Tiara

Unless Queen Mary had it taken apart and made into something else the Teck Rose & Crescent Tiara is still in the royal vaults.

This photograph appeared in Geoffrey Munn's fabulous book "Tiaras, a History of Splendour" (highly recommended!) published 2001. It had the credit "By Gracious Permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother". So I assume the tiara has now been returned to the vaults beneath Buckingham Palace.

This tiara was the favourite of Princess Mary Adelaide (Queen Mary's mother).
Its provenance is unknown, although it is likely it was a wedding present from one of her Royal cousins in 1866 when she married Prince Francis of Teck.

The crescents are detachable "dress ornaments".

Munn writes "This jewel, like so many tiaras made in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, has a wide circumference to accommodate the hair-pieces fashionable at the time. Queen Elizabeth was the first Queen Consort to rely only on her own hair, and she evidently had trouble filling the frame of this particulae jewel. Perhaps for this very practical reason it was seldom worn by Her Majesty."
.

 

[wymanda]

Munn writes "This jewel, like so many tiaras made in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, has a wide circumference to accommodate the hair-pieces fashionable at the time. Queen Elizabeth was the first Queen Consort to rely only on her own hair, and she evidently had trouble filling the frame of this particulae jewel. Perhaps for this very practical reason it was seldom worn by Her Majesty.".

Perhaps it will be shortened and be turned into a complete circlet?

 

[tiaraprin]

None of us know what is in the vaults of Buckingham Palace. I would love to see an Amethyst Tiara--Purple is my favorite color. I know Queen Alexandra wore amethysts a great deal after her elder son died in 1892 because amethysts were a sign of semi-mourning after basic black jet jewelry. Perhaps there is an Amethyst Tiara down there waiting to come back into the light??

 

[Elspeth]

Didn't the Queen Mother sell some amethyst jewellery a few years back? Did that include a tiara, or are you thinking of one that you know is still in the possession of the royal family?

 

[wymanda]

Amethysts

This is the Parure that Queen Mary gave to the Queen Mother who later sold it.

 

[tiaraprin]

I had forgotten about that tiara that the Queen Mum sold. I also know HM the Queen has a suite of amethysts that belonged to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent.

I still think there has to be more amethysts down there. Where did Diana get her suite of amethysts composed of choker, earrings, and bracelet? I have always wanted to know where this came from. Was it a wedding gift?? Was it in the Buckinham Palace vaults?

 

[tiaraprin]

Do you think Her Majesty would lend the King George III Fringe Tiara that she and Princess Anne wore at their weddings to William's future wife to wear?

 

[wymanda]

Do you think Her Majesty would lend the King George III Fringe Tiara that she and Princess Anne wore at their weddings to William's future wife to wear?

tiaraprin
that Tiara is part of the jewellery that Queen Victoria designated to be worn by all future Queens. The only other people to have worn the tiara were the present Queen (as Princess Elizabeth) on her wedding day and the Princess Royal on her 1st wedding day. I therefore think it unlikely that if William marries while his grandmother & Prince Charles are still alive that his wife will be permitted to wear this tiara. It is more likely that she will be given another tiara. I even doubt that she would be given the Lovers Knot as the Queen will see the dangers the young woman will face in being compared to Diana without her having a piece that became identified with Diana. I seriously doubt that this piece will be seen for many years.

 

[agisele]

wow. the British Royal Family has some really beautiful tiaras. wouldn't mind just having one of the many in that collection. =)

 

[Warren]

Amethysts or Sapphires?

Where did Diana get her suite of amethysts composed of choker, earrings, and bracelet? I have always wanted to know where this came from[/i]. Was it a wedding gift?? Was it in the Buckinham Palace vaults?

Tiaraprin

I think you might be referring to the spectacular diamond and sapphire wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. This comprised a narrow diamond necklace from which hung a deep blue Burmese sapphire surrounded by a sunburst of diamonds; sapphire earrings, a ring, bracelet, and a watch with seven sapphire clusters. (The watch face was sapphire, so it would have looked like a bracelet!)

Diana initially wore these as as a sort of parure, but later had Garrards break up the ring and watch to make another pair of earrings and a necklace (which she mounted on velvet to make the choker). The reason was that she had already received two diamond watches as wedding presents, and the diamond and sapphire ring was similar to her engagement ring.

She also received a huge sapphire surrounded by diamonds, which was a gift from the Queen Mother.

(This info from "The Royal Jewels" by Suzy Menkes.)

As to what is in the vaults ... those who know certainly aren't telling!
However, the terms "treasure trove" and "Aladdin's cave" are probably accurate descriptions.
.

 

[Elspeth]

It's possible that the bride of Prince William would be able to wear the fringe tiara, since she would be a future queen, and Elizabeth was wearing it before she became queen. On the other hand, the Queen might prefer to give her a tiara that she can use in the longer term, like she did with the lovers' knot one to Diana.

If William marries an aristocrat who has a family tiara, she may wear that for her wedding, like Diana did. I assume that Diana wore the Spencer tiara rather than the lovers' knot one after she was married as some sort of message that she wasn't happy with the royal family; with luck, that won't be the case for William's wife.

 

[wymanda]

It's possible that the bride of Prince William would be able to wear the fringe tiara, since she would be a future queen, and Elizabeth was wearing it before she became queen. On the other hand, the Queen might prefer to give her a tiara that she can use in the longer term, like she did with the lovers' knot one to Diana.

If William marries an aristocrat who has a family tiara, she may wear that for her wedding, like Diana did. I assume that Diana wore the Spencer tiara rather than the lovers' knot one after she was married as some sort of message that she wasn't happy with the royal family; with luck, that won't be the case for William's wife.

Yes Elspeth but Elizabeth was Heiress Presumptive not a prospective consort.
I think it is wrong to assume that Diana wore her family tiara merely to be spiteful. It has been said many times that the Lovers Knot is very heavy and that the Spencer provided her with a lighter alternative. Also, if she were not wearing a white gown and/or pearls then the Lovers Knot did not really "go" and the diamond Spencer Tiara was more appropriate. Having said that, I always thought it a shame that Diana didn't have the use of a smaller royal piece like the Strathmore Rose or the Diamond Scroll.

 

[Elspeth]

I wasn't trying to say that I thought she wore the Spencer tiara out of spite - just because the other tiara was a royal family heirloom and she didn't ever seem to feel that she really belonged to that family. I wouldn't be surprised if the lack of other tiaras coming her way from the Queen during her marriage was a result of her unhappiness with the family and the Queen's concern about where that might lead. I mean, to have just one tiara and just the Family Order after all those years of marriage is a bit unusual.

 

[tiaraprin]

tiaraprin
that Tiara is part of the jewellery that Queen Victoria designated to be worn by all future Queens. The only other people to have worn the tiara were the present Queen (as Princess Elizabeth) on her wedding day and the Princess Royal on her 1st wedding day. I therefore think it unlikely that if William marries while his grandmother & Prince Charles are still alive that his wife will be permitted to wear this tiara. It is more likely that she will be given another tiara. I even doubt that she would be given the Lovers Knot as the Queen will see the dangers the young woman will face in being compared to Diana without her having a piece that became identified with Diana. I seriously doubt that this piece will be seen for many years.

I thought perhaps the George III might be worn by William's future wife on the wedding day if Her Majesty really liked the young lady, but most probably another tiara will be brushed off and brought out.

I agree that the future wife of William (or Harry for that matter) should not wear the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara on the wedding day or soon after. I think more time should pass before that tiara should be worn by William's or Harry's wife. Perhaps if William has a daughter, she will wear it.

When it comes to Diana's jewels, either personal or from the crown collection, they should be held for the wives of William and Harry to wear if it seems appropriate to do so at a later time.