Tiaras and Jewels for Prince Harry's Future Wife

[tiaraprin]

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.

Interesting point, but I don't see the Countess of Wessex with more than one tiara. I think Sophie should have been given a nicer tiara than the one she was given. Even Princess Anne only seems to have 2 tiaras that she wears.

I also think Diana wore the Spencer tiara because it was more comfortable than the Cambridge Tiara and she was proud of her origins.

 

[Elspeth]

The Countess of Wessex had a different tiara from the usual when she attended one of the events at the Danish wedding. I think she's worn it since then too, as either a tiara or a necklace. Not sure if it's a gift or if she's just borrowed it temporarily. I don't think anybody here recognised it as being part of the royal collection of jewels.

Yes, it would have been nice if Sophie had been given a tiara with a bit of history rather than some unknown one that doesn't seem to have seen the light of day previously since goodness knows when.

 

[Warren]

More Tiaras

I don't see the Countess of Wessex with more than one tiara. I think Sophie should have been given a nicer tiara than the one she was given. Even Princess Anne only seems to have 2 tiaras that she wears.

We have seen Sophie Wessex in two tiaras; the wedding tiara and the one she wore at the the pre-weddding gala in Copenhagen in May (deduced by members of TRF to be provenance of Princess Andrew of Greece).

The Princess Royal has at least three:
.

 

[tiaraprin]

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.

(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.
.

I know of the set you are referring to and that is indeed sapphires. The set I am referring to is a 3 strand choker of amethyst beads with a cabochon amethyst at the center surrounded in diamonds. The bracelet is a replica of the choker, and the earrings are drop style with 2 cabochon amethysts surrounded by diamonds that match the centerpiece of the choker and bracelet. You can see Diana wearing it with the crushed violet velvet off the shoulder gown designed by Bruce Oldfield in Portugal in 1987. She also posed wearing these jewels with the Spencer Tiara for formal portraits.

 

[wymanda]

I know of the set you are referring to and that is indeed sapphires. The set I am referring to is a 3 strand choker of amethyst beads with a cabochon amethyst at the center surrounded in diamonds. The bracelet is a replica of the choker, and the earrings are drop style with 2 cabochon amethysts surrounded by diamonds that match the centerpiece of the choker and bracelet. You can see Diana wearing it with the crushed violet velvet off the shoulder gown designed by Bruce Oldfield in Portugal in 1987. She also posed wearing these jewels with the Spencer Tiara for formal portraits.

I thought that the set you mention was costume jewellery!

 

[tiaraprin]

If that is costume jewelry, Butler & Wilson did a fabulous job!!

Can anyone tell us where these jewels come from?? Are they real or fake??

 

[sara1981]

If that is costume jewelry, Butler & Wilson did a fabulous job!!

Can anyone tell us where these jewels come from?? Are they real or fake??

i tell you about jewels and tiara is real! but its not FAKES! if im correct or im mistakes!

Sara Boyce

 

[agisele]

If that is costume jewelry, Butler & Wilson did a fabulous job!!

Can anyone tell us where these jewels come from?? Are they real or fake??

i highly doubt that any member of any royal family wpi;d actually wear counterfeit jewels out into public.

 

[Warren]

Diana Faked It!

I highly doubt that any member of any royal family would actually wear counterfeit jewels out into public.

Again, from "The Royal Jewels" by Suzy Menkes:

"In the winter of 1987 the Princess of Wales swept into a gala dinner at Garrard, the Crown Jewellers. She cut a regal figure, dressed like a young Queen Elizabeth I in deep purple velvet...with an amethyst and diamond cross suspended from a pearl chain to her waist.

"Diana hung her priceless pendant on a rope of fake pearls she had previously worn."

and "... from a costume jeweller she chose heart earrings..."

and "... Diana wears costume jewellery, from blatant fakes - like the 'diamond' lizard - to the pearly choker necklace with an immitation sapphire clasp that might pass for the real thing."

All that glitters is not gold.

 

[Fashionista100]

I think we can drop the idea of William's future wife wearing anything really associated with Diana. She needs to establish her own identity away from Diana. I would not want to be in her shawdow either. As far as the Spencer tiara, william is not a spencer but a windsor. She will not wear it, and the Spencer family won't loan it. There is no need. Besides the Spencers and the Windsors really don't associate too much anymore. And I doubt the Earl would want to remove a key piece from his museum.

Windsors have pleanty of tiaras, and have enought tiaras to buy a new one if needed. I would love to see more of the tiaras worn by Princess Anne and princess margaret. They were so beautiful. It is a shame the Queen Mum sold the Amythest tiara. It was such a beautiful set!!

 

[tiaraprin]

Yes Diana Did "Fake It" But She Wasn't The Only One!

Yes Diana wore fake jewels from a company named Butler and Wilson. The moon crescent earrings she wore in the Middle East in the late 80's were from B &W. The heart earring she wore with a grey pinstripe suit in Spain in 1987 were from B & W also. The Duchess of York also wore pieces from Butler and Wilson.

However, Diana and Fergie are not the only ones to "fake it." Queen Alexandra, consort to Edward VII, wore ropes and ropes of fake pearls her ladies in waiting would buy for her in France!! Once a strand of the fake pearls broke and she made the ladies in waiting pick up every single pearl, even though they were fake!!

 

[Warren]

Faking it

However, Diana and Fergie are not the only ones to "fake it." Queen Alexandra, consort to Edward VII, wore ropes and ropes of fake pearls her ladies in waiting would buy for her in France!!

Yes, it seems quite odd to us that with so much to choose from (especially in Alexandra's case, the pearls) they would choose to mix imitations with the real thing. And even if they did come across some costume jewellery which took their fancy you would think they could easily have a copy made in real gold, pearls etc.

I guess it demonstrates that some Royals have the confidence to wear whatever pleases them, priceless or paste.

 

[wymanda]

Anyone feel like designing something for Williams future wife (be it Kate Middleton or some other lucky lass)?

 

[branchg]

Has the Spencer tiara been returned permanently to the family or is Earl Spencer holding it in trust for Williams wife? My understanding was that the tiara was Diana's wedding present from her father.

The Spencer tiara Diana wore on her wedding day and throughout her marriage was a loan from her brother, who inherited this tiara when his grandfather died in 1975. The Earl Spencer allowed Diana to continue wearing it until he married Victoria and Diana separated from Prince Charles. At that time, Diana returned it at his request.

The Lover's Knot tiara was a gift from the Queen and was returned to her after Diana's death. It is likely to reappear, along with Diana's other jewels, when William gets married.

 

[iowabelle]

I have always thought it would be a lovely gesture if Earl Spencer were to loan William's wife the Spencer tiara for her wedding. Just to add a touch of remembrance to the event.

 

[runaway princess]

I have always thought it would be a lovely gesture if Earl Spencer were to loan William's wife the Spencer tiara for her wedding. Just to add a touch of remembrance to the event.

I agreee..but unfortunately the family is still distant with each other..

 

[iowabelle]

William's wedding, or Harry's, would be an excellent time to mend some bridges. (Although I'm not sure what the senior Windsors would think.)

It's obvious both boys have expressed pride in their mother and her heritage when they selected scallop shells for their coats of arms.

 

[Oppie]

In England is there the tradition that the groom side of the family sits on one side and the bride family sits on the other ? If that is the case sitting together should help

 

[iowabelle]

In England is there the tradition that the groom side of the family sits on one side and the bride family sits on the other ? If that is the case sitting together should help

I know it's the tradition in America. Would that help the Spencers and Windsors? I don't know.

It was fairly inevitable that some distance would arise between the boys and the Spencers since they are in training to be major members of the Royal Family. I'm sure the Windsors haven't forgotten Earl Spencer's stinging speech at the funeral. And Earl Spencer's personal life has been rather unsettled, with his living in South Africa a while and the messy divorce from Victoria. Plus, he's got an estate to run, furniture to sell, and his own children to raise.

 

[branchg]

I have always thought it would be a lovely gesture if Earl Spencer were to loan William's wife the Spencer tiara for her wedding. Just to add a touch of remembrance to the event.

Not really appropriate since William may (1) marry another aristocrat who will wear her own family's tiara for her wedding day; (2) marry a commoner who will likely wear a royal tiara (most likely the Lover's Knot Tiara worn by Diana).

 

[branchg]

William's wedding, or Harry's, would be an excellent time to mend some bridges. (Although I'm not sure what the senior Windsors would think.)

It's obvious both boys have expressed pride in their mother and her heritage when they selected scallop shells for their coats of arms.

Keep in mind that Diana herself did not have a very good relationship with her family, so the boys are hardly close to them anyway, with the possible exception of Lady Jane Fellowes.

 

[Warren]

Added pressure?

I have always thought it would be a lovely gesture if Earl Spencer were to loan William's wife the Spencer tiara for her wedding. Just to add a touch of remembrance to the event.

I find this a bit icky. Isn't it tantamount to "crowning" William's bride as "the new Diana"? I don't think the bride-to-be would have a bar of it. She will be under enough pressure and scrutiny as it is; why would she go out of her way to invite and encourage the inevitable Diana comparisons? Either a Royal tiara, or one from the bride's own family, would be more appropriate, IMO. Perhaps a Spencer motif in the bridal gown embroidery would be OK. In any case, aren't weddings about looking forward rather than looking back? But I can understand that in William's mind he would be wishing his mother was there to witness his marriage. So there will be emotional elements on several levels. Will be interesting when it happens!
.

 

[wymanda]

marry a commoner who will likely wear a royal tiara (most likely the Lover's Knot Tiara worn by Diana).

God I hope not! There are so many lovely old tiaras in the royal vaults that need an airing. I hope she gets to wear something like the Nizam of Hyderabad (now that we know it still exists).

 

[branchg]

God I hope not! There are so many lovely old tiaras in the royal vaults that need an airing. I hope she gets to wear something like the Nizam of Hyderabad (now that we know it still exists).

Is it? According to Leslie Field's authorized book, "The Queen's Jewels", the Hyderabad tiara was broken up in 1973 to provide diamonds for the Burmese Ruby tiara the Queen had made.

 

[wymanda]

Is it? According to Leslie Field's authorized book, "The Queen's Jewels", the Hyderabad tiara was broken up in 1973 to provide diamonds for the Burmese Ruby tiara the Queen had made.

There has been some discussion of this lately in another thread. According to Geoffrey Munn's "Tiara's, A History of Splendour" the Burmese Ruby Tiara was made from 96 Rubies given as a gift from the people of Burma & loose diamonds from the royal collection. Munn, who works for Wartski, is adament that the Nizam tiara is still in existence. T,AHOS is probably the most credible book written on the subject and with Munn's eminence in the British jewellery trade his research must be thought to be highly credible. Leslie Fields book is excellent but she did not have the access to the jewels and the records that Munn had.

 

[Elspeth]

Interesting. I wonder why she never wears it, then; it's a beautiful piece.

 

[Elspeth]

I think it would send an awful message if William's bride were to appear wearing the Spencer tiara (unless she was a member of the Spencer family, of course). It'd look as though the Earl was trying to control William and that William was letting him do it. People got beheaded in the Middle Ages for that sort of thing!

 

[branchg]

Leslie Fields book is excellent but she did not have the access to the jewels and the records that Munn had.

That is incorrect. Leslie Fields did the book in cooperation with each Royal Household at the time and the photographs and text were approved by the Queen. Some of the photos were archived, but others were new ones taken specifically for the book. She received assistance from the Royal Archives as well.

 

[Roshanah]

Not meaning to nit pick but although his surname is Windsor, he is a decendant of both the Windsor (By his Father) and Spencer (By his Mother) family lines.

I think we can drop the idea of William's future wife wearing anything really associated with Diana. She needs to establish her own identity away from Diana. I would not want to be in her shawdow either. As far as the Spencer tiara, william is not a spencer but a windsor. She will not wear it, and the Spencer family won't loan it. There is no need. Besides the Spencers and the Windsors really don't associate too much anymore. And I doubt the Earl would want to remove a key piece from his museum.

Windsors have pleanty of tiaras, and have enought tiaras to buy a new one if needed. I would love to see more of the tiaras worn by Princess Anne and princess margaret. They were so beautiful. It is a shame the Queen Mum sold the Amythest tiara. It was such a beautiful set!!

 

[branchg]

I think we can drop the idea of William's future wife wearing anything really associated with Diana. She needs to establish her own identity away from Diana.

It's part of the royal tradition to wear jewels passed down from generation to generation. Some of Diana's jewels were gifts to her from the royal family, the Saudi Crown Prince and the Gulf oil emirs. These items comprised her personal property and were left to Princes William and Harry for their future wives to wear.

The Lover's Knot tiara, the Cambridge emerald art deco choker, the Prince of Wales pendant, the Sri Lankan sapphire, the Swiss diamond watch, and a pearl and diamond choker were all gifts to Diana from the royal collection from the Queen or the Queen Mother. In her divorce agreement, Diana agreed she would not sell or lend any of these jewels for her lifetime, which were designated for Prince William after her death.

These jewels were returned to the Queen after Diana died and will be given to William when he marries. So, it's very likely Diana's jewels will reappear on a future Princess William.