British Royal Jewels of the Past

[jcbcode99]

Regarding the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, according to Leslie Field's book "The Queen's Jewels"

"One of the most charming tributes that Queen Maryh ever paid to the maternal side of her family was the tiara that she had made at Garrad in 1914 to her own design and from pearls and diamonds already in her possession. It was a copy of one owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who married the first Duke of Cambridge, seventh son of King George III, in 1918. She had been given it by her family prior to her marriage. There was a strong French influence in its neo-classical design of nineteen openwork diamond arches, each enclosing an oriental drop pearl from a lover's knot bow, and surmounted by single diamonds and upright oval spikes. Princess Augusta's tiara was set on a circular band of perfectly matched pearl, but Queen Mary chose a base of diamonds for hers. In the nineteenth century it was a popular design and there are five know versions in existence. WHen the Duchess of Cambridge's eldest daughter, and namesake, Augusta, marreid the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1843, she gave her the tiara as a wedding present. The Grand Duchess in turn, became godmother and ultimately closest confidant, to her niece, the future Queen Mary, whosaw her annually and knew the tiara well."
Loversknots Tiara |Das "Liebesknoten" Perlen Diadem this shows the different versions of the lover's knot tiara--
The third row down shows Queen Mary wearing the tiara in its original form, then with the upright pearl spikes removed, Queen Elizabeth wearing it around 1955, and the Diana, The Princess of Wales, wearing it.
The second row down, first two pictures, shows the tiara which was in Queen Mary's family that served as the inspiration for the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara.
Here is a link to a lovely closeup--
Cambridge Lovers' Knot Tiara pictures from history photos on webshots

and this last link Tale of A Tiara shows a close up of the original tiara (sorry, black and white), then pics of Queen Mary, Elizabeth, and Princess Diana. It's a cute site--

Oh, and the fringe tiara of The Princess Royal, Mary, was auctioned off with multiple other pieces for death duties--

[Thomas Parkman]

Dear Members,
I am wondering if any of the members has a picture of the honeysuckle tiara of Queen Mary currently in the possesion of the wondrous Duchess of Glouchester. She insists on wearing it with that abminable kunzite, probably some gift from one of the Australian miners or some such who dug the thing up and didn't have a clue of what to do with the ugly thing and so gave it to the RF. It is nevertheless a magnificent indeed wonderful contraption. There is a version of it with a diamond and sapphire setting as the central jewel. I wonder does anybody have a picture of that. If so could you please post that picture to this tiara deprived lunatic. Cheers.

PS. I also adore chocolate and regret that they cannot wear that in tiaras too. As you can see my current state of chocolate deprivation has gone to the remnants of my head, ie brain. Cheers and cheers again.

[jcbcode99]

Thomas, I believe that the honeysuckle tiara, according to Leslie Field, was purchased from Marie Feodorovna--and in Leslie Field's book there is a photograph (black and white) on page 81 of Queen Mary wearing the tiara with the sapphire center setting. That sapphire was given to Princess Margaret to be worn as a brooch, and the tiara to Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. If I remember correctly, it does have the kunzite center and also another honeysuckle center with some larger diamonds. I like it with all diamonds!

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Thomas Parkman

I am wondering if any of the members has a picture of the honeysuckle tiara of Queen Mary currently in the possesion of the wondrous Duchess of Glouchester.

Thomas, you really must learn to do some homework.
Have you checked out the Duchess of Gloucester Jewellery thread? You'll find a post of yours from a year ago discussing the pictures of this very tiara.

[Thomas Parkman]

Dear Warren,

In the state of my confused brain I almost equal the normal working intelligence of many of the more famous and brain dead crowned heads of Europe and elsewhere. As for the current crop of elected politicans, we will not go there. I of course remember very well the jewels of the Duchess of Glouchester. I was refering to the honeysuckle tiara, a masterpiece without doubt, with the magnificent sapphire as its central gem and wondered if anybody had a picture of this wondrous contraption with the sapphire in it. I am sure many of the members will rightly disagree with me but both the emerald centerpiece and the kunzite ugly are just plain flops. The diamond pattern is lovely and I think the noble Queen Mary stuck one of the more massive Culinans (III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX or possibly X-you see Warren I can still remember my Roman numerals, just do not get me up to fifty, the whole mess falls apart) in the center at times. Of course the gimlet eyed Queen Mary did not buy the thing off the Soviets but had it commisioned herself from Garrards (?) . See if you can dig up a picture of that if all else fails. As you see my weary chocolate deprived brain is failling too. cheers.

[Prince of Chota]

Thomas, you sound rather stressed. I for one know that you wouldn't have asked for a picture of the tiara without a particular reason, and that anyone who is here as often as you are knows that there are entire threads devoted to such a thing...
...has one of the Cullinans really been worn in that Gloucester tiara? If you can find a pic, I do entreat you to share it. I think that would be quite a sight, indeed!

[Thomas Parkman]

Dear Your Highness, Prince of Chota, and Warren Most Noble,

I do hope I have phrased this properly, I have never addressed royalty, real or cyberspace before. You must understand that I am gently pulling Warren's leg as we say here in South Carolina -an abysmal swamp land in the USA south for those of you who have had the good fortune to have never heard of the place-and giving him a hard time. As for my vast knowledge of threads and whatnot, you have a kind but exaggerated view of my mastery of the subject.

In any case are we confusing two different tiaras. I think Queen Mary had Garrard's or some such to construct the Honeysuckle tiara c. 1914 (?) and there is an additional tiara of the Empress Maria Fyodorovna (sp. ye Gods, I cannot spell in English how on earth do you expect me to spell Russian) which Queen Mary bought courtesy of the great Soviet jewel steal and sell off of 1927. It seems that this tiara had a wonderful sapphire as its center stone. Now the question is am I confusing two tiaras or did the fabulous honesysuckle tiara-ugly kunzite and all-rather like a drop dead gorgeous blonde with an ugly planters wart on her nose-actally have a sapphire as its centerpiece at one time or other. I have never seen an actual picture of that and given my lust for sapphires would love to.

Am I making sense here or am I babbling as usual and causing the noble Warren to reach for the large bottle of aspirin he keeps at his computer table for those times I post on the RF. Cheers.

[Warren]

There are at least two similar bandeau tiaras languishing in the vaults, both formerly belonging to Queen Mary, and one most recently seen worn by the late Princess Margaret.
The latter looks quite a piece indeed. Neither has any association with the Duchess of Gloucester.

Queen Mary's Emerald Bandeau Tiara

Empress Marie Feodorovna's Sapphire Bandeau Tiara
o

[Prince of Chota]

Although I believe the duchess does own another similar bandeau separate from these two and the huneysuckle, which is I believe only diamonds. (As a sidenote, the Marie Feodorovna bandeau is AMAZING, and I hope someone in the RF wears it again, soon).

[HRH Queen Mary]

What are the history and the pieces made out of the cambridge emeralds?

[HRH Queen Mary]

These are what I think are jewellrys set with the Cambridge Emeralds:

Art deco Choker

The Drops of the Grand Duchess Vladimire Tiara

Spikes of the Kent Diamond Tiara

Ladies of India Necklace

Emerald Centerpiece of a small diamond tiara

Delhi Durbar earrings

Emerald Stomacher

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Prince of Chota

Although I believe the duchess does own another similar bandeau separate from these two

The Duchess of Gloucester has a diamond bandeau tiara which can be reset with three major emerald elements.

[Thomas Parkman]

Dear Warren,

Thank you for pandering again to my obsessions. Aspirin must truly be a miracle drug. The Empress Maria Fedorovna tiara is amazing. Quite something to see in reality. Further the D of G does have this wonderful bandeau tiara which can be set with emeralds and a festoon emerald necklace I have never cared for, but then who am I to judge.

The question still remains, did the tiara at one time also have a sapphire center jewel which may have been given to Princess Margaret and set as a broch and if so is there a picture anywhere of the honeysuckle tiara with that sapphire as its centerpiece. It would have to be an improvement over the kunzite and the emerald versions. Cheers

[jcbcode99]

Thomas, according to Leslie field that tiara did have a sapphire center as well which was given to Princess Margaret to be worn as a brooch. The tiara and its other interchangeable pieces were given to the D of G (as you call her). I have seen a black and white photo of the tiara with the sapphire, but cannot locate it. Perhaps Warren, with his research skills, can find it!

[Thomas Parkman]

Dear JBCode,

Now you really have aroused my gem lust!!! I thought so. I may not be totally braindead after all. Now without having again consulted the bible, I shall skate upon thin ice indeed. If my memory serves me is there not a picture of Queen Mary wearing the honeysuckle tiara in it (in fact there is) with one of the Cullinans as the center jewel. I shall now go home and haul out the bible and to my horror discover that I have misquoted scripture and have to take to chocolate to relieve my depression and humiliation. It is the drug of choice you know.

But if I am right the noble and long suffering Warren will have to take to his aspirin bottle and find that sapphire picture or never hear the end of it.
Seriously, I wonder does anyone have a picture of HRH thePM wearing that sapphire broach. It must be a massive and beautiful stone. Cheers.

[jcbcode99]

Thomas,
I do not doubt that our beloved Queen Mary propped one of the Cullinans up in the honeysuckle tiara--she loved the large stones and would pop them around willy-nilly! I haven't seen a photo of this, but I do not doubt that it well could have happened!
Now, on a little bit different note, as soon as I saw this tiara on another thread, I thought of you! This tiara is part of the Savoy family gems and, GASP, is to be sold at auction soon. It is a Faberge piece, and look at the size of the diamonds! I would wager that if Queen Mary were still alive, she would have sent someone to that auction to purchase and bring that tiara home to her. SIGH................I hope somebody Royal buys it so we can see it again!
http://www.christies.com/presscenter...007/101020.pdf

[GillW]

Originally Posted by Thomas Parkman

I am wondering if any of the members has a picture of the honeysuckle tiara of Queen Mary currently in the possesion of the wondrous Duchess of Glouchester. She insists on wearing it with that abminable kunzite...

Those are pink beryl, not Kunzite, which the lovely Birgitte wears in her pink parure.
See Leslie Field, "The Queen's Jewels" (original hardback edition) page 81 which shows Queen Mary wearing the tiara with it's original sapphire centrepiece. I'd love to find out where those pink stones came from, but that's a work in progress for me....