The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
Boucheron

Boucheron made this tiara for Mrs. Greville in 1919, featuring brilliant and rose cut diamonds pavé-set in platinum with a central 93.70 carat emerald and six emeralds on either side. It was left to Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) as part of the Greville bequest in 1942. The tiara later passed to The Queen and it remained unworn by the Royal Family until 2018, when it was loaned to Princess Eugenie for her wedding day.

Read about the tiara's full story here, at Order of Splendor.

Appearances: 
12 October 2018: The Wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara

Royal Collection Trust

Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara was commissioned by Queen Mary in 1932 and was designed to feature the detachable brooch at its center, an 1893 wedding present to Mary from the County of Lincoln. The tiara was bequeathed to The Queen in 1953. It had to wait until 2018 for its next appearance, when The Queen loaned it to Meghan Markle for her wedding to Prince Harry.

Read about the tiara's full story here, at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
19 May 2018: The Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The Queen Mother’s Cartier Bracelet Quintet and Bandeau

The Queen Mother’s Cartier Bracelet Quintet and Bandeau

This set of five Cartier Art Deco bracelets were given individually as presents from King George VI, then Duke of York, to his wife, Queen Elizabeth, then Duchess of York and later Queen Mother, for birthdays and Christmases in 1923-25. The diamond bracelets have different colored baguette centers: one ruby, one emerald, one sapphire, and two diamonds. There are two diamond bracelets and five total, although only four are pictured above and this set is often referred to as a quartet rather than the quintet that it is.

The Queen Mother, as Duchess of York, wearing the bandeau (left) and the bracelets (right)

Mounts to turn three of the bracelets into a bandeau to be worn in the hair were added from Cartier in 1925. The Queen Mother wore the bandeau through the early 1930s, and the bracelets haven’t been seen as a bandeau since. She also regularly stacked the bracelets on one wrist. (A frequent question: what necklace is she wearing in the bandeau picture above? It’s impossible to tell what stone that is, thanks to the black and white, but she did have a sapphire and diamond chain necklace made in 1929 and this could be it. It is unknown whether that necklace is still in existence.)

Embed from Getty Images

The Queen wears one ruby and one diamond bracelet, 1977

The bracelets are now in the collection of The Queen. She was spotted wearing the diamond and ruby bracelets as early as the 1970s, so it’s not known for certain when exactly she received them from her mother. She also loaned the ruby bracelet to The Princess of Wales for a tour of Australia in 1983*.

Embed from Getty Images

The Princess of Wales wears one ruby bracelet, 1983

The Queen still wears these bracelets. She may get more use out of them for private events, since she has certain sets of jewelry she likes to wear together and most of her tiaras have other preferred bracelets, but that’s my hunch and nothing more.

Read more about these bracelets and bandeau at Order of Splendor.

*With thanks to Franck.

Appearances: 
11 December 2019: Diplomatic Reception
21 April 2018: The Queen's Birthday Party
18 May 2017: Dinner at The Ivy

The Lotus Flower Tiara

The Lotus Flower Tiara

This tiara, also referred to as the Papyrus Leaf Tiara, originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Queen Mother gave it to Princess Margaret, who wore it often and also loaned it to her daughter-in-law, Viscountess Linley, as a wedding tiara. Following Princess Margaret's 2002 death, the tiara made its way into The Queen's collection. The Duchess of Cambridge borrowed it for her first tiara event after her wedding, and has worn it again since.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
20 October 2015: State Visit from China, State Banquet
3 December 2013: Diplomatic Reception
1960: State Visit from France (on Princess Margaret)

The Cartier Halo Tiara

The Cartier Halo Tiara

Another tiara known by several names (mainly as the Scroll Tiara, prior to 2011; the Halo Tiara, Cartier Halo Tiara, or Queen Elizabeth's Halo Tiara since then; I have also written about it as the Halo Scroll Tiara), this was made by Cartier in 1936 from diamonds and platinum. It was given by The Duke of York to The Duchess of York shortly before they became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It doesn't seem to have been worn very often by her; she favored larger pieces as queen.

As shown in the Cartier archives

The Cartier tiara was given to Princess Elizabeth as an 18th birthday gift in 1944, another wartime birthday "re-gift". I suspect this may have been The Queen's first tiara, but (to my knowledge) she has never been pictured wearing it. By the time she started wearing tiaras in public, she was married and had more options at her disposal. She loaned it to Princess Margaret and Princess Anne, who both used it as young women. They both stopped borrowing the tiara as their own collections grew.

Video: The tiara sparkles at The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding

After a few decades in the vault, The Queen loaned the Halo Tiara to Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. As of this writing, we have not seen The Duchess of Cambridge wear the tiara again. It was on loan to a Cartier exhibit in France when it came time for her first post-wedding tiara appearance, so she moved on to the Lotus Flower Tiara and then on to the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara.  The Duchess' wedding earrings, diamond gifts from her parents that match this tiara, have also not been seen publicly since the wedding.

Read more about the tiara here, in my original post at Order of Splendor.

Photos: Royal Collection/Queen Elizabeth II, Cartier Archives

The Delhi Durbar Tiara

The Delhi Durbar Tiara

Made for Queen Mary to use at the Delhi Durbar and crafted from other dismantled jewels in her collection, primarily her Boucheron Loop Tiara, the Delhi Durbar Tiara is perhaps the largest tiara in the Windsor collection in terms of overall size. Originally topped by the Cambridge emeralds, it's been altered several times in the course of its life, but has only been worn a couple times since Queen Mary's days. Mary loaned it to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth for a tour of South Africa in 1947 and it remained with The Queen Mother until she passed away in 2002. The Duchess of Cornwall gave the tiara its first appearance since 1947 when The Queen loaned it to her to wear for a banquet for the visiting Norwegian royal family in 2005. That was Camilla's first tiara appearance following her wedding. It hasn't been worn again since that single outing.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
2005: Official Visit from Norway

Photo: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother/Munn

The Teck Crescent Tiara

The Teck Crescent Tiara

The Teck Crescent Tiara came from Queen Mary's mother, The Duchess of Teck, who in turn created it from jewels inherited from her aunt, Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester. It ended up in the possession of Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother), likely given to her by Queen Mary. It includes three wild roses and twenty crescent shapes in diamonds, with each element able to be removed for use in a brooch style. The tiara was inherited by The Queen when The Queen Mother passed away, in 2002. According to The Queen's Diamonds by Hugh Roberts, this tiara has been loaned to The Duchess of Cornwall, though we have yet to see her wear it. It hasn't been worn in public for decades, perhaps not since the 1940s.

Read more at Order of Splendor.


Photo: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother/Munn

The Duchess of Cornwall's Cubitt-Shand Tiara

View image | gettyimages.com

A secondary tiara option for The Duchess of Cornwall (after her favorite, the Greville Tiara), the Cubitt-Shand Tiara is a diamond floral tiara that comes from her own family rather than the royal family. Since marrying The Prince of Wales, she has worn it to lower profile events such as the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. Read more about the tiara at Order of Splendor. 

Appearances*:
2 June 2015: Royal Academy of Arts Dinner
2 December 2014: Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace

*As always, only those specifically covered here or at the other blog are listed. 

Photo: via Getty Images

The Greville Tiara

The Greville Tiara

The Greville Tiara, also often known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, was part of the Greville bequest to Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother. The top of the tiara was altered by the Queen Mum, who counted this among the two tiaras she wore in her later years. It passed to the Queen in 2002. She never wore it, but loaned it to the Duchess of Cornwall following her 2005 wedding to the Prince of Wales. It has become the Duchess' most-worn tiara.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances (all prior to 2002 on Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, all after 2005 on The Duchess of Cornwall):
11 December 2019: Diplomatic Reception
14 October 2019: State Opening of Parliament
23 October 2018: State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet 
5 December 2017: Diplomatic Reception
12 July 2017: State Visit from Spain, State Banquet 
8 December 2016: Diplomatic Reception
1 November 2016: State Visit from Colombia, State Banquet
18 May 2016: State Opening of Parliament
27 November 2015: Visit to Malta, Day 2, CHOGM Dinner
18 June 2015: The Duke of Wellington's Waterloo Banquet
27 May 2015: State Opening of Parliament 
3 March 2015: State Visit from Mexico, State Banquet 
4 June 2014: State Opening of Parliament
8 April 2014: State Visit from Ireland
15 November 2013: CHOGM Dinner (plus previous years)
8 May 2013: State Opening of Parliament
29 April 2013: Dutch Pre-Inauguration Dinner (at Order of Splendor)
27 November 2012: State Visit from Kuwait (at Order of Splendor)
24 May 2011: State Visit from the United States (at Order of Splendor)
2010: State Visit from Qatar  
2010: State Visit from South Africa
2009: State Visit from India
2008: State Visit from France
2007: CHOGM Dinner
1998: State Visit from Japan
1991: Balmoral Ghillies Ball
1986: State Visit from Spain 
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands
1972: State Visit from the Netherlands
1960: State Visit from France   
1958: State Visit from Germany

The Five Aquamarine Tiara

The Five Aquamarine Tiara

This tiara, composed of five aquamarines set in a ribbon-like diamond surround, was worn once by the Queen during a 1970 trip to Canada before it disappeared back into the vault.

The Queen (left) and the Countess of Wessex (right)

Some suspected it had been broken up, but it was proven to be intact when it reappeared on the Countess of Wessex. Chances are it is a loan to the Countess, so we will include it here as technically a part of the Queen's collection.

Click here to read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances (all on the Countess of Wessex, unless otherwise noted):
23 October 2018: State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet 
21 October 2014: State Visit from Singapore
19 October 2012: The Pre-Wedding Gala Dinner in Luxembourg (at Order of Splendor)
31 October 2012: State Visit from Indonesia, State Banquet (at Order of Splendor)

Photos: Cour grand-ducale

The Brazilian Aquamarine Parure

The Brazilian Aquamarine Parure Tiara

The President and people of Brazil gave the Queen a necklace and earrings of aquamarines and diamonds for her coronation in 1953. In 1958, they added to the set by giving her a bracelet and large brooch to match. The Queen has also added to the set, commissioning a tiara from Garrard in 1957 which was substantially changed in 1971. 

The rest of the parure (necklace, earrings, brooch, bracelet) and the Queen wearing parts of the set (the brooch alone, and the tiara, necklace, and earrings together)

The parure is still used for evening events today, and the brooch alone is occasionally worn on its own during the day.

Click here to read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances: 
12 July 2017: State Visit from Spain, State Banquet
4 June 2013: Coronation Anniversary Service (Brooch only)
19 June 2012: Royal Ascot, Day One (Brooch only)
2011: Visit to Australia  
2009: State Visit from Mexico  
1983: State Visit to India
1982: Royal Maundy Service (Brooch only)
1967: Visit to Malta 

Photos: Getty Images/Royal Collection

The Burmese Ruby Tiara

The Burmese Ruby Tiara

Commissioned by the Queen from Garrard in 1973, this tiara includes two of the Queen's wedding presents: rubies from Burma, and diamonds taken from the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. It was the only ruby tiara the Queen used until the Oriental Circlet came into her possession following the Queen Mother's death.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
3 June 2019: State Visit from the United States, State Banquet 
2009: State Visit from India 
2008: State Visit from France, State Banquet 
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands

Photo: Queen Elizabeth II/Geoffrey Munn

The Oriental Circlet

The Oriental Circlet

Designed by Prince Albert and made by Garrard for Queen Victoria in 1853, this tiara was originally set with opals. They were switched to rubies by Queen Alexandra as the tiara began to pass from queen to queen. It was frequently worn by the Queen Mother, and passed to the Queen on her death in 2002. The Queen has only worn it once to date.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

This tiara is associated with other jewels: Queen Victoria's Crown Ruby Earrings and Necklace, and Queen Victoria's Crown Ruby Brooch.

Appearances:
2005: State Visit to Malta
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands (on the Queen Mother)
1958: State Visit from Germany (on the Queen Mother)

Photo: Queen Elizabeth II/Geoffrey Munn

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

This Russian style tiara, including 488 brilliants, was a present from the Ladies of Society to mark the silver wedding anniversary of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (then Prince and Princess of Wales) in 1888. It was made to Alexandra's request, and passed after her to Queen Mary and then to the present Queen, who counts it among her favorite tiaras.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
2016: British Red Cross Portrait
3 March 2015: State Visit from Mexico, State Banquet 
2010: State Visit from South Africa
1998: State Visit from Japan 
1993: CHOGM Dinner
1992: State Visit to Germany
1986: State Visit from Spain
1983: State Visit to India 
1972: State Visit from the Netherlands
1967: Visit to Malta  
1965: State Visit to Germany   
1961: Commonwealth Visit to India and Pakistan
1958: State Visit from Germany
1958: State Visit to the Netherlands 
1954: Visit to Australia, Parliament Opening
1954: Visit to New Zealand, Parliament Opening

Photo: Royal Collection

The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (Queen Mary's)

The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara

This tiara was created for Queen Mary (it's also called Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara) and inherited by the present Queen. She wore it earlier in her reign before loaning it to Diana, Princess of Wales. The tiara is now back in The Queen's vault and has been loaned to The Duchess of Cambridge, who debuted it in 2015.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances (all after 2015 on The Duchess of Cambridge; all prior on The Princess of Wales):
23 October 2018: State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet 
5 December 2017: Diplomatic Reception
12 July 2017: State Visit from Spain, State Banquet
8 December 2016: Diplomatic Reception 
8 December 2015: Diplomatic Reception
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands
1981, 1991: State Opening of Parliament

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Queen Mary received this tiara as a wedding gift in 1893 from a committee representing the girls of Great Britain and Ireland. It featured pearls on top and a detachable base; Mary removed the pearls. She gave it to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, as a wedding present in 1947. The Queen originally wore it without the base before reuniting the pieces in 1969.

Said to be light and easy to wear, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara seems to be the Queen's favorite - she's said to call it "Granny's tiara", and it is her most frequently worn diadem.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
4 December 2018: Diplomatic Reception
23 October 2018: State Visit from The Netherlands, State Banquet 
19 April 2018: CHOGM Dinner 
8 December 2015: Diplomatic Reception
24 June 2015: State Visit to Germany
21 October 2014: State Visit from Singapore 
6 June 2014: State Visit to France
9 May 2014: Order of the Bath Service
5 November 2013: State Visit from South Korea
27 November 2012: State Visit from Kuwait
7 March 2012: Order of the British Empire Service 
2011: State Visit from Turkey
2011: State Visit to Ireland
2010: Visit to Canada 
2007: CHOGM Dinner
2006: Diplomatic Reception 
2006: Order of the Bath Service  
2005: State Visit from China
1992: State Visit to Germany 
1991: Balmoral Ghillies Ball
1988: State Visit to Spain
1985: State Visit to Portugal 
1983: State Visit to Sweden 
1978: State Visit to Germany
1967: Visit to Malta  
1958: State Visit from Germany
1958: State Visit to the Netherlands 
Various Years: CHOGM Dinners

Photos: Getty Images

Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara

There are a few different diamond fringe pieces in the Queen’s collection, and they can be hard to tell apart. Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara – made by Garrard in 1919 from a necklace given to Mary as a wedding present by Queen Victoria – is often mistakenly identified as a tiara of Hanoverian diamonds from George III. Queen Mary gave this piece to Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) in 1936; it was then loaned to Princess Elizabeth (the current Queen) and Princess Anne for their wedding days. It was inherited by the Queen on her mother’s death in 2002, and can also be worn as a necklace.

Read more at Order of Splendor. 

Appearances:
17 February 2012: New Zealand Diamond Jubilee Portrait 
1973: Wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (on Princess Anne)
1947: The Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten

Photo: Royal Household

The George VI and Modern Sapphire Set

The George VI Sapphires, including necklace, pendant, earrings, and extra link from the necklace

The Queen's sapphire set begins with a mid-19th century set of necklace and earrings bought by her father, King George VI, at Carrington & Co. and given to her as a wedding present in 1947. The set features a necklace of emerald-cut sapphires surrounded by diamonds and separated by individual diamonds, plus a pair of pendant earrings, each with a single large sapphire in a diamond cluster. These pieces are set in gold.

The original length of the necklace is shown in the first photo on the left

As given to the Queen, the necklace had 18 sapphire clusters; she had it shortened by four links in 1952. In 1959 the largest cluster was turned into a pendant to hang on the necklace and was fitted with a pin for use as a brooch (though we typically see her turn to Prince Albert's Sapphire for her massive sapphire brooch needs). These alterations were made by Garrard.

The Modern Sapphire Tiara

In 1963, the Queen added a tiara and a bracelet to the set, which I call the Modern Sapphire Tiara and the Modern Sapphire Bracelet. This is one of the tiaras the Queen has worn on a regular basis over the years; click here to read more at Order of Splendor.

The Modern Sapphire Bracelet

The bracelet features sapphires in horseshoe-shaped diamond surrounds. The center link is a sapphire surrounded fully by diamonds. The tiara and the bracelet are part of the assembled parure; while they are not an exact match in style to the original necklace and earrings, they seem to have been acquired specifically for use alongside the George VI sapphires, and so we will group them together.

In Angela Kelly’s book Dressing the Queen: the Jubilee Wardrobe (details, click here), we see the sapphires in the tray in which they are transported to the Queen for use. They are accompanied by the regular diamond evening watch and three options for sapphire rings to wear.

I'm waiting for the Queen to wear her sapphires again (and update: she did, tiara included, in 2015!), because I feel like it's been a while. And sapphires as gorgeous as this (King George VI certainly had an eye for them, didn't he?) deserve as many outings as possible!

Appearances:
8 December 2016: Diplomatic Reception (with tiara)
1 November 2016: State Visit from Colombia, State Banquet (with tiara)
20 October 2015: State Visit from China, State Banquet (with tiara)
8 May 2014: David Bailey Portrait (Release)
2007: The Garter Service
2006: Private 80th Birthday Party 
2006: Diplomatic Reception
1991: State Visit to the United States (with tiara)
1983: State Visit to India 
1983: State Visit to Sweden 
1965: State Visit to Germany  
1960: State Visit from France     
Various Years: CHOGM Dinners

Photos: Royal Collection/Leslie Field/PA/Corbis

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, with pearl drops

No tiara is complete without a fascinating backstory, and this one's even got a daring escape. Made by Bolin, it glittered at the Russian royal court on the head of Grand Duchess Vladimir until the revolution, when it was left behind as the family fled. A British agent and friend smuggled it out of Russia to rejoin the exiled Grand Duchess and her collection. After her death, the tiara was bought from her daughter by Queen Mary. It's worn often today by the Queen with pearl or emerald drops, or occasionally with no drops. The pearl drop option has been the most popular with the Queen in recent years, probably owing to her love of white gowns in the evening and accompanying white jewels.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances (of the pearl version unless otherwise noted):
11 December 2019: Diplomatic Reception (emeralds)
27 November 2015: Visit to Malta, Day 2, CHOGM Dinner (emeralds)
8 April 2014: State Visit from Ireland (emeralds) 
31 October 2012: State Visit from Indonesia, State Banquet
2011: State Visit from the United States
2010: State Visit from Qatar
2005: Official Visit from Norway
1986: State Visit from Spain
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands
1980: State Visit to Vatican City  
1978: State Visit to Germany 
1972: State Visit from Germany 
1972: State Visit to France
1972: State Visit from the Netherlands
1965: State Visit to Germany  
1961: Commonwealth Visit to India and Pakistan (emeralds)
1960: State Visit from France 
1958: State Visit to the Netherlands
Various Years: CHOGM Dinners (pearls, emeralds, and no drops)

The George IV State Diadem

The George IV State Diadem

Originally made for King George IV, this diadem has been worn by queens ever since. Also called simply the Diamond Diadem, it is a heavily symbolic piece which is worn by the Queen for her journey to and from the State Opening of Parliament and for some official portraits. Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
14 October 2019: State Opening of Parliament
18 May 2016: State Opening of Parliament
27 May 2015: State Opening of Parliament 
26 March 2015: Canterbury Cathedral Statue 
2 March 2015: New Coinage Portrait
4 June 2014: State Opening of Parliament 
8 May 2013: State Opening of Parliament
9 May 2012: State Opening of Parliament
6 February 2012: Official Diamond Jubilee Portrait
1960: State Visit from France  
1953: The Coronation
All Years: State Opening of Parliament
The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II