I was delighted to see that the Duchess of Cornwall turned up for the formal dinner at the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in full tiara gear - and looking fabulous to boot in the
Greville Tiara along with a favorite pair of diamond earrings, a diamond bracelet, and the Queen's family order.
When in attendance at the biennial meeting for the heads of government of the Commonwealth nations, the Queen turns the black tie dinner into a tiara event for herself. I wondered if the Duchess, who accompanied the Prince of Wales as he opened the summit in his mother's place, would continue the tradition - after all, it has become rare to see royals in tiaras on solo trips without the monarch. It's nice to see the event continue to receive a bit of added pomp, given how important the Commonwealth has been to the Queen over the years.
The CHOGM summit officially began in 1971 and the Queen started to attend in 1973. The 2013 Sri Lanka meeting is the first she's missed, as the palace stated her long-haul travel amounts are under review. This flashback covers the tiara-filled CHOGM banquets over the years. (It does not include every year, nor every jewel from those years represented - only identifiable pieces are mentioned, and evening watches are not included - and it does not cover dinners held for Commonwealth leaders prior to the 1971 time frame. Most of these appearances include the
Star of the Order of the Garter, if not also the Riband and Lesser George; some also include the
Queen's two royal family orders. Other honors are noted below if they can be identified.)
1975: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
1977: Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with pearls
1979: Modern Sapphire Tiara, George VI Sapphire Necklace and Earrings, Modern Sapphire Bracelet
1983: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara,
Dorset Bow Brooch
1985: Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with pearls
1987: Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with emeralds,
Delhi Durbar Necklace
1989: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara,
Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace,
Duchess of Gloucester's Pendant Earrings
1993: Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara,
Antique Girandole Earrings,
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
1995: Modern Sapphire Tiara, George VI Sapphire Necklace and Earrings, Modern Sapphire Bracelet, and the Queen's Service Order for New Zealand
1997: On the Queen, the
Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with pearls,
Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace,
Queen Victoria's Pearl Drop Earrings. The Queen Mother's jewels include the
Greville Tiara.
1999: Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with pearls,
Qatar Pearl and Diamond Demi-Parure,
Queen Adelaide's Brooch, and a pearl bracelet we haven't covered yet
2002: Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with no drops,
Antique Girandole Earrings,
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
2003: A pearl and diamond set we haven't covered yet. This year she opted for a less formal look and did not wear a tiara.
2005: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara,
Antique Girandole Earrings,
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
2007: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara,
Antique Girandole Earrings,
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were also in attendance - Camilla made one of her most dazzling appearances to date in the
Greville Tiara and the full five strands of the Greville Festoon Necklace (which can be worn as separate strands of two and three, as seen on the Queen Mother above).
2009: Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, a pair of diamond earrings we haven't covered yet,
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
2011: The Brazilian Aquamarine Parure (tiara, necklace, bracelet), and the Order of Australia
2013: The Duchess of Cornwall only, see top of post.
2015: See here.
Photos: PA/Getty Images/AFP/BBC/CHOGM
