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October 30, 2011

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom's Oriental Circlet

Creation: This tiara was created in 1853 by Garrard for Queen Victoria. It was designed by her husband, Prince Albert, who was inspired by the Indian jewels presented to Queen Victoria by the East India Company at the end of the Great Exhibition. In 1858, the tiara had to be redone because some of the diamonds were lost in the Hanover settlement. In 1902, Queen Alexandra had the tiara shortened from seventeen arches to eleven and had the opals replaced with rubies that were given to Queen Victoria in 1876 because she believed opals to be bad luck.

Materials: diamonds and rubies set in gold
Queen Victoria
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth
Provenance:
  1. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
  2. Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom née Princess of Denmark; inherited from her mother-in-law in 1901
  3. Queen Mary of the United Kingdom née Princess of Teck; from her mother-in-law when she became Queen Consort in 1910
  4. Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom née Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; from her mother-in-law when she became Queen Consort in 1936
  5. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; from her mother when she became Queen in 1952 but not passed along until 2002
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II
Links:
Photos: Royal Collection/Tiaras - A History of Splendour

1 comment :

  1. I wish we'd see this one more, it's beautifully proportioned and the rubies add a subtle note of interest. I wonder if it would be appropriate for Catherine to wear, or if that would violate protocol.

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