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; inherited from her mother-in-law in 1901
3. Queen Mary of the United Kingdom; inherited from her mother-in-law in 1925 but she never wore the tiara
4. Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom; from her mother-in-law when she became Queen Consort in 1936
5. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; inherited from her mother in 2002

Queen Elizabeth II

Questions:  

• Are there any pictures of this tiara being worn by Queen Alexandra?

Links:

• The Royal Collection - Oriental Circlet 
• The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor - Oriental Circlet 
• The Court Jeweller - Oriental Circlet 
• The Royal Post - The Oriental Circlet Tiara
• The Royal Watcher - Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
• All Things Royal - The Oriental Circlet
• Mis Joyas Reales - Indian Ruby Tiara

Photos:  Royal Collection/Victoria & Albert Museum Picture Library/Tiaras - A History of Splendour