Stop the presses! I normally do not write about jewels and tiaras as there are several good and competent experts in royal jewels.
Earlier tonight in London, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Buckingham Palace to attend the annual Diplomatic Reception, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. It is a private event, and photos are not released to the press.
Thus, the only glimpse of the Duchess is in a car - and wow! She is wearing a tiara that few of us expected her to wear, at least, until she was the wife of the heir apparent.
The Queen has lent to Catherine the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara. This particular tiara has a storied history. Queen Mary had the tiara made in 1913, and it was modeled after a tiara owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta, wife of the Duke of Cambridge. This tiara was given to Queen Mary's Aunt Augusta.
In 1981, the Queen gave the tiara as a wedding present to the Princess of Wales (nee Lady Diana Spencer.) The tiara was not a personal gift to Diana, but to the wife the Prince of Wales, the heir apparent. After the divorce, the tiara (and other jewels) were returned to the Queen.
I believe Diana first wore the tiara at the State Opening of Parliament in November 1981.
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/03/tiara-thursday-cambridge-lovers-knot.html
http://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2014/05/queen-marys-lovers-knot-tiara.html
It is not the Cambridge Lovers Knot tiara which had been inherited by Grand Duchess Augusta of Mekcklenburg-STrelitz gfrom her mother the Duchess of Cambridge. It went later to Augusta's granddaughter Crown Princess Militza of Montengro. Later it was sold and bought by the Fürst of Waldburg-Zeil.
ReplyDeleteThis tiara is called Queen Mary's Lovers Knot tiara.
This tiara is known as the Cambridge Lover's Knot and is referenced as such in books on jewels. It is a copy of Augusta's tiara.
ReplyDeleteDidn't you publish a blog entry in the not-too-distant past that was very derogatory towards blogs that cover "what the Duchess wears" as opposed to the work she is doing? It appears you've decided that such posts are acceptable and not "shallow" if they're written by you.
ReplyDeletehttp://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/02/too-much-focus-on-what-she-wears.html
ReplyDeleteNot blogs, but reporters. I normally do not write about jewels or clothes, but this was a big story - considering the history of the tiara ...
Quite agree, Marlene. Jewels aren't just the trappings of class when it comes to royalty, but often carry significant meaning. This tiara's history goes beyond Queen Mary's creation; it is comprised of the diamond from the Girls of England Tiara, a gift from the nation to Mary. That's not an insignificant piece to its history.
ReplyDeleteI wish you did write about jewels more, because your facts are always impeccable and you have excellent sources.
ReplyDeleteSeveral good blogs including Court Jeweller, which are great sources for jewels/
ReplyDeleteLove the Court Jeweller and Order of Saratorial Splendor, which can be quite humerous in its comments. Marlene was right, this was Big News. What I think happened in the divorce was that William was permitted to use the jewelry when he had a wife at his discretion. She has altered earrings Diana wore that were part of an official gift to the wife of the POW, so I think jewelry use was part of the divorce settlement. Of course unless the settlement gets published, we can only speculate, and I dont see that happening.
ReplyDelete