The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara (Denmark)

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara's origin can be traced to the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte (1804) and one of Napoleon's Marshals of France, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte.  French by birth, Bernadotte's lengthy career in the French Army lasted until 1810 when he was elected heir to the Swedish throne.

But back to Napoleon and his coronation as Emperor of France for a moment.  Wanting to insure that the event was one of the grandest ever held, Napoleon gave money to his marshals to buy jewels for their wives to wear.  Bernadotte used the funds to buy the ruby and diamond wreath tiara and parure for his wife, Desiree Clary, which she wore for the coronation.  When Bernadotte and Desiree later became King Carl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria of Sweden, the jewel set traveled with them to their new country.

Desiree Clary, Queen Desideria of Sweden
The Ruby Parure's original owner

In 1869, Princess Louise of Sweden married Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark (Frederick VIII).  The tiara and accompanying jewels were given to Louise by her grandmother, Queen Josephine of Sweden (Desiree's daughter-in-law).  

                                        Queen Josephine of Sweden                            Queen Louise of Sweden
                                    who was given the tiara by her                     who was given the tiara by her
                                   mother-in-law, Queen Desideria                   grandmother, Queen Josephine

Queen Louise gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law Alexandrine of Denmark (the bride of her son, Crown Prince Christian).  After Queen Louise's death in 1926, Alexandrine inherited the remaining pieces of the parure.  Alexandrine then gave the set to Princess Ingrid of Sweden when she married Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark in 1935.

Queen Alexandrine of Denmark

wearing the tiara

Queen Ingrid in the tiara

The tiara has undergone two "makeovers" thus far.  The original was very wreath-like as seen in the photo of Queen Alexandrine above.  In 1947, Queen Ingrid add two of the original parure's broaches to turn the wreath-like tiara into a more proper diadem.

Queen Ingrid in the reworked tiara

(photos from The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor)

Queen Ingrid passed away in 2000 leaving the parure to her grandson, Crown Prince Frederik, who gave it to his wife, Crown Princess Mary, in 2004.  Like Ingrid, Mary had the tiara slightly reworked into a more compact shape and placed on a new frame in 2010.

Crown Princess Mary in the Ruby Parure

The Delhi Durbar Tiara (England)

The Delhi Durbar Tiara

The Delhi Durbar Tiara was made by Garrards for Queen Mary during the Delhi Durbar on December 12, 1911.  (A "Durbar" is a ceremonial gathering to pay homage.)  The 1911 Delhi Durbar installed King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India.  The circlet was admired by King George who was known to refer to it as "May's best tiara."

While the origins of the tiara's diamonds is unknown, there is speculation that Queen Mary's Diamond Loop Tiara was broken up to make the Delhi Durbar.  The tiara previously included five of the Cambridge cabochon emeralds and also was occasionally worn with two diamonds from the Cullian stone.  But the emeralds were removed by Queen Mary and made into another tiara now owned by Queen Elizabeth.  The diamonds were kept separately as a brooch.

Queen Mary in the Delhi Durbar with the 

five Cambridge cabochon emeralds

In 1947 the tiara was lent to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who wore it for an official visit to South Africa.  The tiara remained with the Queen Mother until her death and was not seen again until June 1998 when it was displayed in an exhibition of royal jewelry at the auctioneer Christie's.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall wearing 

the Delhi Durbar in October 2005

The tiara reappeared in October 2005 when the Duchess of Cornwall arrived at Buckingham Palace wearing the Delhi Durbar for a royal banquent.  The state banquet in the Ball Room of Buckingham Palace was held in honor of the King and Queen of Norway.

The Portland Tiara (England)

According to Christie's Auction House, the Portland Tiara was "designed as a series of twelve graduated cushion-shaped sapphire and old-cut diamond clusters to the openwork frame of diamond-set swag and husk motifs, embellished with bouton-shaped pearls and diamond line borders to the pear-shaped pearl finials and sapphire collet accents mounted in silver and gold."

The tiara is thought to have been made by E. Woldd & Co. for Garrard shortly after the 6th Duke of Portland's marriage in 1889.  The 1887 family inventory notes that several of the family jewels were dismantled to construct the tiara.

A painted miniature on ivory of Ivy, Duchess of Portland (1887-1982), when she was Marchioness of Titchfield, depicts her wearing the tiara and the matching stomacher brooch.  Ivy was the wife of the 7th Duke of Portland.

On December 1, 2010, the present Duke of Portland offered the tiara for sale through Christie's of London.  It sold for a reported £763,650 or $1,188,239.

The Poltimore Tiara (England)

Made in 1870 by Garrard for Lady Poltimore, the wife of the second Baron Poltimore and Treasurer to Queen Victoria's household from 1872-1874.

Florence, Lady Poltimore, wife of the Second Baron Poltimore

for whom the tiara was originally made.

The tiara was sold in a public auction on January 29, 1959 by the Fourth Baron Poltimore.  It was acquired on the advice of Patrick Plunkett, Deputy Master of the Household, for Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth's sister) for an estimated £5,500.

Princess Margaret first wore the tiara in public at her wedding on May 6, 1960.

The tiara may also be broken down into a necklace and broaches. 

In June 2006, the Poltimore tiara was again sold at auction.  Christie's featured the piece in its auction "Property from the Collection of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon."  The tiara sold for an estimated $1,704,575 USD to an unknown buyer.

The Poltimore Tiara at auction.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara (England)

Made by Garrard in 1883 and purchased by Lady Eve Greville from funds raised by the "girls of Great Britain and Ireland."  The tiara was given to Princess Mary of Teck (also known as "May") on the occasion of her wedding to Prince George, the son of King Edward VII.

The original had pearl finials which Queen Mary replaced with diamonds.  Mary also removed the lozenge-pattern bandeau from the base of the tiara enabling the base to be worn as as a headband.

In 1947, both the band and the tiara were given to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) as wedding presents.  In 1969, Queen Elizabeth had the bandeau and the tiara reattached.

Princess Mary in the tiara with the original pearl finials.

The tiara with the lozenge-pattern bandeau removed.

Queen Mary and later, Princess Elizabeth, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara without the lozenge-pattern bandeau.

Queen Elizabeth wearing the tiara in its current form.