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Divas in crowns. Elizabeth II (part 3)

“First Lady of Europe” - Who would doubt that only she, Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, can claim such an honorary title.
So, we also know what the Queen of England likes to wear in an informal setting (scarves), what she wears on official occasions (hats). Now the most important thing for the queen is the ceremonial part, and this is, of course, the crown, as a symbol of royal power. Moreover, the crown is not singular - there are several of them, and there are also tiaras and tiaras.

The crown is a majestic symbol of the supreme secular (earthly) and spiritual (divine) power, a sign of power, dignity, chosenness, glory and victory.
The “father” of the crown was a wreath placed on the heads of winners of ancient sports competitions, victorious commanders, distinguished Roman legionnaires, or marking the main participants in religious and wedding ceremonies, and the “mother” was a richly decorated headband - a diadem.
In the Middle Ages, not only kings, but also representatives of the landowning nobility had the right to the crown. Thus, an English viscount wore a crown with 12 pearls; count - with pearls and strawberry leaves; Duke - with wide leaves, but without pearls. The duke of royal blood had gold crosses interspersed with lilies on the rim of his crown.

Crown of the British Empire
The Crown of the British Empire refers to the so-called Crown Jewels, royal regalia, jewelry that does not belong to the British monarch personally, but to the state.
The crown carries: 2868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. The crown contains precious stones with historical meaning.
Inset into the upper cross of the crown is a sapphire known as the St. Sapphire. Edward; the ruby ​​of the Black Prince is inserted into the front cross; Below the ruby ​​on the pediment there is a Cullinan-II diamond (Little Star of Africa), and a Stuart sapphire is inserted into the rear part of the crown rim.
At the coronation ceremony, Elizabeth's head was crowned with the large crown of the British Empire.

Strictly speaking, there are two official crowns - the Crowns of Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother (which can be seen by looking at the photo).

Vladimir tiara

The Vladimir tiara is easily recognized by two types of pendants: original pearl (in the form of drops) and emerald.
The emerald pendants were already made by order of the first British owner - Mary of Teck believed that pearls did not suit all her outfits and commissioned jewelers from Garrard & Co to polish her 15 drop-shaped Cambridge emeralds - this is how the second set of pendants appeared.

Tiara of Grand Duchess Vladimir (Vladimirskaya) belongs to the personal collection jewelry Queen Elizabeth II. She inherited it from her grandmother Queen Mary after her death in 1953. She received her name from Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, third son of Tsar Alexander II and brother of Tsar Alexander III.


Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna in the palace, in a ceremonial court dress trimmed with Russian sables. On the princess's head is the Vladimir tiara.

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna commissioned jewelers working at the Russian court to design and manufacture this exquisite tiara in 1890.
In the late 19th century, Russian jewelers preferred to include combinations of diamonds and pearls in their jewelry pieces, such as necklaces, earrings, tiaras and tiaras. It was in fashion at the time. Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara was conceived and executed in the traditions of the late 19th century and is a combination of
diamonds and pearls.
After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia and the associated upheavals, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder fled with her family to the Caucasus, where she remained until 1920, in the hope of an improvement in the situation, and, nevertheless, fled to Venice on an Italian ship on February 13 1920
During her flight, the Grand Duchess left her famous jewelry collection, including the Vladimir Tiara, hidden in a safe in the Vladimir Palace in St. Petersburg. Subsequently, members of the British Secret Intelligence Service, who were friends of Vladimir's family, helped them remove the jewelry from the safe and then smuggle it out of Russia via diplomatic pouch (this is a very entertaining cross-dressing adventure story where an English intelligence officer infiltrated the palace disguised as a commoner). hard worker and brought out the jewelry almost in a bucket, it’s not clear why a film wasn’t made about this.)
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder died shortly after she settled in the south of France, in August 1920. Her tiara (Vladimir Tiara) was purchased by Queen Mary in 1921 from Princess Elena Vladimirovna, wife of Nicholas of Greece

Tiara "Russian kokoshnik"

Elizabeth II wearing Queen Alexandra's diadem "Kokoshnik", which was given to her by Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1888. Majestic and elegant is the wedding crown of Empress Alexandra, on wedding ceremonies it was traditionally worn along with a precious kokoshnik. Several antique diamond decorations date back to the era of Catherine the Great. Empress Alexandra herself took part in the creation of jewelry.

The young Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in tiare russe and her favorite pearl necklaces by the court jeweler Bolin, which the Dowager Empress gave to her daughter-in-law. Also pinned to the dress is a pearl and diamond brooch-bow and a star of the Order of St. Catherine.

Makovsky Vladimir Egorovich. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna 1912
State Russian Museum. (still the same tiara - kokoshnik)

Tiara of George III

This diamond tiara, whose prongs resemble a fringe, was formerly a necklace, made to order around 1830 from stones kept in the collection of George III. It is similar to the “Russian Kokoshnik” tiara, but it was in it, and not in the “Russian Kokoshnik”, that Elizabeth was married, perhaps fearing a repetition of the sad fate of Alexandra Fedorovna.

Diamond tiara of George IV.

This exceptionally beautiful tiara, which features the national emblems of England, Scotland and Ireland, is probably the most familiar item in HM The Queen's jewelery collection.
It is known to us from stamps and coins. The tiara was made in 1820 for King George IV by Rundell, Bridge & Co. The tiara consists of 1,333 diamonds, including a four-carat pale yellow diamond in the center of the front cross. It was regularly worn by both queens and wives of kings, starting with the queen
Adelaide. The order for its production was transferred to the Randell court jewelry company in 1820 and was made in May of this year. Perhaps the design of this diadem belongs to the main artist-jeweler of this company, Philip Libart, who at the same time was developing the main state crown for George IV.

The tiara consists of 1,333 diamonds, including a four-carat pale yellow diamond in the center of the front cross.
The tiara cost £8,216, of which £800 was money for renting the stones. The diamond was to be returned to the company after the coronation. This was the case during the coronation of Charlotte, and even at the coronation of Victoria in 1837, stones were also rented. Then, perhaps, under Victoria, the stones of the jewelry company were exchanged for old diamonds from the collection of George IV.
This tiara is now used by Queen Elizabeth II during her travels and sometimes for the Opening of Parliament.

Tiara from Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The intricate name "Tiara from the Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" was given to this decoration in honor of the society of the same name, which presented it as a wedding gift to Queen Mary in 1893. This tiara can also be worn as a necklace.
In the original version, the tiara's spikes were decorated with a number of pearls, but Maria decided to remove them (the original version can be seen in old photographs). In 1947, the Queen gave the tiara to her granddaughter Elizabeth, also for her wedding.

It is believed that Elizabeth II loves this tiara more than anyone, and people call it “Granny's tiara”.

Brazilian aquamarine tiara.

In 1953, in honor of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the President of Brazil presented the young queen with a necklace and earrings consisting of aquamarines and diamonds set in platinum. In 1958, as a complement to the coronation gift, the President of Brazil presented Her Majesty with a brooch and bracelet to complete the set.

This tiara was worn by several women from the Earl Spencer family, but most often this decoration is associated with the name of Diana, Princess of Wales. This was the first time Princess Diana wore this tiara. at her wedding in 1981, when the tradition was to wear something borrowed.

Diana is led to the altar by her father, Earl Spencer.

She also wore this tiara to formal events when required by her status as a member of the royal family. She attended state banquets, openings of parliament and diplomatic receptions.

Throughout her life, Princess Diana returned to this tiara, although formally the tiara did not belong to her, it was inherited from one Earl Spencer to another by inheritance. male line. So the owner of the tiara was her father, and later it passed to Princess Diana’s brother.

Let's take a closer look at the tiara. Compositions of diamonds in the shape of flowers and stars are set in a gold frame.

WITH It has been reported that this piece of jewelry has been a family heirloom since the eighteenth century, but this is misleading. The tiara is made up of several fragments. Of the entire tiara, only the outer two fragments are old, and were taken from a tiara that belonged to Frances, Viscountess Montagu and passed to Lady Sarah Spencer in 1875. The tiara is believed to have been made in 1767, but the style of the piece is more similar to that of the 1830s. The centerpiece of the tiara was a wedding gift from Lady Sarah Spencer to her daughter-in-law Cynthia, Viscountess Althorp (Diana's grandmother) in 1919. In the 20th century, the tiara was remounted and four new elements were added, which were made in accordance with the elements of the ancient tiara.

This is how she wore the tiara on her wedding day. princess Diana. It was also worn on their wedding day by Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes in 1978 and by Victoria Lockwood, the first wife of her brother Charles Spencer, in 1989.

The engagement of Charles Spencer's daughter Lady Kitty Spencer (Diana's niece) was recently announced; it is possible that Lady Kitty will wear the same tiara at her wedding. Let's wait for the wedding.

Earl Spencer's daughter and cousin of Princes William and Harry, Lady Kitty Spencer, is getting married. Her chosen one was Nick Compton, the grandson of the English champion Denis Compton. Nick, like his grandfather, plays cricket. Kitty received her education in management and marketing.

Kitty is the daughter of Charles Spencer and his first wife Victoria Lockwood. She is 22 years old. Nick is 29 years old.

Extraordinary jewelry always evokes admiration and awe. And although all the royal families of Europe have something to brag about, it is undoubtedly one of the most expensive and luxurious collections jewelry in the world belongs to the reigning Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II. This review will focus on the luxurious collection of tiaras and tiaras.

First, let's figure out how such precious headdresses as tiaras and tiaras differ from each other. Graceful and romantic tiaras usually have a lighter construction and the same width along the entire length. They are more suitable for young princesses. Tiaras are slightly more massive than tiaras and often have the shape of a crown - rising at the top and tapering towards the edges. More suitable for queens. Tiaras often have the form of a rim, and tiaras are closed into a ring.

Circlet of George IV


A diadem with an original ornament in the form of crosses and national symbols, captivating in its beauty. It would seem that this is a purely female diadem, but in fact its first owner was George IV.

Circlet of George IV

Elizabeth II and George VI's diadem

The tiara of George IV adorns the head of Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II wearing the diadem of George IV

French Tiara of King George III


This tiara, which was made using diamonds that belonged to King George III, is a frange tiara, the teeth of which resemble fringe. Its first owner was the young Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth wore it to her own wedding.

Queen Victoria wearing tiara frange

Queen Mother wearing tiara frange

Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947

Elizabeth II at her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947

Tiara “Russian Kokoshnik”

There is another frange tiara in the luxurious collection of Elizabeth II. It was made for Edward VII's wife, Alexandra, whose sister, Maria Feodorovna, was the Russian Empress.


Elizabeth in tiara Russian kokoshnik

Gerald Ford with the Queen at a dinner party in honor of the royal couple at the White House, 1976

Tiara Russian kokoshnik adorns the head of Elizabeth II

Bridal Crown or Tiara from Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


This, Elizabeth’s favorite tiara, was given to her by her grandmother, Queen Mary, for her wedding. And she also received it at one time as a wedding gift.

Elizabeth in tiara from Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Tiara from Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Wedding tiara on the head of Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II in her favorite tiara

Cambridge tiara

Elizabeth gave this crown to Princess Diana for her wedding. But Diana did not wear it to the wedding itself, considering it too bulky, although she often wore it later.

Elizabeth wearing the Cambridge tiara

Diana wearing the Cambridge tiara

Vladimir tiara


Vladimir tiara with pearl pendants

In 1921, Maria Tekskaya, Elizabeth’s grandmother, bought this tiara with pearl pendants from a Russian princess who emigrated from Russia, who was able to take her jewelry to Europe. Subsequently, by order of Maria Tekskaya, another set of pendants for this tiara was made, this time emerald.

Vladimir tiara with pearl pendants on the queen's head

Vladimir tiara with emerald pendants

Ruby Burmese Tiara


Having received a wedding gift from the people of Burma in the form of precious stones, Elizabeth ordered a tiara to be made from them, which turned out luxurious.

Elizabeth wearing the Ruby Burmese tiara

Oriental or Indian tiara


The tiara was made for Queen Victoria. Elizabeth's mother especially liked her.

Elizabeth wearing the Eastern tiara

Halo Tiara by Cartier


This tiara was given to Elizabeth on her 18th birthday by the Queen Mother. The tiara has an amazing property - when illuminated over it, the result is optical effect, created by its stones, a luminous halo appears. This is the tiara that Katt Middleton chose for her wedding.

Katt Middleton in Halo tiara from Cartier

And a few more beautiful specimens...


Esmeralda tiara

Tiara Delhi Darbar

Diamond and sapphire tiara

Indian tiara

Queen Elizabeth II gave the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara to Princess Diana for her wedding. The jewelry house of Garrard made “Love Knots” in 1914 especially for Queen Mary, wife of George V. The tiara is decorated with pearls and 19 diamond arches and, according to Diana, weighs so much that it causes a headache. Now this decoration is worn on especially special occasions by the wife of Lady Di’s eldest son, Duchess Catherine.

Kate Middleton's Diamond Tiara

The 16-scroll Cartier tiara, set with 739 diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds, also previously belonged to Queen Mary and then passed on to Elizabeth II: George VI gave it to her daughter on her 18th birthday. It was worn by Princesses Margaret and Anne, but this decoration became especially significant for Kate Middleton - the tiara complemented her wedding look.

Queen Elizabeth II Ruby Burmese Tiara

Unlike most jewelry, Elizabeth ordered the Burmese tiara for herself and did not inherit it. Jewelers Garrard made it in 1973 from rubies that the Burmese people gave to the queen as a wedding gift. The Burmese believe that rubies save a person from various kinds of diseases. The design of the tiara resembles a wreath of roses with rosettes of rubies in the center of each flower and diamond petals.

Spanish heraldic tiara "Fleur de lis", or La Buena

The head of Queen Letizia of Spain is often decorated with the famous heraldic tiara at official events. The decoration was a wedding gift from King Alfonso XIII to his bride Victoria Battenberg. It is made of platinum and encrusted with more than 500 diamonds, and the basis of the “pattern” is a fleur-de-lis. Due to the strength of the metal, the jewelry can also be bent into a crown.

Danish ruby ​​tiara

Crown Princess Mary's favorite tiara is part of a Danish ruby ​​parure that also includes a necklace and earrings. The wife of King Charles XIV of Sweden and Norway, Johan Desiree Clary, first wore it to Napoleon's coronation in 1804. Mary inherited a complete set, but it was the tiara that she liked most.

Tiara of Princess Charlene of Monaco “Diamond Foam”

Franco-German jeweler Lorenzo Baumer made a tiara for Princess Charlene especially for the ball in honor of her wedding to Prince Albert. “Diamond foam” was supposed to reflect Charlene’s love for water - in the past, the wife of her son, Grace Kelly, was a professional swimmer. The thin tiara seems to be woven from “waves” white gold, decorated with diamonds at the ends. The largest of them weighs 8 carats, and in total the jewelry weighs 60 carats. It is interesting that the tiara is disassembled into separate decorations: brooches and hair plumes.

Cartier Tiara of Queen Alia of Jordan

The famous tiara of the Jordanian royal family was created by the craftsmen of the Cartier jewelry house for Queen Alia. Its design resembles a complex floral wreath to some, and a combination of snowflakes to others. After Aaliyah's death in 1977, the tiara passed to her daughter, Princess Haya. Nowadays it can often be seen on Queen Rania - first Haya lent her the jewelry for the coronation of Abdullah II, then for other special events, and then completely sold it to the queen.

Ruby Tiara of the Royal Family of the Netherlands

Traditionally, the bride of a British prince wears family jewels to her wedding. But if she does not belong to an aristocratic family, the Windsor family provides the tiara or diadem. This happened this time too: Meghan Markle’s modest look was complemented by an exquisite diamond tiara from the collection of Queen Elizabeth II.


This decoration interesting story. Its central element is a brooch of 10 large diamonds in the shape of a flower, which in 1893 the grandmother of the current Queen Mary of Teck received as a gift from the County of Lincoln at her wedding to King George V. Mary was a big lover of diamonds, but she had no special feelings for this brooch nourished, and in 1932 she decided to make the brooch part of a diamond tiara, which she entrusted to the jewelers of the Garrard house to make. This is how the “Diamond Bandeau” was born - a sophisticated tiara in the form of a bandeau headband, consisting of 11 movable sections. The decoration was convenient to attach to any hairstyle, and the brooch could be taken out and worn separately. Despite this, the Queen Consort wore the new tiara only once - to the opera.

In 1953, after the death of Mary of Teck, the tiara was inherited by her granddaughter, Elizabeth, but she never appeared in public wearing it. By the way, old photographs show that in the original version there was one more element at the top of the tiara, which is not present today. It was probably broken off, and that is why the jewelry was not worn for so long.

Here are other tiaras from the Windsor treasury that Meghan did not choose.

"Roses of Strathmore" by Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.





Cambridge Love Knot Tiara by Queen Mary of Teck.


Queen Elizabeth II.


Diana, Princess of Wales.


Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

"Lotus Flower" by Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.




Tiara "Halo".






Prince William and Kate Middleton.

"Tiara from the Girls of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" by Mary of Teck.

Queen Mary of Teck.


Queen Elizabeth II.

Tiara-frange of Mary of Teck.


Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon with her husband Prince Albert.


Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Prince Philip.

Bandeau tiara by Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

Teck Rose and Crescent Tiara.




Princess Mary Adelaide, mother of Queen Mary of Teck.

Which of these tiaras do you think would suit Prince Meghan's bride? Or did the Duchess of Sussex choose the most advantageous option?