This month, we are marking the Bicentenary of the Birth of Queen Victoria by featuring her Top 20 Jewels, one for each decade since the Birth of 2nd-longest reigning British Monarch, in the 20 days leading up to the Anniversary itself, and today’s feature is her Emerald Tiara and Parure!
The Tiara, featuring cushion-shaped diamonds, step-cut emeralds and 19 inverted pear-shaped emeralds, was designed by Prince Albert, along with the emerald necklace, earrings and brooch, and commissioned by jeweller Joseph Kitching for £1,150 before being presented to Queen Victoria in 1845, who wrote of a “lovely Diadem of diamonds and emeralds designed by my beloved Albert” and praised her husband’s “wonderful taste” in her journal.
Queen Victoria wore her Emerald and Diamond Tiara and Parure for a variety of occasions, including several portraits by the celebrated Franz Xavier Winterhalter between 1846 and 1859, as well as a State Visit to France in 1855.
In her widowhood, Queen Victoria loanedthe Emerald Tiara to her granddaughter,Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven(grandmother of the Duke of Edinburgh), for a costume ball in the 1880s, when it was worn around a velvet cap.
However, Queen Victoria’s Emerald and Diamond Tiara and Parure were given to her daughter, Princess Louise, duch*ess of Argyll, in June 1893, noted in her jewel inventory (found by the British Royal Jewels account on Instagram) which describes the Parure as:
A diamond and emerald diadem, designed by Prince Albert and set by Kitching in 1845
A large necklace, composed of square emeralds and diamond borders
A large brooch, with emerald and diamond border
A pair of earrings with long emerald drops
Princess Louise seems to have been depicted wearing the Parure for the Wedding of the Duke of York and Princess May of Teck in 1893, right after it had been gifted.
Princess Louise left the tiara to one of the daughters of Princess Louise, duch*ess of Fife: Princess Alexandra, duch*ess ofFife or Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk,and the Parure was last seen worn by the 3rd duch*ess of Fife at the 1960 State Opening of Parliament, where you can see her with duch*ess of Rutland (in theRutland Tiara), the duch*ess of Buccleuch (wearing theBuccleuch Turquoise Parure), the Marchioness of Cholmondeley (wearing theFrench Sapphire Parure) and the Countess of Waldegrave (in theWaldegrave Tiara).
Currently, the Emerald Tiara and Parure areon a long-term loan from the estate of the 3rd Duke of Fife at the Victoria Revealed Exhibition at Kensington Palace, which marks the 200th Anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, and the displays feature personal objects and an intimate account of her fascinating life and long reign, where you can go see it in person alongside the Fife Tiara and the Fife Fringe Tiara.
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara on display at 'Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras' at Sotheby’s in London!
Learn More: https://t.co/kqZk1KcL1f pic.twitter.com/aWEOaDKB9X
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) May 29, 2022
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara on display at 'Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras' at Sotheby’s in London!
Learn More: https://t.co/kqZk1KcL1f pic.twitter.com/aWEOaDKB9X
The Tiara is currently on display at
Fife Tiara
Fife Fringe Tiara
Connaught Fringe Tiara
Diamond Earrings
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Chain
DiamondTiara
HoneysuckleTiara
Fringe Tiara
Connaught Diamond Bow Brooch
Connaught Pearl Brooch
Maple Leaf Brooch
Art Deco Diamond Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Crown RubyBrooch
Queen Victoria’s 11 Pearl Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bar Brooches
Queen Victoria’s Wheat Ear Brooches
Kent Amethyst Parure
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara
Queen Adelaide’s Fringe Necklace
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bracelet
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace
Queen Victoria’s Sunray Fringe Tiara
George IV State Diadem
Queen Victoria’s Bow Brooches
Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Pearl Earrings
Queen Victoria’s Turkish Diamonds
Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch
Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown
Coronation Necklace and Earrings
The Tiara, featuring cushion-shaped diamonds, step-cut emeralds and 19 inverted pear-shaped emeralds, was designed by Prince Albert, along with the emerald necklace, earrings and brooch, and commissioned by jeweller Joseph Kitching for £1,150 before being presented to Queen Victoria in 1845, who wrote of a “lovely Diadem of diamonds and emeralds designed by my beloved Albert” and praised her husband’s “wonderful taste” in her journal.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images
Queen Victoria wore her Emerald and Diamond Tiara and Parure for a variety of occasions, including several portraits by the celebrated Franz Xavier Winterhalter between 1846 and 1859, as well as a State Visit to France in 1855.
In her widowhood, Queen Victoria loanedthe Emerald Tiara to her granddaughter,Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven(grandmother of the Duke of Edinburgh), for a costume ball in the 1880s, when it was worn around a velvet cap.
However, Queen Victoria’s Emerald and Diamond Tiara and Parure were given to her daughter, Princess Louise, duch*ess of Argyll, in June 1893, noted in her jewel inventory (found by the British Royal Jewels account on Instagram) which describes the Parure as:
A diamond and emerald diadem, designed by Prince Albert and set by Kitching in 1845
A large necklace, composed of square emeralds and diamond borders
A large brooch, with emerald and diamond border
A pair of earrings with long emerald drops
Princess Louise seems to have been depicted wearing the Parure for the Wedding of the Duke of York and Princess May of Teck in 1893, right after it had been gifted.
Princess Louise left the tiara to one of the daughters of Princess Louise, duch*ess of Fife: Princess Alexandra, duch*ess ofFife or Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk,and the Parure was last seen worn by the 3rd duch*ess of Fife at the 1960 State Opening of Parliament, where you can see her with duch*ess of Rutland (in theRutland Tiara), the duch*ess of Buccleuch (wearing theBuccleuch Turquoise Parure), the Marchioness of Cholmondeley (wearing theFrench Sapphire Parure) and the Countess of Waldegrave (in theWaldegrave Tiara).
Currently, the Emerald Tiara and Parure areon a long-term loan from the estate of the 3rd Duke of Fife at the Victoria Revealed Exhibition at Kensington Palace, which marks the 200th Anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, and the displays feature personal objects and an intimate account of her fascinating life and long reign, where you can go see it in person alongside the Fife Tiara and the Fife Fringe Tiara.
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara on display at 'Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras' at Sotheby’s in London!
Learn More: https://t.co/kqZk1KcL1f pic.twitter.com/aWEOaDKB9X
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) May 29, 2022
Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara on display at 'Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras' at Sotheby’s in London!
Learn More: https://t.co/kqZk1KcL1f pic.twitter.com/aWEOaDKB9X
The Tiara is currently on display at
