At the recently-held state banquet at Buckingham Palace, the Queen Consort, Camilla and the Princess of Wales, Catherine made heads turn. King Charles III and Queen Consort hosted the banquet for the President of the Republic of South Africa. And while it is not unusual for the duo to stun the royal watchers with their fashion statement, this occasion was special indeed. As both the royal ladies paid tribute to their respective mothers-in-law with their tiaras. Even more special are the stories behind these royal jewels. Read on to find out how these pieces came into the Royal family’s possession:
The Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Camilla, the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom was seen sporting the Belgian Sapphire Tiara at the state banquet. The late Queen Elizabeth II used to don this jewellery quite frequently from the ‘60s until the early ‘90s. This is a piece of jewellery that has one too many names. Sometimes this tiara is called the “Victorian Sapphire Tiara” because it was created to coordinate with a set of Victorian-era sapphire jewels that the late Queen already owned. This is also where its second name comes from, which is the George VI Sapphire Tiara. The late Queen Elizabeth II had received the sapphires, a necklace and earrings from her father, King George VI, as a wedding present in 1947. A bracelet and ring later became an addition to the necklace and earrings. According to the Court Jeweller, these pieces of jewellery were made around 1850. English Playwright, Noel Coward had apparently called the sapphires “the largest sapphires [he had] ever seen.”
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
The new Princess of Wales, Catherine also made a tribute to her late mother-in-law, Lady Diana. This tiara has come to be associated with four royal ladies, namely Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Diana, and now Kate Middleton. In 1913, Queen Mary decided to add a new tiara to her already-extensive collection and she turned to the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara for inspiration. She commissioned the jewellery company, Garrard to make a copy of it and so the iconic piece of jewellery came into being. The original tiara had a row of upright pearls on the top, making it even taller and grander. These pearls were once used on the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. However, later the pearls were removed, and that is how the present version with diamonds was made. The late Queen Elizabeth II acquired this tiara in 1953 upon the death of Queen Mary. It was since passed down to her daughter-in-law Lady Diana, and granddaughter-in-law Kate, who made its debut at the diplomatic reception in December 2015.
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