Is This Royal Pearl Fringe Tiara Being Sold?

Before we get to the tiara exhibition, let’s look back at the history of the Kent tiara. The tiara is now a diamond fringe with pearl toppers, but originally, it was a simpler diamond bandeau. The jewel was made by Garrard for Queen Mary, who later gave it to her daughter-in-law, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. In the 1950s, the tiara became a favorite of Marina’s daughter, Princess Alexandra. She’s pictured wearing the bandeau here at a gala event in 1955. (That’s her brother, the Duke of Kent, standing beside her.)

In the years before her marriage, Princess Alexandra wore the tiara frequently for major events. Here, in October 1958, she wears the tiara with diamond and pearl jewels as she travels to Buckingham Palace for a state banquet in honor of President Heuss of West Germany.

In the 1960s, the tiara was passed along to a new wearer. Katharine Worsley wore the bandeau for her wedding to the Duke of Kent in June 1961, and the new Duchess of Kent has been its primary wearer ever since.

Here, she wears the bandeau (plus the grand diamond girandole earrings that also came from Princess Marina’s collection) for a gala at the Palace of Versailles in December 1972.

In the mid-1970s, many believe that Queen Mary’s original bandeau was significantly renovated. The diamond-and-dot base (a signature Garrard design) was retained, but the top portion of the tiara appears to have been reimagined as a diamond fringe with round pearl toppers. Here, the Duchess of Kent wears the new Kent Pearl Fringe Tiara for a dinner at the Portuguese Embassy in London in November 1978.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent’s daughter, Lady Helen Windsor, wore the pearl fringe tiara for her wedding to Timothy Taylor at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in June 1992. The embellishments on the neckline of her gown echoed the diamond fringe and pearl detail of the tiara. The Duchess of Kent has not worn the tiara in some time. In 2002, she retired from royal duties, and she hasn’t made a gala appearance since. The tiara has remained hidden away for the ensuing two decades.

Now, though, the tiara has been included as part of “Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras,” the Platinum Jubilee exhibition running at Sotheby’s in London from May 28 until June 15. The tiara is not identified in press materials as part of the Kent collection. Instead, it’s described as “a cultured pearl and diamond tiara, early 20th century.” While most of the tiaras in the exhibition are simply on display, a selection of them are also available to be purchased. According to Forbes, that list of tiaras includes “a cultured pearl fringe tiara.” I hope not, but so far, I haven’t seen any other tiaras that fit that description among those included in the exhibition. And the Kents have certainly been known to sell jewelry in the past. (Of course, they have every right to do so—these are personal possessions, not state property.)

There’s much more to discuss regarding this tiara exhibition, and I’ll have a post dedicated to some of the other tiaras included here on The Court Jeweller tomorrow morning. (Spoiler alert: a certain spectacular emerald tiara is included. And so is this one!) In the meantime, also stay tuned for another special Platinum Jubilee series, starting here at TCJ this afternoon!