A Glittering Guildhall Emerald Tiara for the Duchess of Gloucester

After bidding farewell to King Charles at Buckingham Palace, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa headed to the City of London for the traditional state visit banquet at the Guildhall.

The banquet was hosted by the current Lord Mayor of London, Nicholas Lyons. He only recently stepped into the role, with his tenure beginning on November 11. Lyons wore the traditional attire of the Lord Mayor, including that fabulous hat, for the banquet.

The President and the Lord Mayor were joined by Lyons’s wife, Felicity, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. They’ve been the usual royal representatives at these Guildhall banquets for years.

The Duchess of Gloucester wore a teal blue evening gown topped by a fantastic silver cape for the banquet, plus the insignia of the Royal Victorian Order and fabulous heirloom jewels.

She wore Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara with its emerald centerpiece for the occasion. The tiara dates to 1914. Two decades later, in 1935, Mary gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as a wedding present. It’s been with the Gloucester branch of the family ever since.

For the banquet, Birgitte paired the tiara with more emeralds from Princess Alice’s collection. The emerald and pearl necklace was part of another wedding gift jewelry suite given to Alice in 1935 by King George V and Queen Mary. The emerald earrings worn by Birgitte for the banquet also come from that set.

The Duke of Gloucester stood beside the Lady Mayoress, Felicity Lyons, as photographs were taken before the dinner. He’s wearing the neck badge of the Order of Saint John. It’s traditional for Lady Mayoresses also to wear tiaras for these Guildhall banquets, and many borrow jewels for the duration of the Lord Mayor’s tenure. Ms. Lyons chose a modern diamond kokoshnik-style curved fringe tiara for this occasion.