Time for another chance for all of you to play court jeweler! If you could make any changes to Queen Letizia’s new Ansorena tiara, how would you alter it?
Redesign It: Queen Letizia’s Ansorena Tiara
Redesign It: Queen Mary’s Stomacher
While they were extremely fashionable at the turn of the twentieth century, the stomacher, a piece of jewelry that is designed to be pinned to the bodice of a gown, has long since gone out of style. Modern clothes don’t really allow them to be worn, so royal examples often languish in the vaults — or are redesigned. Above, Queen Mary wears one of several examples from her jewelry box.
Today, have a crack at the stomacher in Queen Elizabeth II’s collection: the one she received as a wedding present from Queen Mary. (Here’s more on the stomacher from the Royal Collection website.) She’s only worn the complete piece once, though she sometimes wears the bottom section as a separate brooch. If you could reimagine this royal stomacher, what changes would you make for a modern wearer?
Redesign It: The Romanian Greek Key Tiara
The grandest tiara worn today by the Romanian royal ladies is the Greek key tiara that was originally owned by Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia. Victoria wore it as a kokoshnik with a velvet backing; today, Princess Margarita wears the tiara in a more traditional way. If you could make changes to this Romanov-era sparkler, how would you reinvent the piece?