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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Tiaras, Trading Cards, and … Cigarettes?

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Although Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly is famous for elegantly smoking a cigarette while wearing a tiara in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, tiaras and cigarettes aren’t necessarily a natural pairing. But in 1908, British cigarette smokers were probably thinking more about tiaras than you might expect. That year, Wills cigarette packs came with advertising cards featuring portraits of European royals — including several princesses and queens wearing their best jewels. Here’s a look at some of the tiaras that were on display.

Queen Lovisa of Denmark wearing the Pearl Poire Tiara

Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom wearing her Wedding Gift Tiara

Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife wearing her Forget-Me-Not Tiara (and her diamond fringe tiara as a necklace!)

Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom wearing a diamond floral tiara

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia wearing a small tiara

The Duchess of Connaught wearing her diamond and pearl tiara

The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wearing her diamond fringe tiara

Crown Princess Marie of Romania wearing her diamond lattice tiara

The Duchess of Sparta wearing her diamond tiara

The Duchess of Cumberland wearing a diamond bandeau

Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia wearing her diamond fringe tiara

Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia wearing a wreath tiara

The Hereditary Princess of Hesse

Princess Marie of Denmark wearing her opal and moonstone tiara

Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark wearing her diamond and aquamarine tiara
Which tiaras would you like to see in a modern set of royal trading cards?

This Fortnight in Royal Jewels: October 23-November 5

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October 23-November 5, 2015
Lots of jewels to recap from the last two weeks! Here are ten of the best — be sure to vote for your favorites in the poll!
10. Princess Anne wore a delicate pearl necklace and coordinating earrings at a Buckingham Palace engineering prize reception on October 26.

9. Queen Maxima donned multicolored pearl earrings at a conference about women’s shelters in The Hague on Wednesday.

8. For an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Queen Letizia wore her Links of London Hope earrings.

7. The Duchess of Cornwall wore one of her signature pearl necklaces during a welcome ceremony in New Zealand on Wednesday.

6. At a dinner held by The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation on October 29, the Countess of Wessex wore a new pair of earrings and a gold necklace.

5. Queen Elizabeth II selected her Grima Ruby Brooch for Thursday’s visit to Imjin Barracks.

4. As we discussed in depth in this post, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of earrings from the collection of the late Queen Mother on October 27.

3. During a state visit to China last week, Queen Maxima wore lovely emerald jewels, including the family’s large 18th century emerald pendant, with a gown inspired by the paintings of Van Gogh. She had to cut the visit short after she was diagnosed with a kidney infection, but she has since recovered.

2. Crown Princess Victoria wore the Baden Fringe Tiara (and a maternity evening gown previously worn by Princess Madeleine) on Wednesday at a state banquet for the president of Tunisia.

1. At the same state banquet, Queen Silvia wore one of the most glittering tiaras in the Swedish vault: the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara.

Queen Mary II’s Jewels: The Stuart Diamond

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On this date in 1677, a totally unique royal marriage took place in England: the wedding of future co-monarchs. Mary, the daughter of King James II, married her cousin William, who was the Prince of Orange. (The date also happened to be the groom’s birthday). Twelve years later, they ascended to the throne as King William III and Queen Mary II of England, and a special new crown had to be made for Mary so they could be crowned jointly.

William and Mary have many legacies, but for my money, one of their most important achievements was the purchase of a particular jewel: the Stuart Diamond. Today, the gemstone is owned by the Dutch royal family and is mounted in an elaborate nineteenth-century tiara (worn above by Queen Juliana). But it has had a varied and intriguing history, which you can explore below.

Do you like the current setting of the Stuart Diamond, or would you like to see it reset in a new piece of jewelry?