On Wednesday 3rd December, His Majesty King Charles III held a glittering, Christmas-inspired State Banquet at Windsor Castle to welcome the arrival of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the UK. But perhaps the sparkliest of all attendees was the Princess of Wales, who wore a surprising tiara not seen in public for 20 years – Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet.
The resplendent headpiece was originally made for Queen Victoria by Garrard in 1853, when its diamond-set floral motifs were originally set with shimmering opals. These were known to be one of the favourite gemstones of Queen Victoria’s husband and consort, Prince Albert, who helped to direct the creation of the circlet. 2,600 diamonds also lent the piece its spectacular sparkle.
The circlet was altered in 1858, when a small space was added to the back so it was no longer a complete circle shape (hence its name) and then again in 1902, when Queen Victoria’s daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra, who believed that opals were unlucky, had the stones replaced with a set of rubies which had been presented to Queen Victoria 26 years beforehand. She also apparently had some of the arches removed to make the tiara smaller.
Queen Alexandra is only known to have worn the Oriental Circlet once – on a state visit to Germany.
Considered amongst the most important Victorian-era jewels in the Royal Collection, this elaborate and sophisticated tiara showcases an Indian-inspired design of lotus flowers combined with arches inspired by Mughal architecture. Prince Albert was known to be a huge jewellery lover, with a keen eye for structure and design, and conceived many of the bejewelled pieces he gave to his beloved wife – including her gold snake-shaped engagement ring. “Albert has such taste and arranges everything for me about my jewels’, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal in 1843.
After Queen Alexandra died, the Oriental Circlet was passed on to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1936, and became one of her favourite jewels. She wore it on many occasions, including for her official picture after the Coronation of her husband, King George VI, in 1937, and for an elegant portrait by society photographer Cecil Beaton in 1948.
After King George VI died in 1952, the piece was meant to have passed down to his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, but knowing how fond her mother was of the headpiece, she allowed her to keep it. Queen Elizabeth II eventually inherited the circlet after her mother died in 2002, and wore it only once during her own reign, on an overseas trip in 2005. It hadn’t been seen since – until the Princess of Wales chose it to accompany her shimmering blue Jenny Packham gown on Wednesday night.
Like this? Discover the spectacular tiara own by Lady Glenconner, set to go to auction at Bonhams
