LONDON – Among the thousands of initiatives to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Sotheby’s had the most brilliant idea. The auction house celebrates 70 years on the throne of Elizabeth II with an exhibition at its London headquarters that features fifty royal and aristocratic tiaras, a sparkle of diamonds and precious stones worthy of the longest-lived Queen in British history.
The sad story of the beautiful Spencer Tiara
The best known and most admired tiara belonged to the princess who never became queen: at the center of the exhibition is the Spencer tiara, worn by Lady Diana on her wedding day with Prince Charles in 1981 and on many other formal occasions. . The Flower Wreath Tiara dates back to 1767 and has been passed down from generation to generation by the Spencer family, with modifications such as the addition of the heart-shaped central diamond, inserted in 1919 by Viscount Althorp, Earl Spencer, for the wedding with Lady Cynthia Hamilton, Diana’s grandmother.
From Queen Victoria to Josephine Bonaparte
Going back in time to a much happier marriage, on display is the spectacular diamond and emerald tiara designed by Prince Albert in 1845 for his beloved wife, Queen Victoria. The jewel in gold and diamonds has at the top a row of 19 cabochon emeralds in gradation of size, the most precious of which is 15 carats. Vittoria was very fond of the tiara, which she wore in many official portraits including the famous family picture by Franz Xavier Winterhalter which shows her with Alberto surrounded by their children. Less sparkling but equally precious is the diadem by Joséphine Bonaparte in rigorous neoclassical style, in gold and enamel with cameos with the head of Medusa and the profile of Jupiter, created in 1805 by the Parisian jeweler Jacques-Ambroise Oliveras for Napoleon’s wife.
The creations of historical fashion houses and contemporary jewels
Numerous of the tiaras on display were worn at the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, such as the Anglesey Tiara created in 1890, the Derby Tiara designed for the Duchess of Devonshire in 1893 and the “Aureole of Westminster”, commissioned by the Duke of Westminster to French jewelers Lacloche Frères in 1930 for his wife. The exhibition includes historical tiaras created by Fabergé, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Garrard, but also three contemporary creations made by British jewelers Kiki McDonough and Christopher Thompson-Royds, demonstrating the renewed interest in this type of jewelry.
Some jewels are back in public after decades
“The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase an incredible collection of tiaras of royal or noble origin, many of which have not been seen in public for many decades – explains Kristian Spofforth, Head of Jewelery, Sotheby’s London -. It was not easy to find some of these jewels, which show the best versions of the tiara ever made and illustrate the incredible talent of generations of jewelers over the centuries ».