Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and Clotilde Courau leave the church after their wedding in Rome, September 2003 (Franco Origlia/Getty Images) |
One of my suggestions for a bridal tiara for Meghan Markle, the Queen Mother’s Cartier Bandeau, can be worn in settings featuring rubies, emeralds, or sapphires. If she chooses a colorful sparkler for her royal wedding day, she’d be joining an exclusive club of royal brides. Here’s a look at some of the most colorful tiaras worn by royal brides.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden greet the crowds following their royal wedding, June 2010 (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) |
The grandest royal wedding tiara to incorporate colorful components is the Cameo Tiara, worn by Swedish royal brides. The gold tiara features large cameos that tell stories from the world of Greek mythology. Another massive family tiara, the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik, has also been used as a bridal tiara by the daughter of Princess Margaretha.
Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden at their royal wedding, June 2015 (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) |
Probably the most prominent recent royal wedding tiara that includes colorful gems is the Diamond and Emerald Palmette Tiara worn by another Swedish royal, Princess Sofia. The tiara, a remodeled necklace, was a gift to Sofia from her parents-in-law, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia. The tiara has since been adjusted again, changing the shape and adding a set of pearl toppers that can replace the emeralds.
Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and by Rhine on their wedding day |
Sofia wasn’t the first royal bride to wear emeralds on her wedding day. Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, wore a Diamond and Emerald Tiara for her wedding to her cousin, Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and by Rhine, in 1894. The marriage didn’t work out, but she hung on to the tiara after their divorce.
Soraya and the Shah on their wedding day (Wikimedia Commons) |
In Iran, Princess Soraya wore her Diamond and Emerald Sunburst Tiara with a massive couture gown for her royal wedding to the country’s last Shah. After their divorce, though, the tiara stayed with the imperial family, and now resides with the rest of the country’s crown jewels in Tehran.
Photograph © Stefan from Royal Travel and Events. Do not reproduce. |
Last summer, we also saw an heirloom diamond and emerald wedding tiara pop up in Germany at the wedding of Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg.
Prince Edouard de Ligne de la Tremoille and Isabella Orsini leave their wedding, September 2009 (Mark Renders/Getty Images) |
In Belgium, Isabella Orsini wore a tiara set with vibrant blue aquamarines for her wedding to Prince Edouard de Ligne de Tremoille. The Ligne Aquamarine Tiara even includes motifs that resemble the letter L, echoing the aristocratic family name.
Jean and Philomena of Orleans on their wedding day in Senlis, May 2009 (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) |
Bright blue gems were also center stage at the wedding of Jean of Orleans, son of a French pretender, to Philomena de Tornos. She wore the de Tornos Turquoise Tiara, which features large diamonds and turquoises, for her lavish royal wedding ceremony.
Helene of Orleans arrives with her father for her wedding to Count Evrard of Limburg-Stirum, 1957 (Photo licensed to The Court Jeweller. DO NOT REPRODUCE.) |
Other Orleans family brides have worn another colorful tiara: the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara that belonged to the Countess of Paris. It features dark blue sapphires set with diamonds in an art deco design.
Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and Clotilde Courau leave the church after their wedding in Rome, September 2003 (Franco Origlia/Getty Images) |
In Italy, Clotilde Courau, the bride of another pretender’s son, wore the Savoy Tourmaline Tiara for her wedding in September 2003. The tiara, which has a fascinating royal history, is set with deep pink tourmalines.
Farah and the Shah on their wedding day, December 1959 (Wikimedia Commons) |
But perhaps the most colorful bridal tiara of all belonged to Farah Pahlavi, third wife of the last Shah of Iran. The Noor-ol-Ain Tiara was set solely with diamonds — but some of them were vibrant shades of yellow and pink.
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