Diamond Tiara Tournament: Girls of Great Britain vs Sophie’s Diamond

It’s time for our final contest of the week—and it’s a doozy!

One of the most classic and beautiful tiaras in the British collection, Queen Mary received this one as a wedding present in 1893. And although it is an all-diamond tiara today, it was originally topped by fourteen large pearls. Mary later had those pearls replaced with diamonds and used the pearls on her new Lover’s Knot Tiara. Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, as a wedding present, and it’s still one of the Queen’s most-worn tiaras today.

The first owner of this large, intricate diamond tiara was Queen Sophie of the Hellenes, who was born Princess Sophie of Prussia. The piece is an intriguing combination of modern and traditional styles. Many of the stones are large, rectangular diamonds. But those stones are nestled within more traditional floral designs. The tiara was later worn by Sophie’s daughter-in-law, Queen Friederike, and was most recently spotted on Crown Princess Marie-Chantal.