24 January 1996: Queen Sirikit of Thailand wears pearls on a visit to Tenerife, Spain, twenty years ago today; below, you can see that the set also includes a pearl bracelet
Vintage Royals: Queen Sirikit in Spain
Saturday Sparkler: Princess Claire’s Wedding Tiara
Some wedding tiaras are statement makers, and some are a bit quieter. Today’s tiara, the diamond wedding tiara of Princess Claire of Belgium, falls into the latter category, but for my money, the piece is still one of the best bridal tiaras worn in Europe this century.
The specific provenance of the all-diamond tiara doesn’t seem to have been made public knowledge. While we don’t know whether the tiara was newly-made or an antique piece, we do know that it was a wedding gift to the British-born Claire from her new parents-in-law, King Albert and Queen Paola of Belgium.
While the tiara is a small piece, it coordinated perfectly with Claire’s wedding ensemble — the tiara’s design echoes the dainty lacework of Claire’s wedding dress and her veil. Its diminutive size was also perhaps a smart political choice for a woman marrying a younger royal son in a country that has a fraught relationship with monarchy. If you’re not marrying the heir, perhaps smaller is better?
The tiara’s appearance on her wedding day in 2003 may have been the most significant outing for this tiara, but Claire wore it a few times in the years just after her wedding, notably at the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004.
Claire has also worn the tiara at gala dinners and other state events, including state visits from Norway and Portugal. Around 2010, she added a slightly larger diamond and pearl tiara to her collection, and that has become her go-to piece for white-tie occasions.
This Week in Royal Jewels: January 15-21
January 15-21, 2016
From jubilees to circus festivals, we’ve got a treasure trove of jewelry on display this week. Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
10. Princess Charlene of Monaco exercised the privilege du blanc when she visited the Vatican this week, and you could just see a glimpse of pearl stud earrings peeking out from under her white lace veil.
9. While visiting a tourism fair in Madrid on Wednesday, Queen Letizia of Spain wore her Tous cultured pearl drop earrings.
8. In a departure from her usual minimalist jewelry style, Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco, wore statement earrings during a gala dinner in Geneva on Monday.
7. Speaking of a departure from the usual — look at the earrings that Princess Stephanie of Monaco wore at the annual circus festival on Saturday! I don’t know what’s gotten into the Monegasque jewelry water, but I like it.
6. During the Silver Jubilee festivities for King Harald V of Norway on Sunday, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wore a gorgeous pair of ruby and diamond earrings. She also pinned a diamond and ruby brooch to the jacket beneath that fur coat. (See more jewels from the Jubilee over here.)
5. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom attended a church service near the Sandringham estate on Sunday. For the occasion, she chose one of her most-worn brooches: the Frosted Sunflower Brooch.
4. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway turned twelve on Thursday, and the royal court released new portraits to mark the occasion. In the photographs, she wears the pearl necklace and diamond and ruby heart pendant that was given to her by her grandmother, Queen Sonja, as a christening present. (See more of her birthday portraits here!)
3. Queen Elizabeth II wore the largest of the three Nizam of Hyderabad Rose Brooches to a Women’s Institute meeting on Thursday. To read more about the Cartier-made brooches and the dearly-departed tiara that once housed them, check out this post.
2. For a dinner held at the crown princely family’s home during the Silver Jubilee, Queen Sonja of Norway wore pieces from her set of modern emerald jewelry. (More on the jewels worn at this event can be found here.)
1. My number one spot this week goes to the three Scandinavian queens, who all wore beautiful jewels during the most glittering of the Jubilee events. Queen Silvia’s diamond floral brooch, Queen Margrethe’s sapphire demi-parure, and Queen Sonja’s diamond and pearl brooch were all stunners, and I couldn’t choose just one!