Featured Royal Jewel | The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth, heiress presumptive to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh (shortly before the wedding he renounced his Greek and Danish titles and was created Duke of Edinburgh). Over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world were given to the new couple. Queen Mary’s gifts to her grand-daughter were worth a fortune—the Dorset Bow brooch, the County of Cornwall Ruby Diamond Bracelet-Brooch, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, gold and diamond bangles, the Ladies of Devonshire earrings, and Queen Mary’s eight-inch stomacher.  Perhaps, the most stunning of these is the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.

History of The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Queen Mary wears the unaltered version of the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, c1911. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is the first-ever tiara owned by the future Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Mary’s gift was itself a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland on her wedding to Prince George, Duke of York, in 1893. Lady Eve Greville (not be confused with the Lady Greville who left a significant jewelry collection to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) organized a committee that generated over £5,000 for the purchase this tiara from Garrard. Lady Greville raised more than enough funds for the tiara that the committee donated the remaining money to the charity upon the request of Princess May. Here’s where the money was spent.

Features of The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Queen Elizabeth II wears the Girl of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was originally made in the diamond festoon-and-scroll design set on a bandeau base with round and lozenge-shaped diamonds spikes. It was topped with nine large oriental pearls and it could also be conveniently worn as a necklace. In 1914, Queen Mary altered the tiara, replacing the pearls with simpler diamond collets, which came from a dismantled tiara.  The base was also removed, which she worn as a separate bandeau.

Princess Elizabeth received the tiara and the base separately. She initially wore it without the base until the two were reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara eventually emerged as one of the most recognizable pieces in the Queen’s jewelry collection, frequently featured on British banknotes and coins.

Significant Events Where The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was Worn

Queen Mary wore the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara during the famous Devonshire House Ball in 1897 and in one of her first official portraits as queen in 1910. Queen Elizabeth II also wore the tiara when she visited in Edinburgh shortly after becoming queen. The tiara was also seen on several state visits and significant events. For example, The Queen wore it during her landmark state visit to Ireland in 2011 and during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014.