A Case of Two Tiaras: The Cambridge Pearl and Diamond Tiara and the Queen Mary's Lovers Knot Tiara
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| Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Queen Mary's Lovers Knot tiara |
The Cambridge Pearl and Diamond Tiara wasn't seen in public for decades until, according to Vincent Meylan, the Princess of Waldbourg Zeil, née Duchess Mathilde of Württemberg, wore it for the ball following the wedding of her niece, Duchess Sophie of Württemberg to Count Maximilian d'Andigne. The tiara was made for Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Cambridge, in 1818, who left it to her daughter, Princess Augusta of Cambridge, later Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The tiara was inherited by her daughter, Jutta, who became Crown Princess of Montenegro. Duchess Mathilde’s father later acquired the tiara at an auction at Christie’s.
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| Princess Augusta Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz wearing the Cambridge Pearl and Diamond Tiara. |
An identical tiara was also made for Queen Mary (Queen Mary’s Lovers Knot Tiara) which has remained in the British Royal Family . In 1913, Queen Mary commissioned Garrard & Co. to make a copy of the tiara that once belonged to her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, using the queen's own diamonds and pearls. With its French neo-classical design, the tiara has 19 oriental pearls suspended from lover's knot bows each centred with a large brilliant. This tiara, just like the bulk of her jewelry collection, was inherited by Elizabeth II. In 1981, the queen gave it to Diana, Princess of Wales, as a wedding gift. The princess would wear on many occasions, notably on her trip to Hong Kong in 1989 where she donned her Elvis Dress. Following her divorce with Prince Charles, the tiara was returned to the Queen. It hid from the public eyes for many years until the Duchess of Cambridge wore it to during a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace in 2015.
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