Sunday 16 October 2011

Fringe Tiaras of Queen Mary

There are two different fringe tiaras which Queen Mary wore through out her reign. 

The first one would be known as simply the 
"Fringe Tiara"

Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
 This tiara (which can also be worn as a necklace) was made for Queen Mary in 1919. It is not, as has sometimes been claimed, made with diamonds that had belonged to George III but re-uses diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. 
Queen Mary wearing the "Fringe Tiara"
In August 1936 Queen Mary gave the tiara to queen consort, Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mother wearing Queen Mary's "Fringe Tiara"
Queen Elizabeth later loaned it to her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth II as "something borrowed" for her wedding in 1947.

HRH Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, 1947.
 As The Princess Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace the tiara snapped. Luckily the court jeweller was standing by in case of emergency. The jeweller was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Queen Elizabeth reassured her daughter that it would be fixed in time, and it was. In the above pictures you can see where the tiara detached.

The Queen Mother later also loaned it to her granddaughter The Princess Anne for her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.

Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips.
The most recent viewing of the tiara was during the wedding display featured at the open Summer season of Buckingham Palace in 2007.
Wedding attire of Queen Elizabeth II featuring Queen Mary's "Fringe Tiara"  
The "OTHER" Fringe Tiara of Queen Mary
This tiara (which can also be worn as a necklace) is humpier in the middle and shorter on the sides then the Fringe tiara above, while longer round the back of her head compared to the Queen Mum. It's almost like she is wearing a necklace on her head with no frame to support it.

There have been many discussions about these photographs and whether it's the Queen Mary fringe or not. She could have altered the tiara which Mary was known to do with jewels.

The fringe tiara/necklace was very popular between the reigns of Queen Victoria and the Queen Mum.

Victoria herself gave quite a few tiaras/necklaces as wedding presents to her children and her daughter-in-laws ie Princess Margaret Louise of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught.

 

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