Director Emerald Fennell wore the Duchess of Devonshire’s Cartier Opal Necklace for the ‘Wuthering Heights’ London Premiere at the Odeon in Leicester Square last night. The Cartier Opal Tiara of Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, the late Queen’s first Mistress of the Robes, was last worn by the sister of the Duke of Argyll and went on display in the Cartier Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum last year.
Last night, Director Emerald Fennell wore the Duchess of Devonshire’s Cartier Opal Necklace for the ‘Wuthering Heights’ London Premiere at the Odeon in Leicester Square.
Ahead of the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, the then Marchioness of Hartington commissioned this striking Art Deco Tiara from Cartier containing large black Opals set in an Art Deco Diamond design, which could also be worn as a necklace or brooches. The opals were quite fragile and contemporary reports say the Duchess often feared they might disintegrate under bright lights while upon her head.
Most notably, the Duchess of Devonshire wore the Cartier Opal Tiara as a Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara when she had a central role as the Mistress of the Robes at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
As the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess needed more Tiara options than the Diamond Palmette Tiara and Diamond Tiara for the plethora of Gala events held in the 1950s and 1960s, so she was seen with her Cartier Opal Tiara at a Coronation Ball in 1953 and the Queen’s first State Visit, to Norway, in 1955.
The Cartier Opal Tiara was also worn by the Duchess of Devonshire for an Army Dinner in 1956 and an RAF Dinner in 1958 among several occasions.
The Duchess of Devonshire wore the Cartier Opal Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara on State Visits to Sweden and The Netherlands, and with the Devonshire Diamond Tiara for the Coronation Gala Performance of ‘Gloriana’ at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 1953 and the French State Visit to Britain in 1950.
As the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess wore the Cartier Opal Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara to various State Openings of Parliament in the 1950 and 60s among numerous State Occasions until she retired as Mistress of the Robes in 1965.
In the course of her duties, which included formal banquets for visiting heads of state and other ceremonial occasions, she used to fetch the jewels from the bank stowed in a Marks & Spencer carrier bag.
The Duchess could also break up the individual opal and diamond elements and wear them as brooches, not just individually, but also joining three of them together as a stomacher, which was worn to the Wedding of Princess Margaret in 1960.
The Cartier Opal Tiara was also worn by the Duchess’ daughter, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret and accompanied her on a Tours around the world, wearing the Tiara for a Banquet in Trinidad in 1955 and an Opening of Parliament also in Trinidad in 1958, as well as for a Banquet at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 1965.
More recently, the Cartier Opal Tiara was loaned by Lady Louise Burrell, the daughter of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Argyll, at the Royal Caledonian Ball in 2011 as well as on another year.
Currently, the Cartier Opal Tiara is on display in the landmark Cartier Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London until November 2025.
Director Emerald Fennell wore the Duchess of Devonshire’s Cartier Opal Necklace for the “Wuthering Heights” UK Premiere at Odeon in Leicester Square in 2026.
Devonshire Cartier Opal Tiara | Diamond Palmette Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Rivière
Devonshire Diamond Palmette Tiara
Devonshire Tiara
Devonshire Diamond Rivière
Ruby Clasp
Wellington Tiara
Diamond Floral Tiara
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Tassel Earrings
Von Preussen Tiara
Strawberry Leaf Coronet
Diamond Tiara
Foliate Tiara
Bagration Spinel Tiara
Rosebery Tiara
Diamond Necklace
Westminster Myrtle Wreath Tiara
Diamond Fringe Tiara
Duchess of Buccleuch’s Tiaras
Rutland Tiara
Northumberland Tiara
Duchess of Sutherland’s Tiara
Duchess of Bedford’s Tiaras
Marlborough Tiara
Portland Tiara
Duchess of Norfolk’s Sapphire Necklace
Rutland Tiara
Argyll Tiara
Manchester Tiara
Dufferin Tiara
Bath Tiara
Milford Haven Ruby Kokoshnik
Londonderry Tiara
Londonderry Amethyst Parure
Londonderry Pearl Parure
Londonderry Turquoise Parure
Londonderry Diamond Stomacher
Londonderry Emerald Parure
The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
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