Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the Death of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, who passed away on this day in 1925! The Danish Princess who was the longest-serving Princess of Wales and then a trendsetting Queen Consort, one of her most iconic jewels was her spectacular Wedding Gift Tiara and Parure!
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara | Wedding Gift Tiara | Amethyst Tiara | Diamond Circlet | Turquoise Circlet | Diamond Rivière | Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Sapphire Necklace | Diamond Link Choker | Edwardian Choker | Collier Résille
When Princess Alexandra of Denmark married the Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, in 1863, she received this magnificent Parure as a Wedding Gift from the groom, which consisted of a versatile Diamond Tiara, a grand Pearl and Diamond Necklace, Pearl and Diamond Cluster Earrings, and a Triple Pearl Drop Brooch.
A diadem of fine brilliants; the circlet is formed of two rows, with ten large brilliants equidistant; it is surmounted by scroll ornaments having in the centre of each a large drop-shaped brilliant; theses are connected by Greek devices, also in brilliants; the various pieces are made to form separate ornaments at pleasure (Garrard and Co.)
a fine pearl and diamond necklace, formed of eight circular clusters of brilliants, with a large pearl in the centre of each, and connected by a festoon of diamonds; from each of the three principal clusters is suspended a fine pear-shaped pearl.
A brooch of oblong form, with three very fine pearls set with large brilliants and three large and fine pearls pendant. Earrings to match. (Garrard and Co.)
A few years later, the Princess of Wales notably wore the Tiara and Parure for a striking portrait made with her sister, Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna of Russia, during the latter’s visit to London in 1868.
In 1874, the Princess of Wales wore her grand Diamond Tiara for the Wedding of her brother-in-law, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, later wearing the Tiara for the Wedding Ball at the Winter Palace.
A full-length study of the dress worn by the Princess of Wales for the marriage of the Grand Duchess Maria to Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh; dated and inscribed in pencil: Dress worn by H.R.H. the Princess of Wales 23 Jan. 1874; with numerous other notes.
In this evocative study, the sumptuous white brocaded silk of Princess Alexandra’s court dress and the rich crimson velvet of her overskirt, woven with gold embroidery, are minutely described by Chevalier. In the finished work for which this is one of several studies, the Princess of Wales stands next to her sister, Maria Feodorovna, but the accurate details of dress and jewels seen in this study and its two companions were not translated by the artist into the painting of the marriage of Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna.
Chevalier has taken delight in painting and noting the jewels worn by Princess Alexandra, which include a diamond tiara, a diamond collet necklace on a velvet band, several further diamond collet necklaces, a pearl and diamond necklace, a pearl and diamond brooch, the broad riband, star and badge of the Order of St Catherine, and family orders. The tiara, brooch and pearl and diamond necklace are from the parure of wedding jewellery made by R. & S. Garrard & Co., and given by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales to his bride on their marriage in 1863. While Queen Alexandra’s jewels have largely remained in the ownership of the royal family, and many of them are worn by Her Majesty The Queen today, a large proportion of her wardrobe was dispersed and sold after the death of her unmarried daughter, Princess Victoria. This sketch, together with a large number of photographs in the Royal Collection, provides a valuable record of her uniquely fashionable taste.
Among the more notable portraits of the Diamond Tiara were a series of portraits of the Princess of Wales taken by Alexander Bassano at 25 Old Bond Street in 1881, paired with a grand Diamond Necklace, from which various Diamond Pendants were suspended.
As her primary Tiara for the first 25 years of her marriage until she received the Kokoshnik Tiara and her Amethyst Tiara on her Silver Anniversary in 1888, the Princess of Wales wore the Diamond Tiara, as well as the Pearl and Diamond Parure, in various versatile ways, which included wearing the individual elements on her outfits, like for the Waverley Ball in London in 1871, or replacing elements with Diamond Stars.
The Wedding Gift Tiara, without the celtic-knot scrolls, was notably worn by the Princess of Wales for the Wedding of her nephew, Prince Carl of Denmark, to her daughter, Princess Maud of Wales, later the King and Queen of Norway, in 1896, when several portraits were taken.
Two years later, the Princess of Wales was pictured wearing the full version of the Tiara ahead of a Court Drawing Room, which is its last pictured sighting as Queen Alexandra preferred to wear other royal heirlooms over the following years.
After Queen Alexandra’s death in 1925, her Wedding Gift Tiara was among the jewels inherited by her daughter, Princess Victoria, who ‘disposed of’ many of her mother’s jewels at some point over the next decade until her own passing.
While Queen Alexandra’s jewels have largely remained in the ownership of the royal family, and many of them are worn by Her Majesty The Queen today, a large proportion of her wardrobe was dispersed and sold after the death of her unmarried daughter, Princess Victoria.
However, the rest of the Wedding Parure remains in the Royal Family, with the Necklace being a lifelong favourite of the Queen Mother and most recently worn by the Princess of Wales, being displayed in the Edwardians: Age of Elegance Exhibition at Buckingham Palace this year!
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara | Wedding Gift Tiara | Amethyst Tiara | Diamond Circlet | Turquoise Circlet | Diamond Rivière | Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Sapphire Necklace | Diamond Link Choker | Edwardian Choker | Collier Résille
Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Parure
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