Thurn und Taxis Emerald Tiara

Happy Birthday to Gloria, the Princess von Thurn und Taxis, who turns 63 today! The impoverished Schönburg-Glauchau Countess became the extravagant ‘Princess TNT’ in the 1980s and, after being widowed young, she transformed into a successful businesswoman to save the massive family fortune, facilitated through the sale of some family jewels, but much of the collection remains intact, so to mark her birthday, we are featuring the spectcular Emerald Tiara!

Thurn und Taxis Sapphire Tiara Emerald Tiara | Emerald and Ruby Choker | Sapphire Bow Brooch | Princess Olga’s Emerald Earrings Hesse Emerald Brooch | Thurn und Taxis Tiaras

Made by Hancocks, a London jeweler, and included in a display of jewels at the 1855 Paris Exhibition, the Tiara features a diamond scroll design with pear-shaped cabochon emeralds. The accompanying parure features earrings and a necklace.

The Tiara was first photographed on Margaretha, Princess of Thurn und Taxis nee Archduchess of Austria, who was the consort of the 8th Prince. The couple were married for over 60 years and had eight children. Margaretha wore the tiara and parure for an official portrait and for the wedding of her daughter Princess Helene von Thurn und Taxis to Prince Friedrich of Saxony in 1923.

The next person to be pictured in the Thurn und Taxis Emerald Tiara was Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis nee Countess von Schönburg-Glauchau, consort of the 11th Prince, and granddaughter-in-law of Margaretha.

Married to a man over 30 years her senior, Princess Gloria and her husband spent the 80s as a socialite with lavish spending, parties, and edgy fashion, which earned her the name “Princess TNT.” After being widowed in 1990, and faced with debts over $500 million, she became an astute businesswoman, selling castles, jewellry and cars to protect the family fortune for her son.

The Emerald Tiara and Parure were not among the Jewels sold at the famous Auction of the Thurn und Taxis Jewels in 1992, and was worn by Princess Gloria for the Wedding Ball of Duchess Fleur of Württemberg and Count Moritz von Goëss in 2003.

In 2010, Princess Gloria loaned the Thurn und Taxis Emerald Tiara to her sister-in-law, Princess Irina of Hesse, Countess of Schönburg-Glauchau, for a Gala celebrating the 80th Birthday of her mother, Countess Beatrix of Schönburg-Glauchau.

Most recently, Princess Gloria wore the Thurn und Taxis Emerald Tiara for a Vanity Fair photoshoot in 2015.

The Thurn und Taxis Emerald Tiara has also been worn by Princess Gloria’s daughter Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, a style editor for Vogue, during the photoshoot for Vanity Fair in 2015, when she paired the emerald tiara with some of her mother’s gowns and a jeweled choker. Princess Gloria said

“the girls loved to get into my wardrobe and pick out my wonderful Christian Lacroix dresses. And they were able to play with the jewelry that normally stays at the vault!”

Thurn und Taxis Sapphire Tiara

Emerald Tiara

Emerald and Ruby Choker

Sapphire Bow Brooch

Princess Olga’s Emerald Earrings

Hesse Emerald Brooch

Thurn und Taxis Tiaras

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For more information, check out:

Vanity Fair

Princess Gloria and Princess Elisabeth at the Albanian Royal Wedding

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