Teck Sapphire Stomacher

Today marks the 185th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the Duchess of Teck, the mother of Queen Mary and Great Grandmother of the Queen. To mark the day, we are taking a look at her Teck Sapphire Stomacher, which has been worn by the granddaughters of Sovereigns.

Diamond Palmette Tiara | Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara | Pearl and Diamond TiaraTeck Sapphire Stomacher | Pearl and Diamond Corsage Brooch | The Jewels of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

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While it is unknown how this Stomacher came into Princess Mary Adelaide’s possession, it is likely that it came from her aunt, Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester. The stomacher includes four detachable diamond clusters in a diamond stomacher with diamond drops. She notably wore the piece with the Teck Crescent Tiara, Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara, and the Cambridge Emeralds. After her death, the stomacher was inherited by her younger son, Prince Alexander.

After Prince Alexander married Princess Alice of Albany in 1904, the Stomacher was frequently worn by the later Princess Alice, later the Countess of Athlone, often with the Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara, at a variety of events including the Coronation of King George V in 1911the Belgian State Visit to the Britain in 1922, and the Coronation of King George VI in 1937.

As fashions changed, Princess Alice continued to wear the Duchess of Teck’s Stomacher without the sapphire clusters, which she wore as earrings and brooches, often paired with her Diamond Palmette Tiara, like at the Coronation of the Queen in 1953. The Stomacher has not been seen since Princess Alice’s death in 1981, but since it hasn’t been publicly sold like some of her other jewels, it probably still belongs to the family, along with the Ears of Wheat Tiara.

Diamond Palmette Tiara | Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara | Pearl and Diamond TiaraTeck Sapphire Stomacher | Pearl and Diamond Corsage Brooch | The Jewels of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

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