The glittering tiara owned by the famous Grand Duchess Vladimir, and worn by her female descendants in Greece and Great Britain. The Kent Pearl Circles Bandeau was made as a necklace, but only seen worn as a tiara. It was sold as a necklace in the 1970s.
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The Kent Pearl Circles Bandeau was commissioned by famous Grand Duchess Vladimir in the 1890s as a necklace that could be worn as a bandeau tiara. The piece features 15 diamond ‘snakes’ guarding their pearl ‘eggs’. A pair of earrings are made out of two more circles.
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The first person pictured in the Pearl Circles Bandeau was Princess Nicholas of Greece, the only daughter of Grand Duchess Vladimir, who received the piece when she married Prince Nicholas of Greece in 1902. She wore the tiara in a portrait. Princess Nicholas had three daughters, and while her Kokoshnik tiara went to her eldest daughter, the Pearl Circles Bandeau went to her middle daughter, Princess Marina.
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When Princess Marina of Greece married the Duke of Kent, youngest son of King George V & Queen Mary of Great Britain, in 1934, she received the tiara as a wedding gift from her mother, Princess Nicholas. She wore the piece throughout her life; at Opera performances, balls, and most famously at the Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956.
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Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was widowed young, during WWII, but continued to attend international royal events, often with her daughter, Princess Alexandra of Kent. Princess Alexandra was loaned the Pearl Circles Bandeau for royal events and State visits even after she got married, when she often wore her own tiara. It was sold in the 1970s, to pay for inheritance taxes after the death of Princess Marina.
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Pardon me, but there is no snake; this motif is an exact reproduction of a vine which grows wild in Europe. This is a lovely take on , what was popular at that time, Mother Nature’s treasure trove: leaves, vines, flowers; Beautiful!
That detail of the motif being a vine is so interesting! I always liked this little tiara and it was in spite of thinking the motif was snakes. I don’t like snakes, but I liked the tiara, and now that I see the possibility of a vine in there, the tiara has gained additional luster!
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It is so interesting to revisit older posts! Many times I find information that I missed the first time around, like the photo in Hugo Vickers’ Instagram with Emperor Hiroito and Princess Alexandra. I didn’t read the caption where it said the photo was taken in 1961 and yet the Emperor was wearing his Garter insignia! I had read before that he was very upset when his shield and Coat of Arms were taken down at Windsor during WWII, but I truly didn’t see the extent of his disappointment until I saw that photo. Could it be he wanted to send a signal that he’d like to be asked back? I definitely think so!
I tend to go back and update old articles every few months when I spot new information and pictures, and this is one article that is completely different from when I first wrote it. I wrote about Princess Alexandra’s visit to Japan a few weeks ago: https://royalwatcherblog.com/2021/11/15/princess-alexandra-in-japan-1961/