A ‘garland style’ diamond scroll tiara, composed of diamond in millegrain setting which features scrolls, foliates, and a large central cushion-shaped diamond, the Tiara was created by Cartier around 1910.
King Albert acquired the Cartier Tiara around 1912 and Queen Elisabeth first wore the Tiara for a series of portraits in the 1910s, attaching it atop a fabric turban.
The Cartier Diamond Tiara was also worn by Queen Elizabeth for a series of portraits in the 1920s, which are among the most iconic images of the Queen taken not long after the liberation of Belgium at the end of the First World War.
Queen Elisabeth wore the Cartier Diamond Tiara for the Civil Wedding in Sweden and also the Wedding of her elder son, Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium, and Princess Astrid of Sweden in Brussels in 1926.
The Cartier Diamond Tiara was worn by Queen Elizabeth for the Bal de la Grande Harmonie in 1927 and also on the Belgian Royal Family’s visit to the Vatican in 1930.
Another notable appearance came when Queen Elisabeth wore the Cartier Diamond Tiara for the Wedding of Crown Prince Umberto of Italy and her daughter, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, in Rome in 1930.
The Cartier Diamond Tiara was worn by Queen Elizabeth when she represented Belgium at the Inauguration Gala of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands in Amsterdam in 1948.
Queen Elisabeth wore the Cartier Diamond Tiara for the final time at the Wedding Ball of her grandson, King Baudouin of Belgium, and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at the Royal Palace of Brussles in 1960.
Just a few weeks before Queen Elisabeth’s death, her Cartier Diamond Tiara was worn by her daughter-in-law, the Princess de Réthy, for the Wedding Ball of Prince Alois-Konstantin of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Princess Anastasia of Prussia at Schloss Löwenstein.
After King Leopold’s death in 1983, Princess Lilian sold the Tiara to Cartier, apparently without informing the rest of the Royal Family. The Princess de Rothy’s sister was married to Jacques Cartier.
Nowadays, Queen Elisabeth’s Cartier Diamond Tiara can be seen at Cartier exhibitions around the world, most recently in the Cartier Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London this year. Next month, it will be going on display in Paris and likely in Australia after that, so there is no doubt we will continue to see the Tiara for years to come!
Cartier Diamond Tiara
Art Deco Diamond Bandeau
Diamond Bandeau
Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch
Empress Carlota’s Diamond Stomacher
Nine Provinces Tiara
Laurel Wreath Tiara
Wolfers Necklace Tiara
Queen Elisabeth’s Diamond Bandeau
Diamond Fringe Earrings
Wedding Earrings
Diamond Scroll Earrings
Tunisian Parure
Aquamarine Earrings
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Waterfall Brooch
Diamond Butterfly Brooch
Sapphire Brooch
Diamond Floral Bracelet
Queen Fabiola’s Ruby Bracelet
Made in 1910, this platinum and diamond bandeau tiara is the epitome of Cartier’s Garland style. It features scrolls, foliates, and a large central cushion-shaped diamond.
Embed from Getty Images
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Embed from Getty Images
In 1912, the Cartier tiara was bought by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, and eventually became her signature tiara. She first wore it on a fabric ‘band’ in the style of the 1910s, before wearing it low on her brow in the style of the 20s, including the wedding of her eldest son to Princess Astrid of Sweden in 1926. Queen Elisabeth continued to wear the tiara into her widowhood, including the Inauguration ball of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and the wedding ball of her grandson, King Baudouin. After her death in 1965, the Cartier Bandeau Tiara was inherited by her eldest son, ex-King Leopold III. Queen Elisabeth was a controversial figure in her later years, known as the ‘Red Queen’ after visiting several communist countries.
The only other person to publicly wear the tiara was Lilian, Princess of Réthy, the controversial second wife of King Leopold, who wore her mother-in-law’s Cartier Bandeau Tiara at the wedding ball of Prince Alois-Konstantin of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Princess Anastasia of Prussia in the 1960s. After King Leopold’s death, Princess Lilian sold the tiara back to Cartier, apparently without informing King Baudoin and Queen Fabiola, further shrouding the Tiara in controversy. Nowadays, Queen Elisabeth’s Cartier Bandeau Tiara can be seen at Cartier exhibitions around the world, and is one of it’s most recognizable designs. It is currently on display at a diamond exhibition in Antwerp, until 14 January 2018. (h/t to @GeertJanssens68)
Queen Elisabeth’s Cartier Bandeau Tiara is currently on display in the Cartier Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London until November 2025.
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I forgot to mention in the previous post that Princess Lilian doesn’t have my unqualified sympathies. I think she was a good stepmother, which is very laudable. She treated King Leopold III well and helped him through his personal crises, which is not a small achievement. All that is very good, but she disposed of the Belgian jewelry in a heavy-handed and unilateral manner. She could have established a foundation and left the jewels for the next generation of queens to enjoy. Even if they were legally her personal property, they really weren’t. A lot of it was of historical significance too! Maybe that was her way of “getting back” at the royal family for not acknowledging her proper place and I can understand that. But I think she missed a great opportunity to be remembered as a generous and righteous person. She could have been forever remembered as the one who preserved Belgium’s royal jewels for generations to come instead of the one who sold everything. I’m just saying….:)
I agree, it was certainly a missed opportunity to preserve a beautiful jewel collection for future queens. I wonder if she simply needed the money? The Cartier bandeau is the piece that I regret the most. It would have filled out Mathilde’s sparse jewel box very nicely.
The Cartier bandeau is indeed a beautiful diadem. And you’re right, Queen Mathilde would have looked absolutely lovely in it!
Lilian was the worst
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