Victoria Revealed at Kensington Palace

Are you going to be in London anytime between now and 2020? Then you have to visit the new Victoria Revealed Exhibition at Kensington Palace, which opened yesterday.  Marking the 200th Anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, the displays feature personal objects and an intimate account of her fascinating life and long reign. Among the objects are three Tiaras, which come from the collection of the Dukes of Fife, descendants of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Louise.

Fife Tiara

 

A wedding gift from the Duke of Fife to his bride, Princess Louise, in 1889, the magnificent Fife Tiara features hundreds of diamonds ranging in weight from one to ten carats, and features a spectacular row of pear shaped ‘swing set’ diamonds. Inherited by the couple’s eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra, the 2nd Duchess of Fife, the Tiara was worn to all the British Royal Coronations, and last worn by the current Duchess at her wedding in 1987. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the Tiara has been accepted by Her Majesty’s Government in lieu of tax in 2017, possibly due to inheritance taxes after the death of the 3rd Duke in 2015. Click HERE to learn more.

Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara

Embed from Getty Images

The undoubted highlight of the Exhibition is Queen Victoria’s Emerald and Diamond Parure, specially commissioned by her beloved Prince Albert. A gift in 1845, the parure features a magnificent diamond and emerald tiara, emerald necklace, earrings and brooch, which were worn in portraits by Franz Xavier Winterhalter in 1846 and 1859. After loaning the Tiara to another granddaughter, Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, the tiara eventually made it’s way to Princess Louise, and was last worn by the 3rd Duchess of Fife at the 1960 State Opening of Parliament. The Tiara and Parure are on a long-term loan from the estate of the 3rd Duke of Fife.

Fife Fringe Tiara

A wedding gift to Princess Louise from her parents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, in 1889, the Fife Fringe Tiara was usually worn as a necklace with the grand Fife Tiara. Still belonging to the family, the Tiara is on a long-term loan from the estate of the 3rd Duke of Fife. Click HERE to learn more.

Screen Shot 2018-03-30 at 10.47.41 AM

One thought on “Victoria Revealed at Kensington Palace

Leave a Reply