Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara

A lovely surprise today! Most people predicted she would wear her mother’s York Diamond Tiara, but Princess Eugenie wore the stunning Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara at her Wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and we will be taking a look at this most unexpected tiara choice, seen after more than 80 years and worn for the first time by a member of the Royal Family!

Greville Tiara | Greville Emerald Tiara | Greville Festoon Necklace | Greville Emerald Necklace | Greville Emerald Earrings | Ruby Necklace | Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Diamond Bow Brooch | Pearl Earrings | Greville Ivy Leaf Clips

Made for the society hostess the Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville (of the Greville Tiara fame) by Boucheron in 1919, the Tiara was modeled on the fashionable ‘kokoshnik’ style popularized in the Russian Imperial Court. Made of brilliant and rose cut diamonds pavé set in platinum, with six emeralds on either side, the center emerald is 93.70 carats. The Tiara was relatively unknown until Vincent Meylan discovered the image in the Boucheron archives.

While there are various accounts of her wearing her magnificent emeralds, Dame Margaret Greville was pictured only once wearing the Emerald Tiara with the Emerald Necklaces and Emerald Earrings for a Concert at the Austrian Embassy in London in 1937, during the Coronation Festvities for King George VI.

(full credit for this find goes to my friend Beth of RJWMB)

On the death of Dame Margaret Greville, the Hon Mrs Greville in 1942, the majority of her magnificent Jewellery Collection, all pieces valued over 100 pounds, was inherited by Queen Elizabeth. In 1942, the Queen wrote to Queen Mary:

I must tell you that Mrs Greville has left me her jewels, She has left them to me ‘with her loving thoughts,’ dear old thing, and I feel very touched, I don’t suppose I shall see what they consist of for a long time, owing to the slowness of lawyers & death duties etc, but it is rather exciting to be left something, and I do admire beautiful stones with all my heart.”

When the jewels arrived to the Queen a few months later, there was much unwanted press attention on the contents of the initialled black trunk, which included the Greville Diamond Tiara, an Emerald Tiara, the Festoon Necklace, the Diamond Chandelier EarringsEmerald Earrings, a Ruby Necklacetwo Emerald NecklacesIvy Leaf ClipsDiamond Bow Broochand a pair of Pearl Earringsalongside several spectacular Diamond Earrings, Necklaces, Brooches and Bracelets, the true extent of which has never been publicly revealed.

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Unlike the Greville Diamond Tiara, the Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was never publicly worn until today, when Princess Eugenie stepped out of the 1977 Rolls Royce Phantom VI with the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara glittering atop her Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vo gown. She finished her look with emerald and diamond earrings, which were a gift from the groom, and perfectly complemented the tiara. Click HERE to take a look at the Wedding!

Greville Tiara | Greville Emerald Tiara | Greville Festoon Necklace | Greville Emerald Necklace | Greville Emerald Earrings | Ruby Necklace | Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Diamond Bow Brooch | Pearl Earrings | Greville Ivy Leaf Clips

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Crown

Greville Tiara

Oriental Circlet Tiara

Delhi Durbar Tiara

Fringe Tiara

Turquoise Parure

Lotus Flower Tiara

Strathmore Rose Tiara

Cartier Halo Tiara

Teck Crescent Tiara

Cartier Bracelet Bandeau

Aquamarine Pine Flower Tiara

Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace

Queen Adelaide’s Fringe

Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace

Greville Festoon Necklace

Greville Emerald Necklace

The Queen Mother’s Tiaras

For more information, check out:

Tiara Mania

36 thoughts on “Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara

  1. Oh, my goodness! That tiara is to die for! I can’t believe such a beauty has been languishing in the vaults for half a century! It makes me even more sorry for the Countess of Wessex when I think of the horrid tiara she was given to wear for her wedding while there are such beauties as these in the vault. Princess Eugenie looked absolutely lovely. That dress suit her perfectly! The flower arrangements at the church were also very beautiful.

  2. choosing not to have a vial so as to show off her major surgery scar, Eugenie needed to have a stunning headpiece and she could not have made a better choice. That tiara is an absolute stunner and I can not believe it has not been worn by other royals before now. Well Done your royal highness!!!!!!!!

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