Happy Wedding Anniversary to Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, who got married on this day in 1994! Spectacular Diamond Flower Brooches given by Lord Snowdon as a wedding gift to Princess Margaret were transformed into this Diamond Flower Tiara for their only daughter, Lady Sarah!
When Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, she received three striking Diamond Flower Brooches as a Wedding Gift from her Groom, which are antique in their design but were likely acquired rather than being old family heirlooms.
Princess Margaret wore the Diamond Flower Brooches in various configurations as dress and hair ornaments throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with notable appearances at the Christening of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones in 1964 and at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in 1974, though it is sometimes hard to distinguish them from the many similar Diamond Floral Brooches she had in her collection.
Princess Margaret retained the Diamond Flower Brooches following their divorce in 1978, wearing them for a couple of gala occasions through the years, as well as a portrait with her children.
In 1994, Jasper Conran, designer of Lady Sarah’s wedding gown, saw the Diamond Flower Brooches in Princess Margaret’s jewellery box and suggested they be made into a Tiara. Wartski made a frame to hold the Brooches as a tiara, while the brooch fittings remained in place.
So, when Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones married Daniel Chatto at St. Stephen’s Walbrook Church in London in 1994, she wore the spectacular Snowdon Diamond Flower Tiara paired with Princess Margaret’s Greville Pearl Earrings, both of which were wedding gifts from her mother.
The Diamond Flower Brooches were next worn by Lady Sarah for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Golden Wedding Anniversary Gala at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1997.
A few years later, Lady Sarah also wore the Diamond Flower Brooches for the Funeral of Princess Margaret at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
In 2006, Lady Sarah loaned the Diamond Flower Brooches to her younger half-sister, Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, who wore them in her hair for her Wedding to Rodolphe von Hofmannsthal.
The following year, Lady Sarah wore the Diamond Flower Brooches for the Queen and Duke’s Diamond Wedding Anniversary Service at Westminster Abbey.
When Lady Sarah loaned her Wedding Dress to the Victoria & Albert Museum for an Exhibition, the Diamond Flower Brooches were put back on the Tiara frame.
Most recently, Lady Sarah paired the Diamond Flower Brooches with Princess Margaret’s Diamond Star Earrings for the Funeral of her beloved aunt, Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in 2022. There is no doubt it will be worn on special occasions for years to come!
The Jewels of Lady Sarah Chatto
Snowdon Diamond Flower Tiara
Greville Pearl Earrings
Diamond Star Earrings
Queen Mary’s Diamond and Pearl Riviere
Sapphire Earrings
Emerald Earrings
Ear-of-Wheat Brooch
Star Brooch
Floral Spray Brooch
Poltimore Tiara
Turquoise Parure
Cartier Halo Tiara
Lotus Flower Tiara
Snowdon Floral Tiara
Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau
Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace
Diamond Earrings
Ruby Girandole Earrings
Emerald Earrings
Greville Pearl Earrings
Sapphire Earrings
Diamond Star Earrings
Diamond and Pearl Riviere
Star Brooch
Cartier Rose Brooch
Ear-of-Wheat Brooch
Floral Spray Brooch
Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch
Cartier Ruby Flower Brooch
Happy Silver Anniversary to Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, who got married on this day in 1994! We have covered some of Lady Sarah’s heirloom jewels, like Princess Margaret’s Pearl Earrings and Queen Mary’s Diamond and Pearl Riviere, but we have saved today’s piece for this special day-
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In 1960, Princess Margaret received three antique diamond flower brooches from her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, around the time of their Wedding. She wore the brooches in various configurations as dress and hair ornaments throughout the 1960s, though it is hard to distinguish them from the many similar pieces she had in her collection. The diamond flower brooches remained with Princess Margaret after her divorce and she continued to wear them for daytime and evening events.
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In 1994, Jasper Conran, designer of Lady Sarah’s wedding gown, saw the brooches in Princess Margaret’s jewellery box and suggested they be made into a tiara. Wartski made a frame to hold the brooches as a tiara, while the brooch fittings remained in place. As such, the piece was worn by Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones when she married Daniel Chatto at St. Stephen’s Walbrook Church in London on this day in 1994, paired with Princess Margaret’s Greville Pearl Earrings.
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The three antique diamond flower brooches came into Lady Sarah’s possession after her wedding, and while she still retains the frame (the Tiara was exhibited with her wedding dress at the Victoria & Albert Museum IIRC), she has worn them as brooches, most notably at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Golden Anniversary Gala, Princess Margaret’s Funeral, and the Queen and Duke’s Diamond Wedding Anniversary Service. Lady Sarah has also loaned the brooches to her younger sister, Lady Frances, for her wedding in 2006. As Lady Sarah continues to be one of the most bejewelled ladies at the family events she attends, there is no doubt we will continue to see the brooches for years to come, and hopefully as the Tiara as well.
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