Queen Farida’s Art Deco Floral Tiara

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Farida of Egypt, who was born on this day in 1921! Throughout her ten-year tenure as the Egyptian Queen Consort, Queen Farida frequently wore her magnificent Art Deco Floral Tiara, which we are featuring today!

Consisting of five flowers arranged according to size, and the biggest one is set in the middle, made of platinum and gold with pave-set white and yellow diamonds, the Art Deco Floral Tiara was likely made by Van Cleef & Arpels around the time  16-year old Safinaz Zulficar (soon to be renamed Queen Farida) married King Farouk of Egypt in 1938, similar to her Diamond Peacock Tiara.

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While not as much of a favourite as the Diamond Peacock Tiara, Queen Farida often wore her Art Deco Floral Tiara, most notably at the Shah of Iran and Princess Fawzia of Egypt’s Wedding Banquet in 1939 and King Farouk’s 22nd Birthday Banquet in 1942. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone visited Egypt in the late 1930s and described meeting the:

little Queen, who was very sweet and gay. She was dressed in semi-evening with lots of diamonds of which she was very proud.”

The Art Deco Floral Tiara could also be taken off its frame and worn as a massive Corsage, which Queen Farida often wore in the 1940s, for formal gala events with the Diamond Peacock Tiara and also for less formal occasions, when it made a splendid statement on her Turkish-inspired Court Dress.

After Queen Farida’s divorce in 1948, unlike the Peacock Tiara, the Art Deco Floral Tiara did not disappear from public view, and is among the jewels on display at the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria, where you can go see it on display along with a matching bracelet and a coordinating pair of Earrings!

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