Royal Tiaras 2022

It’s that time of year again! For the few days leading up to the New Year, we have a series of ‘Year in Review’ articles, compiling and featuring the Royal Highlights of 2022. It’s my birthday today, and since all birthdays should have Tiaras, today’s feature is a roundup of the Royal Tiaras of 2022!

Royal Christmas 2022 | State Visits 2022 | Royal Weddings 2022 | Royal Tiaras 2022

(as always, click on the link/image to get to the detailed article on each Event/Tiara)

Before we recap, some personal comments:

This year’s Tiara appearances came mainly from Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th Birthday Banquet and Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Gala and Banquet as well as the usual Royal Weddings and State Banquets.
Each Year, there is a Royal lady that has had more notable Tiara appearances than the others, and after Queen Mathilde in 2016, Queen Letizia in 2017, Queen Máxima in 2018, and the tie of Empress Masako of Japan and Queen Azizah of Malaysia in 2019 and numerous ties last year, in 2022, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands competed for the top spot, with Queen Silvia taking the lead with eight appearances, while Queen Maxima only had seven. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has two tiara appearances, Crown Princess Mary had five (six if you count her portrait), Queen Mathilde had three tiara appearances, while the Duchess of Brabant made her debut along with the Princess of Orange at Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th Birthday. Queen Sonja had five tiara appearances, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit had three, and Crown Princess Victoria tied with her mother Queen Silvia at eight. New Queen Camilla had two appearances within days of each other, as did the Princess of Wales. Of all the European Queens, only Queen Letizia did not wear a Tiara this year.
There were also many Tiara debuts and important reappearances, at the splendid Royal and Noble Weddings, with notable Tiaras including the Belgian Sapphire Tiara and King George VI Sapphire Suite, Princess Ingeborg’s Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara, and the Vestey Tiara,

In addition to all the Tiara events, we have featured articles on hundreds of royal jewels throughout the year, which you can visit HERE and HERE, notably our articles this year on the Jewels of Queen Letizia of Spain, the Jewels of Queen Sirikit of Thailand, and the Jewels of the Princess of Wales.

Also, let us know your favourite tiara from this year, and would would you like to see next year!

The year began in dismissal circumstances, when not only was the Danish New Year’s Court cancelled and the Japanese New Year’s Reception also took place without tiaras, but Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations had to be postponed due to covid. However, the opening of the splendid exhibition ‘A Queen’s Jewelry Box/En Dronnings Smykkeskrin‘ at the Amalienborg Palace Museum went ahead as planned, and our friend Kasper Wiigh shared his experience with us in a detailed guest post, later also taking me for a visit to the Exhibit when I went to Denmark to cover the Jubilee in September. Alongside the exhibit, a documentary series ‘Dronningens skatkammer: Smykker der taler | ‘The Queen’s Treasury: Jewelry that speaks’ was broadcast, following the involvement of Queen Margrethe and the Crown Princess Mary in the exhibitions “A Queen’s Jewelry Box” and “Mary & the Crown Princesses“.

Congratulations to Princess Fadzilah of Brunei & Abdullah Mahmoud Al-Hashimi who got married yesterday! 🥳 🇧🇳

The ceremony ended a week of celebrations. She is the Sultan’s daughter. The groom received the title "Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Suami" translated as "HH Prince Consort" pic.twitter.com/QntZBXNthK
— CoutureAndRoyals (@CoutureRoyals) January 24, 2022

Later that month, Princess Fadzilah Lubabul of Brunei wore a Diamond Tiara for her wedding to Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi, wearing Queen Saleha’s Emerald Tiara for the reception following at the Istana Nurul Iman.

Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor wore the Selangor Diamond Fringe Tiara for the Sultan of Selangor’s delayed 76th Birthday Celebrations.

Crown Princess Mary’s 50th Birthday Celebrations in February were also cancelled, but the Danish Royal Court released new official Gala Portraits of Crown Princess Mary wearing the Danish Ruby Parure in various configurations. The portraits were taken at some point last year but released in late January.

Also in February, the Von Preussen Tiara was worn by Princess Beatrice von Preussen for her Wedding to Edmund Jenner.

The following month, Countess Margherita von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, daughter of Archduchess Maria Beatrice of Austria-Este and the late Count Riprand von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, wore the Savoy-Aosta Tiara and her mother’s Wedding Earrings, for her Wedding to Charles Green, brother of the Duchess of Roxburghe, at Osterhofen Abbey in Bavaria.

The Swedish Royal Court released New Official Portraits of the Swedish Royal Family to launch their updated website, which had Queen Silvia wearing the Swedish Cameo Tiara and Parure, Crown Princess Victoria in the Napoleonic Cut-Steel Tiara, Princess Sofia in her Wedding Tiara and the Napoleonic Amethyst Earrings, and Princess Madeleine wearing her Modern Fringe Tiara.

Isabelle Junot, daughter of Philippe Junot, the first husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, wore the Duchess of Montellano’s Tiara for her Wedding to Álvaro Falcó, 4th Marquess of Cubas, at Palacio del Marqués de Mirabel in Plasencia.

Queen Máxima wore the Dutch Aquamarine Tiara while Princess Beatrix was in the Antique Pearl Tiara at the State Banquet in honour of President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind of India at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, during the Indian State Visit to The Netherlands.

When the Swedish Royal Family hosted the Representationsmiddag at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, Queen Silvia wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure, Crown Princess Victoria was in the Laurel Wreath Tiara and Queen Josefina’s Diamond Stomacher Necklace, Princess Sofia in her Wedding Tiara, and Princess Christina wore the the Six-Button Tiara.

There were quite a few Tiaras at this year’s Met Gala, but the highlight was YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, an Ambassador for Cartier, who paired the Maharaja of Patiala’s Cartier Diamond Choker with a Cartier Tiara.

The Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe wore the Diamond Palmette Tiara and Schaumburg-Lippe Parure when she joined Princess Marie Luise ‘Lilly’ of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, who was in a Diamond Tiara, for the Order of Amaranth Ball in Stockholm in May.

Grand Duchess Maria Theresa wore the Belgian Scroll Tiara and her Black and White Pearl Earrings for the State Banquet during the Luxembourg State Visit to Portugal, while the Duchess of Braganza wore her Diamond Bandeau Tiara. The following day, the Grand Duchess wore the Amethyst Tiara and Oval Amethyst Tiara as Bracelets for the Return Reception in Lisbon.

Queen Silvia wore the King Edward VII Ruby Tiara, Crown Princess Victoria was in the Napoleonic Cut-Steel Tiara with the Earrings and Bracelet of the Cameo Parure, and Princess Sofia wore her Wedding Tiara at the State Banquet in honour of Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and First Lady Jenni Haukio at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

Eliza Liepina wore the Bradford Tiara for her Wedding to Alexander Bridgeman, Viscount Newport, the elder son and Heir of the 7th Earl of Bradford, at the Church of St Andrew in Weston-under-Lizard, followed by a Reception at the former Family Seat of Weston Park in Staffordshire

Princess Amelie zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg wore the Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg Emerald Tiara for her Wedding to Benedikt Schmid von Schmidsfelden in Wertheim.

When I went to London to cover the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, I went to see the spectacular Sotheby’s Platinum Jubilee Exhibition: ‘Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras’, which had over 40 outstanding tiaras of Royal and Noble Provenance on display. Among the Tiaras was the Kent Pearl and Diamond Fringe Tiara, Queen Victoria’s Emerald Tiara, Crown Princess Cecilie’s Fabergé Tiara, the Devonshire Coronet and the Devonshire Tiara, the Westminster Bagration Tiara, the Norfolk Tiara, the Anglesey Tiara, Spencer Tiara, the Rosebery Tiara and the the Primrose Tiara, and the Mountbatten Diamond Floral Necklace/Tiara among a host of several prominent Aristocratic Tiaras.

During my visit to London, I also saw the Fife Tiara, the Fife Fringe Tiara, and Queen Victoria’s Emerald Parure on Display in the Jewel Room at Kensington Palace. I also saw the Queen Victoria’s Sapphire Coronet, the Manchester Tiara, the Londonderry Tiaras, and the Dufferin Tiara on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum and Maharani Gayatri Devi’s Cartier Emerald Suite at the British Museum.

In June, the Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg married his longtime partner, Carina Axelsson, who was wearing the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Diamond Spike Tiara.

Bejewelled Royal Guests and Relatives in attendance included Princess Benedikte, in Queen Sophia’s Star and Pearl Tiara and Queen Ingrid’s Diamond Stars, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in her Wedding Tiara, Princess Marie of Denmark wearing Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Countess Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille wearing the Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille Tiara, Hereditary Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Turquoise Tiara, the Hereditary Princess of Oettingen-Spielberg in a Diamond Tiara, and the Hereditary Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn wearing the Diamond Flower Tiara among a host of German Royalty and Nobility.

The biggest Tiara event of the year was Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th Birthday Banquet, another one of those events delayed in January, which brought the debut of Princess Ingrid Alexandra wearing Princess Ingeborg’s Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara, first in a portrait released on the eve of the celebrations and then at the Banquet.

The Duchess of Brabant wore the newly acquired Vestey Tiara while the Princess of Orange was in the Dutch Diamond Star Tiara as they also made their Tiara debuts in Norway.

Queen Sonja was in the Norwegian Emerald Parure, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the Diamond Daisy Bandeau, Princess Märtha Louise was in King Olav’s Gift Tiara and her Tanzanite Suite while Princess Astrid wore Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Circlet.

The Foreign Royal Ladies included Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in the Stuart Tiara, Queen Mathilde of Belgium wearing the Stuart Tiara, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in the Laurel Wreath Tiara, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in the Midnight Tiara, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg wearing the Grand Duchess Adélaïde Tiara. Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, in Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara, and Princess Maria Olympia of Greece, wearing the Miller Fringe Tiara, were also present.

Queen Saleha of Brunei wore her Diamond Heart Tiara and her Diamond Upright Tiara for the Sultan of Brunei’s Birthday Celebrations.

Queen Máxima wore the Dutch Mellerio Ruby Tiara and Parure while Princess Beatrix wore the Pearl Button Tiara for the annual Diplomatic Gala at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

For her third Tiara appearance in less than ten days, Queen Máxima wore the Antique Pearl Tiara with the Dutch Romanov Pearl and Diamond Stomacher for the State Banquet at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna during the Dutch State Visit to Austria.

Princess Anna Lobkowicz wore a Diamond Tiara for her Wedding to Count Albrecht von und zu Eltz gennant Faust von Stromberg.

Franzisca “Sissy” von Reutter wore Lady Swaythling’s Tourmaline and Diamond Tiara for her Wedding to Hereditary Prince Paul-Anton Esterházy. The Tiara had been auctioned at Christie’s in May.

Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah of Malaysia wore the Gandik Diraja Tiara for the King of Malaysia’s Official Birthday Celebrations.

Harriet Clapham wore the Rosebery Tiara for her Wedding to Lord Dalmeny, Heir of the Earl of Rosebery, at Barnbougle Castle, near the main Family Seat of Dalmeny House.

Also in August, I visited the ‘Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity’ Exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, which had a plethora of spectacular Cartier Tiaras and a series of lovely royal jewels on display, though not the Cartier India Tiara, which had been displayed at the Paris version of the exhibition and was the main reason I went to Dallas in the first place.

The next month, I was back in London enroute to Denmark, when I had the coincidence to visit Buckingham Palace when the Queen died. The reason for the visit was the Platinum Jubilee Exhibit, which had the spectacular Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara, the Vladimir Tiara set with the Cambridge Emeralds, and the George IV State Diadem, as well as the Cartier Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, the Delhi Durbar Necklace, and the Queen’s South African Diamond Necklace and Bracelet. The Exhibit was ended that evening and not received after the Queen’s death, so I may have been one of the last members of the public to see the late Queen’s invoice jewels for who knows how long.

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, the daughter of Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Astrid of Belgium, wore the Savoy-Aosta Tiara when she married William Isvy at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels.

That same day, I received media accreditation and was on the red carpet as the Royals arrived for Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Gala in Copenhagen, seeing Queen Margrethe wearing the Floral Aigrette Tiara and her Antique Diamond Parure, Crown Princess Mary in the Diamond Necklace Tiara and Princess Marie in her Diamond and Sapphire Tiara.

Queen Sonja of Norway wore Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara and Queen Maud’s Drapers’ Company Brooch while Queen Silvia of Sweden was in the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece wore the Greek Ruby Parure and Princess Benedikte wore the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara.

Crown Princess Marie-Chantal was in the Miller Fringe Tiara, Princess Alexia wore the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, Princess Theodora was in Princess Alexia’s Diamond Tiara and Princess Nina wore the Antique Corsage Tiara. Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Countess Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille was in the Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille Tiara, and Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg wore Queen Sofia’s Pearl and Star Tiara. Countess Sussie of Rosenborg wore her Bandeau Tiara and Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg was in the Alexandrine Drop Tiara, alongside numerous members of the Danish Nobility and their Tiaras.

After a visit to the ‘A Queen’s Jewelry Box/En Dronnings Smykkeskrin‘ Exhibition at the Amalienborg Palace the following day, Queen Margrethe wore the Pearl Poiré Tiara, Khedive of Egypt Parure and Pearl Poire Brooch, Crown Princess Mary was in the Danish Ruby Parure and Princess Marie wore Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara for the Golden Jubilee Banquet at Christiansborg Palace.

Queen Silvia of Sweden was in Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara while Queen Sonja of Norway wore the Norwegian Emerald Parure. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece wore the Greek Emerald Parure and Princess Benedikte wore the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara, while Countess Sussie of Rosenborg was in Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara.

After being in the Palace when the Queen’s passing was announced, it will be a lifelong memory of mine to have seen her Coffin leave Buckingham Palace for the last time to go to the Palace of Westminster.

🔗 https://t.co/BnMSYlbtb8 pic.twitter.com/tSSooWKxE6
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) September 15, 2022

During my visits to London, I did not attempt to see the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, but unexpectedly saw the Coffin of Queen Elizabeth II adorned with the Imperial State Crown when being transported from Buckingham Palace to the Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall, ahead of the Funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Ahead of the third and final Banquet that September, Queen Margrethe caught covid in London, so thus Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary presided over the Banquet and Ball at Christiansborg Palace, which mark the end of Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Crown Princess Mary wore her Wedding Tiara while Princess Benedikte wore her Floral Tiara and Amethyst Brooch.

Queen Silvia caught a cold and Crown Princess Victoria wore the the Laurel Wreath Tiara and Princess Sofia was in her Wedding Tiara for the Representationsmiddag at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

Two weeks later, Queen Silvia wore the Braganza Tiara for the first time in over a decade while Queen Máxima wore a new version of the Stuart Tiara for the Dutch State Visit to Sweden, while Crown Princess Victoria wore the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure, Princess Sofia was in her Wedding Tiara, and Princess Christina wore in the Connaught Diamond Tiara.

Yasmine Lorraine Briki wore four different Tiaras, including a Pearl and Emerald Tiara designed by her, for her Wedding to Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo at the Cathedral Saint Louis des Invalides in Paris.

Queen Mathilde wore the Wolfers Necklace Tiara and Aquamarine Earrings for the Banquet at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania during the Belgian State Visit to Lithuania.

Queen Sonja wore Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara, Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the Diamond Daisy Bandeau and Crown Princess Märtha’s Pearl Earrings (for the first time) while Princess Astrid wore her Diamond Aigrette Tiara for Stortingsmiddagen at the Royal Palace of Oslo. The Norwegian Royal Family also hosted a Banquet for Bishops, that would have had Tiaras, but there were no pictures released.

Queen Máxima wore the Mellerio Ruby Tiara for the State Dinner at the Presidential Mansion in Athens during the Dutch State Visit to Greece.

Queen Máxima wore the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara, Princess Beatrix was in the Aquamarine Tiara and Princess Margriet for the Dutch Laurel Wreath Tiara at the State Banquet in honour of President Sergio Mattarella and Laura Mattarella at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam during the Italian State Visit to The Netherlands.

A few days later, Princess Margriet wore the Dutch Laurel Wreath Tiara again for the Netherland-America Foundation Ball in New York City.

The ladies of the Kelantan Royal Family wore Tiaras as they held an Investiture for the Sultan of Kelantan’s 53rd Birthday.

Queen Camilla wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara with the King George VI Sapphire Necklace for the first time as the King and Queen hosted the South African State Visit to Britain. The Princess of Wales wore Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and the Countess of Wessex wore her Aquamarine Necklace Tiara, while he Duchess of Gloucester wore the Cartier India Tiara. Lady Susan Hussey wore the Waldegrave Tiara while the newly married Duchess of Norfolk wore an heirloom Sapphire and Diamond Necklace.

The next evening, the Duchess of Gloucester wore the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara and the Pearl and Emerald Suite, for the Guildhall Banquet held for the South African Presiden t.

Queen Mathilde wore the Laurel Wreath Tiara, her Diamond Fringe Earrings at the State Banquet for the Swiss President at the Royal Castle of Laeken.

Leah Behn wore a Collingwood Diamond Tiara auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2018, Princess Hélène d’Orléans wore a Boucheron Art Deco Diamond Tiara/Necklace from Lady Anne Norman that was auctioned at Christie’s in 2018, along with the magnificent Orléans Emerald Necklace while Archduchess Sophia von Habsburg-Lorraine wore Princess Maria Anna of Bourbon Parma’s Diamond Tiara and the Diamond Earrings of Marie Thérèse de Savoie, Duchess of Parma, for Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris.

In December, Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara and Queen Alexandrine’s Emerald Bracelet were among the Jewels of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark on Auction at Bruun Rasmussen.

The Princess of Wales wore Queen Mary’s Art Deco Emerald Choker for the first time as she attended the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in Boston.

Queen Camilla wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara with the King George VI Sapphire Necklace and the Princess of Wales wore the the Lotus Flower Tiara for the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Silvia wore a purple gown with Napoleonic Amethyst Parure, Crown Princess Victoria wore the Six-Button Tiara, Princess Sofia wore a new topaz version of her Wedding Tiara, and Princess Christina wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara, while Countess Madeleine Kogevinas wore her Pearl and Diamond Tiara for the Nobel Prize Ceremony and Banquet in Stockholm.

The following evening, Queen Silvia wore Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara, Crown Princess Victoria was in the Laurel Wreath Tiara and the Bernadotte Emerald Parure, Princess Sofia wore the Pearl Version of her Wedding Tiara, and Princess Christina wore the Four-Button Tiara, at the King’s Dinner for Nobel Laureates at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Countess Madeleine Kogevinas wore her Pearl and Diamond Tiara and Countess Bettina Bernadotte was wearing the Cufflink Tiara.

Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor wore the Selangor Diamond Fringe Tiara for the Sultan of Selangor’s 77th Birthday Celebrations.

These are just a selection of the Tiaras worn this year, and you can see a few more in our overview of the Royal and Noble Weddings of 2022.