Happy Birthday to Princess Antonia, Duchess of Wellington, who turns 68 today! The Prussian Princess married into one of the most illustrious British Aristocratic Families, the Duchess has a magnificent jewellery collection in her possession, which include these spectacular Diamond Earrings!
Wellington Tiara | Von Preussen Tiara | Diamond Earrings | Diamond Tassel Earrings
A spectacular pair of Diamond Earrings each composed of a large pear-shaped diamond framed with large collet diamonds, suspended from another large diamond, these elaborate earrings were created from two diamonds in the badge of the Order of the Saint Esprit presented to the first Duke of Wellington by King Louis XVII, which could be traced back to King Louis XIV.
The jewelled insignia of the European orders of chivalry presented to the Duke of Wellington after the victory of Waterloo were enshrined at Apsley House. Some were very valuable: two diamonds in the badge of the Order of the Saint Esprit, to which the Duke was appointed by Louis XVII, were valued at £25,000. They could be traced back to Louis XIV and Napoleon wore them in the quillions of his sword. After the abolition of the Order in 1830 they were reset as a pair of earrings for the future second Duchess, then Marchioness of Douro.
The Earrings were first depicted on the 2nd Duchess of Wellington, the Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1861 to 1868, and again from 1874 to 1880, who wore them for a series of portraits in 1860, and later with the Wellington Tiara for the Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.
The Diamond Earrings were next seen on Kathleen, wife of the 4th Duke of Wellington, for a series of portraits in 1906, paired with the Wellington Tiara and most other family jewels on her person, including the Diamond Earrings on the edges of her shoulders as her ears were not pierced.
Princess Antonia, the current Duchess of Wellington first wore the Diamond Earrings with the Wellington Tiara for the Waterloo Banquet at Apsley House, the London Residence of the Duke and Duchess, to mark the Bicentenary of the Waterloo in 2015.
More recently, Princess Antonia wore the Diamond Earrings and the Tiara for the State Opening of Parliament in 2019. As a close friends of King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess will no doubt be in attendee at the Coronation next week (it has just been announced that the Duke will carry Queen Mary’s Crown in the Coronation Procession ), and while it is unknown if she will be wearing the Wellington Tiara, lets hope Princess Antonia wears these heirloom Diamond Earrings!
Princess Antonia, Duchess of Wellington also wore the Diamond Earrings with the Wellington Tiara for the State Opening of Parliament in 2023.
Wellington Tiara | Von Preussen Tiara | Diamond Earrings | Diamond Tassel Earrings
Wellington Tiara
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Tassel Earrings
Von Preussen Tiara