Happy Birthday to Queen Azizah of Malaysia, the XVI Raja Permaisuri Agong and the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, who turns 63 today! The beloved Johor Princess who became the inspirational Tengku Ampuan of Pahang and is now the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of the world’s only rotational Monarchy, Queen Azizah, who we met in London earlier this year, has a splendid jewellery collection, which includes this spectacular Aquamarine Tiara!
The Gandik Diraja Tiara | Pahang State Tiara | Aquamarine Tiara
A spectacular Aquamarine and Diamond Tiara or ornate design from the turn of the 20th century, the Tiara is in a case from Carrington & Co from the reign of King Edward VII and is almost identical to the Tiara of Lady Saltoun, though it is not the same piece nor a copy from Garrard as stated elsewhere.
Queen Azizah told us that the Aquamarine Tiara was acquired by her step-grandmother, Sultanah Nora of Johor, the consort of her grandfather, Sultan Ismail of Johor, who had bought the Tiara at Hennell in London quite a few years ago.
Around the turn of the century, Queen Azizah, then the Tengku Puan (Crown Princess) of Pahang, acquired the Tiara from Tunku Puan Nora, who had sold some other jewels in that period as well. Tengku Puan Azizah wore the Aquamarine Tiara on several occasions through the early 2000s, including several Coronation and Birthday Galas as well as a series of spectacular Official Portraits.
Before she became Tengku Ampuan (Queen) of Pahang and Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia in quick succession, the Aquamarine Tiara was the most prominent jewel in the collection of Tengku Puan Azizah, worn for the Coronation of her brother, the Sultan of Johor, in 2015 and the Coronation of the Sultan of Kedah.
Queen Azizah has often loaned her Aquamarine Tiara to Family Brides over the years, including when it was worn by Tengku Nurul Kamalia at her wedding to Dato Ahmad Najmi in 2008 and later when it was loaned to Tunku Syazwan Kaiyisah at her wedding to Wan Putera Shahril in 2013.
More recently, Queen Azizah’s Aquamarine Tiara was worn by Tengku Madina Kamilia at her wedding to Encik Mujammad Fadhil in 2017 and by Puteri Amida Afsha Afzan for her wedding to Wan Putera Shahjuan in 2021. The Aquamarine Tiara was also worn by Queen Azizah’s daughter, Princess Afzan, while trying on Tiaras in a series of private photos a few years ago. There is no doubt the Tiara will continue to be worn for years to come!
The Royal Watcher, image cannot be used without permission.
When we published our article on the Tiara of Lady Saltoun a few years ago, Queen Azizah reached out and told us she has an almost identical Tiara which she had bought in London. While trying to determine the provenance of the piece and its connection with the Saltoun Tiara, Her Majesty went into the vault and sent us images of the Tiara and its case, which we are sharing for the first time today!
Today, after the article was published, Her Majesty told me that us has seen comments that this Tiara is a fake or a copy of the Saltoun Tiara that she had made at Garrard and thus she wanted us to clarify that the Tiara was acquired by Sultanah Nora of Johor, the consort of the Queen’s grandfather, Sultan Ismail of Johor, at Hennell in London quite a few years ago, before being bought by Queen Azizah herself from her ‘Auntie Nora’. She said:
‘I love the Tiara, even if its a copy … but its not a fake for sure’
The Gandik Diraja Tiara | Pahang State Tiara | Aquamarine Tiara
