Ruby Peacock Tiara

Happy Birthday to the Princess of Orange, who is turning 20 today! The eldest of the Dutch Royal ‘A-Team’ who is set to be the fourth Queen Regnant of the Netherlands, the Dutch Heiress has expressed an interest in royal jewels (If you are reading this YRH, we have some suggestions), and has already worn quite a few splendid jewels from the massive family collection, including the Ruby Peacock Tiara!

In 1897, Queen Emma of the Netherlands used rubies from her predecessor, Queen Sophie, to create a new Parure from Schurmann & Co. comprised of a versatile Tiara, a Necklace and a Stomacher in a peacock tail design, which was commissioned for Queen Wilhelmina as a lighter alternative to the Mellerio Ruby Tiara.

Queen Wilhelmina most notably wore the Ruby Peacock Tiara for a series of portraits in the early 1900s, and also for an event in the 1930s.

While Queen Wilhelmina retained the Tiara, the Ruby Peacock Necklace was worn by her daughter, Queen Juliana, for her Inauguration at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, and a few years later she wore the Necklace in her hair during her visit to the United States in 1952.

When the future Queen Beatrix celebrated her 18th Birthday in 1956, the Dutch Royal Family went to visit Queen Wilhelmina for tea at the Het Loo Palace, where she had a jewellery case on display. Instead of giving it to the birthday girl, Queen Wilhelmina instead handed the Ruby Peacock Parure to her younger sister, Princess Irene, which caused a lot of surprise and confusion.

Princess Irene began wearing the Ruby Peacock Parure soon afterwards, making full use of the versatile elements, like wearing just the central element for the Belgian State Visit to The Netherlands in 1959, and also wearing multiple versions of the Ruby peacock Necklace, like she did for Queen Juliana’s Silver Anniversary in 1962.

Following her controversial marriage to Prince Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma in 1964, Princess Irene gained the Bourbon-Parma Tiara, to which she added a Ruby, but retained the Ruby Peacock Parure, which was notably worn for the Wedding Gala of Princess Margriet of The Netherlands in 1967 as well as at Queen Juliana’s 30th Anniversary Gala in 1967, following which the Ruby Peacock Parure disappeared from public view for decades, leading many to think it had been sold.

The Ruby Earrings worn by Princess Irene with the Ruby Peacock Tiara and the Bourbon-Parma Tiara, continued to be worn and now belong to her daughter, Princess Margarita, Countess of Colorno,

After decades of speculation, Princess Máxima wore the Ruby Peacock Tiara with the Mellerio Ruby Necklace for the Return Gala during the Swedish State Visit to The Netherlands in 2009, and it was also worn for a State Visit to Oman a few years ago.

Queen Beatrix had worn the Brooch of the Parure for events from the 1980s, but she only debuted the Ruby Peacock Tiara at Queen Margrethe’s 70th Birthday Gala in 2010, and it was also worn for one of her final Official Portraits as Queen.

Queen Máxima wore the Brooch of the Ruby Peacock Parure with the Mellerio Ruby Tiara for her first Official Portrait released ahead of the Inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, and the following year the Ruby Peacock Tiara was worn for a State Visit to Poland, followed by another appearance in 2015 during a State Visit to Canada.