Lady Brabourne’s Art Deco Diamond Chain Tiara

Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the birth of Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Braboune, who was born OnThisDay in 1896! The daughter of the Marquess of Sligo who married the Governor of Bombay and the Governor of Bengal, and became the mother-in-law of Countess Mountbatten before passing away following the IRA attack which killed Earl Mountbatten, today we are featuring Lady Brabourne’s Art Deco Diamond Chain Tiara!

Brabourne Tiara | Art Deco Diamond Chain Tiara | Diamond Earrings

Around 1925, Lady Brabourne commissioned a series of magnificent jewels alongside the Brabourne Tiara, which included a convertible Art Deco Diamond Chain Sautoir set with rows of emerald.

An Impressive Pair of Art Deco Diamond and Emerald Double Clip Brooches, of geometric design, dividing to form two small pairs one of which forms a brooch, each pave-set diamond openwork shield with a tringular emeralds and diamond collet centre with diamond collet and emeralds, ca 1925. 7,3cm.

An Art Deco Diamond and Emerald Choker and Earrings, designed as a series of calibre cut emerald and pave set diamond central bombe section to pave-set diamond buckle connections, with a pair of pendant earrings en suite with baguette-cut diamond detail made in 1925, 34cm long.

An Art Deco Diamond and Emerald Choker, the calibre cut emerald and pave-set diamond central bombe’ sections to pave’-set diamond buckle connections made in 1925.

An Art Deco Diamond and Emerald Choker and Pendant, the calibrecut emeralds and pave set diamond buckle connecitons, made in 1925 31ctm long, pendant 4,1cm wide.

The Art Deco Diamond Chain was worn with the Brabourne Tiara by Lady Brabourne for several Official Portraits taken during Lord Brabourne’s time as the Governor of Bombay and the Governor of Bengal, as well as for countless viceregal receptions.

In 1937, Lady Barbourne wore the Art Deco Diamond Chain as a Bandeau Tiara for a Reception at India House in London in the summer of 1937.

Lady Brabourne also wore elements of the Art Deco Sautoir as Brooches at the Wedding of her son, Lord Brabourne, to the Hon. Patricia Mountbatten (later the 2nd Countess Mountbatten) in 1946.

The Art Deco Diamond Bandeau Tiara was also worn by the later Countess Mountbatten (then Lady Brabourne) at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the wife of her first cousin, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In 1985, Mellisa Owen wore the Art Deco Diamond Bandeau Tiara for her wedding to Hon. Michael-John Ulick Knatchbull, the second son of Lord Brabourne and Countess Mountbatten.

The following year, the Brabourne Tiara was worn by the then Lady Romsey (now Countess Mountbatten) for a Banquet at the Guildhall in London.

Some parts of the suite were sold at Auction in 1971, the rest, which seems to have included the Chain which made up this Bandeau, in the 1990s, and the Brabourne Tiara was sold at Christie’s in 2002. A lot of the other jewels of Doreen, Lady Brabourne were sold at auction at Sothebys in 2021.