Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the Death of the Hon. Fenella Bowes-Lyon, who passed away on this day in 1966! The daughter of Lord Clinton who married the son of the Earl of Strathmore and became the mother of a Danish Princess as well as the sister-in-law of a Queen, today we are featuring the Clinton Tiara!
But first, let’s learn about the Hon. Fenella Bowes-Lyon! The daughter of Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton and Lady Jane McDonnell, she married the Hon. John Bowes-Lyon, the second son of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck, in 1914. The couple had five children, among them the future Princess Anne of Denmark as well as Nerissa and Katherine, who were mentally-disabled. Following her husband’s death in 1930, the Hon. Mrs John Bowes-Lyon remained at the centre of the Strathmore Family and High Society, especially after her sister-in-law became Queen Elizabeth. She passed away in 1966.
We have been unable to find any images of this particular Tiara being worn and are instead featuring press reports ahead to its dramatic theft.
The exact origin of the Tiara, nor its design is known, but it was an heirloom belonging to the 21st Baroness Clinton, the daughter of the Earl of Antrim, and dated from the first half of the 19th century.
In 1934, the Tiara was loaned by the then Lady Clinton to her elder daughter, the Hon. Mrs. Henry Fane, for the Coming Out Ball of her daughter, Miss Charmian Fane.
The first important debutantes’ party of this year was the coming-out dance of Lord Clinton’s grand-daughter, Miss Charmian Fane, given by her mother, the Hon. Mrs. Henry Fane. Miss Fane, sacrificing freedom and comfort for old-world grace, wore a train. Her frock was of gold, with a high neck, and a gold belt lined with red velvet. Her mother wore a black velvet gown, with a very full tulle overskirt, and a charming little cape of the two fabrics. She also wore a family diamond tiara, lent her by Lady Clinton. Well known hostesses giving dinner parties for the dance included the Hon. Lady Morrison-Bell, Lady Mainwaring, Freda Countess of Listowel, and the Hon. Mrs. Richard Bethell.
Lady Clinton’s Tiara was worn the following year by her younger daughter, the Hon. Mrs John Bowes-Lyon, for the Coming Out Ball of her daughter, Anne Bowes- Lyon, at Lady Strathmore’s House in Eaton Square.
The dance given by the Hon. Mrs John Bowes-Lyon for the coming-out of her daughter, Miss Anne Bowes- Lyon, at Lady Strathmore’s Eaton Square house, was the occasion for a great gathering of the Bowes-Lyon family. The only absentees were Lord and Lady Strathmore themselves. As Lady Strathmore has just recovered from a slight illness it was considered unwise for her to travel up to the Town, and Lord Strathmore preferred to remain with her
Their three daughters–Lady Elphinstone, the eldest, Lady Rose Leveson-Gower, and the Duchess of York–were dinner hostesses for the dance. Lord and Lady Glamis also gave a dinner-party, at which the guests included their debutante daughter, Nancy. The Hon. David Bowes-Lyon, the youngest member of the family, was at the party with his wife.
Miss Anne Bowes-Lyon wore a real debutante’s dress of white tulle with a frill round the neck, a frilly skirt, and a silver sash. Her mother wore black velvet and a tiara of diamonds and other jewels which were lent by her mother, Lady Clinton.
A few months later, a Hon. Mrs Bowes-Lyon was photographed wearing a Tiara at the Royal Caledonian Ball in London. There were no less than six Hon. Mrs Bowes-Lyon at that point so it is not known if that was Fenella Bowes-Lyon, but we will assume that for our illustrative purposes.
Over a decade later, the Hon. Mrs John Bowes-Lyon wore a Tiara, likely the one which belonged to her mother, Lady Clinton, for the Wedding Ball of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece at Buckingham Palace in 1947, hours before the Tiara and a Necklace were stolen from her London home.
The Hon. Mrs. J. Bowes-Lyon, sister-in-law of the Queen, wore a valuable tiara and necklace at party. Soon last night’s Palace afterwards, burglars took from her home jewellery worth £2.000- including the tiara and necklace. Miss Diana Bowes-Lyon will be a bridesmaid to-morrow.
The mother of one of Princess Elizabeth’s bridesmaids was robbed during the night of the tiara and necklace she wore at last night’s Buckingham Palace pre-wedding party.
Both the Hon. Mrs. J. Bowes-Lon, sister-in-law of the Queen, and her daughter, Miss Diana Boses-Lyon, who will be a bridesmaid, were asleep at their home in Charles-street, Mayfair, when the raid was made. The robbery was not discovered until the staff awakened to-day. Scotland Yard detectives were summoned and spent some time trying to discover how the burglars gained an entry as, at the moment there is no sign of any door or window having been forced. After the party at Buckingham Palace, Mrs. Bowes-Lyon and her daughter returned to the house and Mrs. Bowes-Lyon placed her jewellery in a drawer in her dressing-room. next door to her bedroom.
Mrs. Bowes-Lyon told me to-day the stolen jewels were worth been £2,000 and £3,000. “As far as we know, nothing else was taken.” added Mrs. Bowes-Lyon,
Print experts examined the house and particularly the room where the jewels were kept. it is understood, there is no clue yet to the identity of the burglars. The thieves unscrewed the lock of a drawer in a chest of drawers and took the jewellery, which included the diamond tiara and a pendant. They wrapped the jewels. which were family heirlooms- some of them had been in the family for more than 100 years- in a nightdress to carry them away.
It is not known if the Tiara was ever recovered but in the 1950s, Princess Anne of Denmark began wearing a Diamond Tiara of unknown provenance, which was later worn by her daughter-in-law, the Countess of Lichfield.
