Queen Azizah’s Art Deco Diamond Tiara

Happy Birthday to Queen Azizah of Pahang, the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, who turns 66 today! The beloved Johor Princess who became the inspirational Tengku Ampuan of Pahang and served as the XVI Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia, our friend Queen Azizah has a splendid jewellery collection, which includes this Art Deco Diamond Tiara!

Shortly after Tunku (Princess) Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah of Johor married the Tengku Mahkota (Crown Prince) Pahang in 1986, the new Crown Princess of Pahang acquired this Art Deco Diamond Tiara, which was created in the 1920s.

Queen Azizah told us that she notably wore the Art Deco Diamond Tiara for the Enthronement of the Sultan of Perak as the 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in 1989, and while we can see her wearing her Diamond Lozenge Bandeau for the Ceremony, we have been unable to find images of the Art Deco Tiara being worn for that evening’s Banquet. A picture of the Tiara being worn on that occasion can be found in a book on Malay Royalty but neither Queen Azizah nor I have that in our possession.

Several decades later, Crown Princess Azziah wore the Art Deco Tiara as a Necklace with her Aquamarine Tiara for an official portrait at some point in the 2000s.

Over the years, the Art Deco Diamond Tiara has been frequently loaned to members of extended Pahang Royal Family, included Tunku Shazwan Kaiyisah for her wedding to Wan Putera Shahril in 2013, Putri Afzan Shakira at her wedding to Khairul Fahmy in 2015, and Tengku Shaheera when she married Dimash Serikov in 2017.

As a young girl, Princess Afzan wore the Art Deco Tiara for the Wedding of Tengku Nurul Kamalia to Dato Ahmad Najmi in 2008.

The Art Deco Diamond Tiara was worn by Princess Iman when she married Tengku Abu Bakar Ahmad Bin Almarhum Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Abdullah in 2018.

Princess Jihan wore the Art Deco Tiara for the Installation of her parents as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) and Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia in 2019, along with the same outfit which Queen Azizah had worn for her own parent’s Installation in 1984.

Most recently, the Art Deco Diamond Tiara was worn by Tengku Natasya Puteri Tengku Adnan for the Istiadat Bersanding Ceremony at the Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan on the third day of her Wedding to Prince Muhammad Iskandar Ri’ayatuddin Shah of Pahang, Tengku Arif Bendahara.

The previous evening, I had seen the Art Deco Tiara when I visited the Istana Abdulaziz to identify Queen Azizah’s Diamond Bandeau as Queen Mary’s ‘lost’ Diamond Lozenge Bandeau. There is no doubt we will see the Art Deco Diamond Tiara worn for years to come!