Queen Fawzia’s Van Cleef & Arpels Tiara

Today marks the 105th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Fawzia of Egypt, who was born on this day in 1921! The stunning Egyptian Princess who became the first Queen of the last Shah of Iran, Princess Fawzia later returned to Egypt and became the oldest member of the deposed Muhammad Ali Dynasty residing in Egypt, so we are revisiting her Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Tiara!

Commissioned by the Egyptian Royal Family ahead of the Wedding of Princess Fawzia of Egypt and Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran in 1939, the glittering Van Cleef & Arpels Tiara features 54 pear-shaped diamonds and 530 baguette diamonds, with an elaborate Necklace and two pairs of earrings completing the suite.

The stunning Princess Fawzia first wore the Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace at for her Wedding Ceremony with Crown Prince Muhammad Reza Pahlavi at the Abdeen Palace in Cairo.

The Van Cleef & Arpels Tiara was worn by Princess Fawzia during her lavish wedding festivities in Cairo and Tehran in 1939, hosted by her brother, King Farouk, and father-in-law, Shah Reza Pahlavi.

A couple of years later, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi acceded to the Throne, and this glittering piece was the main Tiara of the new Queen Fawzia, who notably wore it for a series of striking portraits.

However, the marriage did not last and due to depression and health problems, Queen Fawzia returned to Egypt in 1945, with the divorce finalizing in 1948. The Van Cleef & Arpels Tiara returned to Egypt with her and was frequently worn at the glittering Egyptian Court.

The demoted Princess Fawzia was one the leading ladies of the Egyptian Court, acting as First Lady after the divorce of her brother and the banishment of her mother, even after her second marriage to a commoner, and continued to don her spectacular Tiara for grand occasions.

Even more frequently, Princess Fawzia wore the Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Necklace, including for the Wedding of King Farouk of Egypt and 17-year-old Narriman Sadek at the Abdeen Palace in Cairo in 1951.

After the Egyptian monarchy was deposed in 1953, as personal property the Van Cleef & Arpels Tiara was retained by Princess Fawzia, unlike many other royal jewels which were confiscated by the State. While Princess Fawzia’s Van Cleef & Arpels Earrings are now in the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection after her passing in 2013, the fate of the Tiara and Necklace is not known.