Queen Camilla’s 488-diamond ‘Kokoshnik’ tiara and the 365 women who paid for it
The Royal Family rolled out the red carpet for Qatar’s state visit on Tuesday, greeting the country’s Amir on Horse Guards Parade before a reception at Buckingham Palace with King Charles, Prince William, and Princess Kate.
During the evening, the royal pageantry stepped up a gear, with Britain and Qatar’s royals donning their finest jewels and gowns for a State Banquet. Speaking at the glitzy banquet, King Charles said: “The United Kingdom is proud to be Qatar’s oldest friend in the Western world. We have a special bond founded on mutual respect which has stood the test of time.”
Perhaps the most bejewelled banquet attendee was Queen Camilla, who rocked the palace ballroom when she entered wearing a 488-diamond tiara, set in a timeless white and yellow gold. Known as the ‘Kokoshnik’ tiara, the stunning spiked headwear appears like a halo of diamonds and was a favourite of the late Queen, who wore it to many functions of state.
But Queen Elizabeth II was just the fourth monarch to wear it, as the piece was originally made for the Princess and later Queen Alexandra in 1888. Oddly, for the most expensive tiara in the Royal Collection, it was crowdfunded by a group of 365 women known as the “Ladies of Society”.
At that moment in the late Victorian era, then Princess of Wales Alexandra was celebrating her silver wedding anniversary with her husband, later King Edward VII. Royal jewellery historian Lauren Kiehna has described this important milestone as a major occasion when Britain’s aristocracy would be expected to give lavish and extravagant presents, in the hopes of currying favour.
However, this period also marked the start of the declining fortunes of the nation’s land-owning nobility, many of whom had started to marry rich American heiresses to prop up their estates. And yet, four prominent women in society found a way to save face and their family’s honour, forming a committee to raise funds for an extraordinary tiara.
