I have a confession to make. I have finally found the beauty in one of the most famous royal jewels of the 20th century. The aquamarine tiara created in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II has never been a favourite but now that the chance to see it up close has come around, the real prettiness of the piece is obvious.
The tiara, known rather clunkily as the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara, is now on show in London for the first time ever. It's part of the exhibition marking the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II which is on at The King's Gallery through the spring and summer. Called Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, it's a retrospective of her 96 years and historic reign through the prism of her clothes and jewels. In fact, the jewels might be the most telling aspect of the look back at her reign as they were the symbols of her royal status. And this tiara was how Queen Elizabeth II chose to tell that status herself.
It was one of a number that she added to the royal collection after she became queen and it's easily the biggest of her creations. It was first made in 1957, soon after the start of her reign, and it looked slightly different. Queen Elizabeth II had been given aquamarines as a present for the Coronation by the people of Brazil (well, why not?) and she chose to have them modelled into a parure of jewels. As all queens know, a full parure needs a diadem and so Garrard and Co created one from the aquamarines. It was made of a bandeau, which is still part of the tiara, along with some ''toppers'' which is a royal word for an ornament that one sticks on ones basic tiara. Again, why not?
However, as Elizabeth II's reign progressed and her status grew, so did the size of the tiara. Having been given more aquamarines by Brazil (we've all defaulted to the go to gift we know works), the late Queen had the tiara expanded to its current form which includes extra diamond and aquamarine adornments on the bandeau so it forms a semi crown shape. And in the middle is an absolutely giant aquamarine that makes this one of the tallest tiaras in the royal collection. As it can only be worn by a queen, that seems fair.
It does also make it look a little unwieldy and I've never been a fan. Aquamarines are beautiful but in tiara form they do sometimes look just a little too pale and these corkers fall into that category. And this tiara just looks really rather too big. I'd put the Stuart Tiara from the Netherlands and the Braganca from Sweden in the same category. It looks like it could wobble. Of course, it never has. But more than anything, I do wonder if we have a certain image of royalty and more modern designs just don't suit tiaras.
However, seeing this one in more detail, thanks to the exhibition, is a bit of a game changer. Up close, it's very pretty and the work on the scrolls is exceptional. So maybe it can become a favourite. Either way, it's an historic gem and one of the ways Elizabeth II expressed her idea of queenship. It was diplomatic, regal and grew into majestic which is pretty much how she lived her reign. In some ways, it's the perfect symbol of her rule.
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