The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge’s daughter Princess Charlotte will most likely inherit a
treasure trove of jewels and accessories when she’s older, but one special
family heirloom that she could become the owner of is the exquisite Spencer
Tiara.
Her maternal grandmother Diana,
Princess of Wales famously wore the tiara on her wedding day in 1981,
after it was also worn by her older sisters Baroness Jane Fellowes and Lady
Sarah McCorquodale at their nuptials in 1978 and in 1980 respectively.
The tiara was inherited by
their father John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer in the mid-seventies and according
to Sotheby’s auction house, who are displaying the tiara in their
Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras exhibition in London this
week, the tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte.
The catalogue note reads:
“Having been worn by Princess Diana at her wedding, the Spencer Tiara is
one of the most famous diadems in modern history. The tiara is reported to have
been created originally in 1767 for Viscountess Montagu and remodelled by
Garrard in the 1930s: the central motif was purportedly gifted by Lady Sarah
Spencer to Viscountess Althorp, the grandmother of Princess Diana, in 1919,
after which further motifs were added, resulting in the design we see today.
“In the mid-1970s, John
Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, inherited the tiara. It was subsequently worn by
all three of his daughters at their wedding: Lady Jane in 1978; Lady Sarah in
1980; and finally Lady Diana the following year, in 1981. The tiara was most
recently worn by Celia McCorquodale – niece of the 10th Earl Spencer Charles –
at her wedding in the Spring of 2018. The Spencer Tiara is now set to be
inherited by Princess Charlotte.”
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Princess Diana wore the Spencer tiara on her wedding day
Diana looked stunning when she
wore the tiara on her wedding day to Prince Charles in July 1981. The headpiece
is designed in a garland style and features a central heart flanked by
continuous running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers.
It is set throughout with circular and rose-cut, cushion, and pear-shaped
diamonds, mounted in gold.
Sotheby’s exhibition will
feature over 40 British and European tiaras which have mainly been handed down
through families for generations and are seldom loaned for public display. The
exhibition will run from 28 May to 15 June (closed 5 June) at the auction
house’s London based on New Bond Street.
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Sotheby’s catalogue states Princess Charlotte will inherit the tiara
While the catalogue states
Charlotte will inherit the tiara, it is still in the possession of Diana’s
brother Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. Charles lives at the Spencer family
home Althorp House in Northamptonshire after inheriting the estate aged 27 as
the eldest male.
