They had no children, which bothered Hilda and really bothered her mother-in-law. Ble Maria tiara (Image credit: Chanel) But it is the Ble Maria tiara that gives these myriad of influences in a beautifully contemporary context. Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 2018 wedding, sources suggested the Duchess had her "heart set" on the Vladimir Kokoshnik tiara. It’s still there. Maybe that’s why Maria looks a little zonked in the photo above. Let that be a lesson to all those bridezillas out there, who stress over every detail about napkins and flowers and hair. They had six kids total, including one baby girl with Down syndrome. She left her formidable jewelry collection, including a diamond and emerald necklace made from stones once owned by Marie Antoinette, to the royal family. The kokoshnik was part of traditional Russian folk dress, along with the sarafan – a sort of jumper or pinafore with a blouse underneath. But behind the scenes, their personalities clashed. Only 1 available and it's in 2 people's carts. She and her husband were in a serious car accident in 1954, on the eve of her youngest sister’s wedding. It is the fine diamond tiara kokoshnik, above! The shock was enough to kill Antonia, who had never really recovered from the Nazi prison hospital. Boom. Similarly, museums and galleries occasionally purchase pieces to add to their existing collections.”. According to Radziwill, before the wedding, during a trip to Fiesole, Wilhelm kicked a dog on the street just to keep her from petting the dirty animal. It was created in 1907 or 1908 by the Baden court jeweler Hermann Schmidt-Staub. In 1917, Russia convulsed in revolution—twice. Even worse, his parents were ticked that, after all the blood and sweat and tears of World War II, he wanted to marry a German. When you’re in love, the details will fall into place. Elizabeth, nicknamed “Ella,” was born a princess of Hesse and by Rhine. The sixth duke, Gerald Grosvenor, was a billionaire who personally owned an assload of London real estate in Belgravia and Mayfair. These diadem-shaped tiaras became part of the official court dress for royalty and ladies-in-waiting. Balkan history has more violence, treachery, and murder than The Sopranos and Game of Thrones put together. The flowers are forget-me-nots set on a background of blue pliqué-a-jour enamel. He contacted Cecilie Viktoria, who met him at the train station. In 1908—after Sergei’s assassination but before the revolution—Ella had given this tiara to her niece and foster daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. It contains 367 diamonds set in platinum and yellow gold (Scarisbrick). Alexandra knew the gift was coming, though—she’d specifically requested the kokoshnik shape. “We see a variety among our tiara buyers, but primarily they are private individuals who are purchasing a tiara for the first time, usually for a wedding,” says Lingon. But she may have thought it, because she moved to England and never returned to Yugoslavia. Tiara Mania is a blog about tiaras (obviously)! Grand Duchess Elizaveta Mikhailovna of Russia. This classic diamond tiara was inspired by a kokoshnik owned by Queen Alexandra's beloved sister, Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia. It is not only blindingly beautiful but it has a rich history. These tiaras were actually a clever piece of marketing for a royal family that was, in terms of … Yes, she did, and it’s a fantastic story. It could happen: Chanel High Jewelry showed two new kokoshnik-shaped tiaras for sale at their most recent presentation in Paris. Margaret Greville was a legendary hostess who married well, spent well, and was widowed early. Also, we need to have a little talk about warning signs and which direction you should run when you see them. During World War I, they kept themselves busy with fighting (him) and nursing (her). “It’s quite a fender, a literal wall of diamonds. Das Victorianische Collier mit Saphiren ist ebenfalls Teil der Familien-Collection der Westminsters. This striking diamond and aquamarine tiara was originally part of the Russian imperial jewelry collection. That is, until the Wittelsbach family sold some of those jewels in 1931, but that’s a story for another post. A Hohenzollern princess, born and raised in the lap of luxury, gave no fucks and arranged her wedding in ten damn days. It was a gift for her 25th wedding anniversary, presented by a group of British noblewomen. That tiara is in the style of a kokoshnik, so I thought I’d explain what that means and show you a few examples. The museum has a permanent collection of Faberge items from the McFerrin Fabergé Collection, the largest private collection of Fabergé items in the world (600+ items). Bad idea. Since this is as close to a happy-ever-after as we’re gonna get, I’m going to end this post here. Fun fact: since Sergei was Nicholas’s uncle, that made Ella not only Alexandra’s sister, but her aunt by marriage. Later, Shelagh remarried to an RAF officer. See? The kokoshnik gave its name to the decorative corbel arch that became a distinctive element of traditional Russian architecture from 16th century onwards (see kokoshnik architecture). ¹ Munn, Tiaras, 271. Without further ado, here are five kokoshnik tiaras and the amazing women who wore them. But it just wasn’t possible. One look was all it took for them both to know—this was love. The buyers weren't just jewel collectors -- they were the Romanian royal family. Little sis Daisy didn’t do too badly, either—she married a super-rich German prince and befriended Kaiser Wilhelm II. Cecilie was a fantastically beautiful fashion plate with an instinctive knack for PR who took German society by storm. Together, they fled the Bolshevik revolution with an old Swedish ID document of hers. Shelagh’s father’s family had a noble background—they were descended from the Earl de la Warr (Delaware). Click or tap here. Cecilie ran away, intending to leave him. This tiara is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science – at least it was as recently as summer of 2018. No time to read a long-ass post, no matter how interesting it is? Part of the beauty of a kokoshnik tiara is just saying the name out loud. But when Clyde’s fiancée broke it off, Cecilie Viktoria was the one to comfort him. It contains a total of 280 brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum and gold. Her husband wasn’t allowed back until 1923. Kokoshnik Tiaras Go Viral. If you feel as if you have heard the term kokoshnik more recently than pre-revolutionary Russia, you are correct. Shelagh and the first duke’s grandson, nicknamed Bendor, were childhood sweethearts. “Don’t do it,” she said. But like everything else in this story, that marriage went to hell in a handbasket, ending in divorce in 1914. In 1917, while living in Tsarskoe Selo with the abdicated tsar and his family, she reconnected with a man she’d known as a child—the son of the palace commandant, a man named Prince Sergei Putiatin. "The kokoshnik is a traditional Russian head ornament that is broad and high on the forehead. He thought Rupprecht and Antonia were part of that conspiracy (they weren’t). Make of this what you will. The Cyrillic alphabet? Alexandra was a Danish princess, born into a relatively poor family (for royalty). Maria’s brother, Dmitri, was having an affair with her—but it wasn’t total bliss. This poor guy had no crown, no country, and nowhere to go. These cookies do not store any personal information. Made by Boucheron in 1919, the sparkling piece was left to the Queen Mother by … This Maria was born a princess of Romania, with the adorable nickname of “Mignon.” In 1922, she married King Alexander of Yugoslavia, who gave her Ella’s emerald tiara as a wedding present. Five bucks says he was getting handsy in the hallway before being announced: Here’s another image of the queen in this tiara, from a 2005 visit to Canada: Here’s an example of a kokoshnik tiara that’s filled in with stamped silverwork and set with gems. "The design was inspired by a much admired tiara belonging to Alexandra’s sister, Minnie, also known as the mighty Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia," he says. Die hochschwangere Britin starb mit nur 38 Jahren an den Folgen einer Blutvergiftung. They don’t make enough Aveda volumizing tonic in the world to get my hair to do that. The tiara stayed in the family. Apr 24, 2014 - Pearls, Diamonds & Platinum 'Halo' Tiara by Cartier, which is really a kokoshnik. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Platinum Chaumet Kokoshnik with blue enamel | from the Collection of the Duke of Westminster. Hilda kept this tiara and wore it to a bunch of the family events she attended during the long years of exile, including King Gustav of Sweden’s 80th birthday party in 1938. Clyde Harris was stationed there to catalog the castle’s artwork and other valuables. I said woodworking. The top and bottom of the frame feature diamond laurel motifs, with smaller diamonds standing at attention, evenly spaced along the top of the frame. Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, she hid the document in a bar of soap, then flashed it at the Ukrainian border to get them the hell out of Dodge. Not anymore. In the meantime, he and Antonia maintained a royal standard of living that included the Bavarian crown jewels. When the Third Reich attacked, Yugoslavia lasted all of a week. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It includes bacon, if that helps. But Alix had a lot more going for her that had nothing to do with her husband. Wait, what? This tiara was worn by Princess Louise, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Watch a Tiara Be Transformed into a Necklace, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. your own Pins on Pinterest If royalty had a family fit to star in Punk’d, this is it. Non-book sources (like web articles and online auction information) are all cited and linked within the text. I can’t imagine this tiara was much comfort to Editha, having lost her mother and the man she loved. It was … Click here to find out how much it sold for. The fashion really caught on in the mid-late 19th century, after jewelers adopted this traditional shape to make tiaras for the Russian imperial family. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Meghan Wore a Favorite Necklace for Her Interview, 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Harry Winston, The Best Jewelry from the 78th Golden Globes, Elle Fanning Wears Gucci at the Golden Globes, Lorraine Schwartz's Change-Making New Project, The Rarest Pearl of All? Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna’s Tiara, Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden’s stolen tiara, super-famous painting of Ivan the Terrible. Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara: This Russian style tiara, including 488 brilliants, was a present from the Ladies of Society to mark the silver wedding anniversary of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (then Prince and Princess of Wales) in 1888. The uniquely Russian style has its origins in traditional folk dress. She made it to the last train station on German soil before the Swiss border…then the army caught up with her and brought her back to Wilhelm. In a previous post, I talked about Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden’s stolen tiara. On his way to exile, Prince Paul facepalmed and was all, “Goddamn it, you guys, I told you that’s what would happen.”, Prince Paul facepalmed and was all, “Goddamn it, you guys, I told you that’s what would happen.”. Turns out, there’s a lot of confusion online between the shamrock tiara and the tiara above. Why was Meghan Markle denied the Vladimir tiara? She gave up her position in society, along with her beautiful clothes and jewels, and founded the Order of Saints Martha and Mary. When 50,000 people showed up at his funeral, Hitler freaked the fuck out and banned all Hohenzollern princes from fighting at the front. But all was not well in the Westminster marriage. When Hilda died in 1952, she left this tiara to her niece, born Princess Antonia of Luxembourg. Wait, what? It is not only blindingly beautiful but it has a rich history.". Princess Eugenie wore a Kokoshnik tiara to her wedding and a new Chanel collection has brought the Russian style back into the spotlight. These tiaras were actually a clever piece of marketing for a royal family that was, in terms of bloodline, way more German than Russian. Diana Scarisbrick,who wrote the Christie’s lot essay when it came up for auction, describes it as “combining Russian grandeur with Parisian elegance” (Christie’s). It was auctioned off by Sotheby’s on May 14, 2019. In addition to proving to the world that the royal family still owned the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik, Princess Eugenie's wedding also brought the term back into the lexicon. Please be advised that our site is open 24/7, 365. When Mary died in 1953, she left it to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Here they are in 1935, about the time they realized shit was going to hit the fan: In 1944, a group of German nobles tried to assassinate Hitler. "She was often painted and photographed wearing a tiara of solid diamond bars in the sunray shape of a peasant’s headdress. “It’s the most extraordinary diamond halo—and I love that Queen Elizabeth loves to wear it. Alexander made changes that pissed a lot of people off. The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara is a similar shape and style to the Diamond Bandeau headpiece that the Duchess of Sussex wore for her wedding day in 2018. Luckily, he was filthy rich before his settlement with the Prussians, so Hilda was still a catch on the marriage market. It’s shaped like a halo, widest above the forehead and a little narrower at the sides. Tiara lovers, take note — kokoshniks are making a comeback. The arched top frame anchors a series of symmetrically draped garlands with diamond drops hanging between each. The kokoshnik-shaped tiara is one of Letizia's favourites and she has worn it frequently since her wedding. So they waited until Bendor’s grandfather kicked the bucket, then they swapped rings in 1901. Nobody puts Baby (read: Hitler) in a corner, least of all a deposed dynasty no one was supposed to like anymore. Join my mailing list and get a free PDF with four tiara stories. One is a diamond and pearl kokoshnik called the … I started it in 2011, after several years of collecting information just for myself. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The collection, known as “Le Paris Russe de Chanel,” suggests Coco Chanel’s Russian ties—the designer was deeply enthralled with Sergei Diaghilev, and also reportedly with one Grand Duke Dimitri, first cousin of the last Czar. She lived in Italy with her husband, a man she’d met during their quasi-exile in the run-up to World War II. Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to Holland, but Cecilie was allowed to stay in Germany with her kids, where she adapted to life as a private citizen. Take, for example, Alexandra’s sister—she became Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia. Like Cheap Trick, he wanted them to want him. By re-using a design from folk tradition, it’s like the Russian royals were saying, “Hey you, peasant—we wear kokoshniks, too. But although some of her tiaras, including the famous Vladimir Tiara, were sold off after the family had gone into exile, this sapphire kokoshnik was the tiara that MP the Elder used to buy her way out of Russia as many of her family members were being murdered by the Bolsheviks. But Rupprecht had no intention of declaring himself the new kaiser—he wanted the people to do it for him. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Yes. Weirdly enough, the buyer was yet another duke of Westminster. Set into the frame are diamonds and seven domed emerald cabochons. Bendor was more conservative and didn’t like the expensive and frivolous lifestyle Shelagh and Daisy were so well known for. It was thought to be part of the royal treasury since being gifted to The Queen Mother by Margaret Greville. The Kokoshnik Tiara was presented to Alexandra, Princess of Wales, as a 25th wedding anniversary gift in 1888 by Lady Salisbury on behalf of 365 peeresses of the United Kingdom. It is a literal wall of diamonds. She loved painting and woodworking and photography. It first belonged to Alexandra, Princess of Wales. It’s literally a wall of diamonds. Hitler’s paranoia kicked into high gear. Watch as the diamond kokoshnik tiara is transformed into a necklace! Later, when her father became King Christian IX of Denmark, they got a serious lifestyle upgrade. A Russian-inspired 2019 Chanel haute joaillerie collection contained not one but two kokoshnik tiaras. “He loved me most,” Alix said later (Fryer et al, 64) . Alexandra received hers as a silver wedding present from a group of aristocratic women. Antonia never returned to Germany and died in Switzerland in 1954. Three short months later, they were engaged. Here’s a Russian icon of Our Lady of Kazan from the 19th century: The earliest versions of kokoshniks were covered with fabric and tied on with ribbons at the side. Jul 10, 2014 - This Pin was discovered by Gladys Abo. The tiara was apparently a last-minute choice for Victoria's wedding; in the press release sent out by the royal court detailing the history of the jewels worn by the king’s sister, Margaretha was noted as wearing the Baden Fringe Tiara. Your guess is as good as mine. Plus get occasional news from me, including royal history discoveries, and Grand Duchess Louise of Baden’s meatloaf recipe. This tiara consists of 61 platinum bars that hold 488 diamonds (Field). Mae West, 40’s. This tiara’s frame is made of gold and silver, traced with geometric patterns. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Vilma Banky in The Eagle, 1925. “Don’t do it,” Queen Victoria said. Bowing to immense internal pressure from Serbia, the largest ethnic and territorial component of Yugoslavia, Paul allied with Hitler. Here’s an example of a kokoshnik tiara that’s filled in with latticework anchored between the top and bottom of the frame. On October 12, 2018 Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik. Dolores del Rio 1922. But none of them lost their unique ability to laugh, have fun, and play practical jokes on each other. On your head. (This is why we have kokoshnik tiaras today, kids!) This tiara was most likely made by Fabergé. Emerald tiara Gold and Green tiara Rhinestones tiara Victorian art deco headpiece Pagent prom kokoshnik tiara Emerald green wedding crown WeddingTiaraShop. It was in especially heavy rotation in the 1960s. They’re extremely similar, but the quatrefoils in the lattice face different directions and the laurel leaves in the top and bottom frames are stylistically different. If you’ve seen the Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie, you know the deal. Yeah, that’s right. If there were ever going to be a restoration, some thought Rupprecht would win out over a Hohenzollern thanks to his experience in the army. Here are 5 drool-worthy examples and their stories. In 1918, the Bolsheviks arrested her and took her to Alapayevsk with seven friends and family members. Later, in Paris, Maria opened a Russian embroidery shop called Kitmir to make ends meet. They had three daughters, one of whom she named Antonia, after her mom. Say it with me now…aww. Let that be a lesson to all those bridezillas out there, who stress over every detail about napkins and flowers and hair. The space in the middle is empty, and there are stylized decorative motifs connecting the top and bottom of the frame. Who showed up to place an order but Coco Chanel! Although it’s unsigned, Fabergé almost certainly created this tiara, a natural choice when you have as much Russian ancestry as Cecilie. Ella thought the Bolsheviks would ignore her because she was a nun. Cecilie Viktoria and her mother had fled there from Potsdam to escape the approaching Soviet army in 1945. The whereabouts of Minnie’s tiara is unknown, but it likely was dismantled after the revolution. Adapted for Imperial glamor, gilded, gem-encrusted, this time, the variety used traditionally by unmarried women was worn by both unmarried and married women, showing the front part of the hair, with a translucent veil falling down the back. So, you may have noticed that I said Alexander’s dad had murdered the previous king of Serbia…but I described Alexander as the king of Yugoslavia. But Ella was the first to marry into the Romanov clan. They have since removed the cabochon emeralds and replaced them with paste stones. But thanks to the ingenuity of designers like Cartier, Bolin, and Schmidt-Staub, the simple kokoshnik can look very different. Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, she hid the document in a bar of soap, then flashed it at the Ukrainian border to get them the hell out of Dodge. In addition to a sense of humor, they also had a knack for landing thrones. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. They met at Wolfsgarten, the Hesse family’s hunting lodge. The Emerald tiara was a part of the treasure trove. In 1978, he had bought the Bagration tiara for his new wife, Natalia (who has a humdinger of a story about her ancestors – we’ll cover that one in a future post). ", Selva also points to the Westminster diamond and blue enamel kokoshnik by Chaumet: “it’s an exquisite jeweled interpretation of the Russian traditional fabric headdress and its ornamentation. Although the Bavarian royal family, the Wittelsbachs, also lost their titles in the 1918 revolution, Rupprecht remained a political force thanks to the deep loyalty of the Bavarian army. But in 1918, as part of the post-World-War-I garbage fire cleanup process, Serbia was folded into a new country called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, otherwise known as Yugoslavia.