This Tiara Tuesday we are featuring the Diamond Fringe tiara, known as King George III Fringe Tiara, Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara or the Hanoverian Fringe Tiara, depending on who you ask. The different names stem from a bit of confusion about the origin of the tiara.
The tiara was originally made as a necklace in 1830 from brilliant cut stones that belonged to King George III. It was inherited by Queen Victoria and has passed as a Crown heirloom since then. Although still a necklace, Queen Victoria wore it as a tiara to the opera in 1839. Fringes are already difficult to tell apart so this helped create further confusion about the piece.
It was inherited by Queen Mary when she became Queen Consort in 1910. Queen Mary wore Queen Adelaide's fringe as a tiara until she decided to have a new one made up as a tiara. For the new tiara, she dismantled a necklace Queen Victoria gave her as a wedding present which had been purchased from Collingwood & Co. in 1893. Garrard handled the creation of the new tiara, which includes 47 diamond bars divided by smaller diamond spikes and can also be used as a necklace. Queen Mary gave the new tiara to Queen Elizabeth in 1936.
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Queen Elizabeth lent the tiara to her daughter, Elizabeth II, for her wedding day, then again to her granddaughter Princess Anne for her wedding day.
Apart from these weddings the tiara remained out of the public eye.
However, after Queen Elizabeth's death, Queen Elizabeth II brought it out for more public appearances.
