Queen Wilhelmina’s wedding gift tiara was part of a parure presented to her on the occasion of her wedding to Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The diamond and sapphire tiara was made around 1900 by Vita Israel and Hoeting, a Dutch company. The parure consisted of the tiara, a necklace and two bracelets. In total, it includes more than 800 diamonds and sapphires, and it was set in white gold. It had a large diamond set in the centre, said to have come from the Golconda mine in India, which is known to have produced the Hope Diamond and the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.
The large tiara was only ever worn by Queen Wilhelmina. Her daughter, Queen Juliana, had it taken apart in 1962, and new pieces were created for her daughters.
One such item is a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings, famously worn by Queen Maxima during her husband’s inauguration in 2013. The bracelets were not dismantled and were worn by Princess Beatrix on the same occasion.1
Be the first to comment