The Strathmore tiara was given to then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon by her father, Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, upon her marriage to the then Duke of York in 1923. It was purchased from Catchpole and Williams.
The tiara is formed as a garland of roses, and it came with two alternative frames. One frame was invisible to allow the tiara to be worn as a bandeau over the brow. The other was a padded frame for traditional wear. The tiara could also be dismantled into five individual brooches, which were originally also interchangeable with five single-collet sapphires.
The Duchess of York liked to wear this piece low across her brow, as was stylish in the 1920s.
The tiara was inherited by her daughter upon her death in 2002. This was also the year that it was on display in the Tiaras exhibition at the V&A Museum. However, it’s been a long time since it has been worn.1
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