The Delhi Durbar Tiara

In 1911, George V and Queen Mary set off for Dehli, to attend a Durbar (a ceremonial gathering) in their honour as Emperor and Empress of India. A magpie, Queen Mary took the opportunity to splash out on jewels, and a parure of diamonds and emeralds was presented. Garrard crafted the parure, which included a necklace, stomacher, earrings and a brooch. But today we’ll be focusing on the real gem of the parure- The Dehli Durbar Tiara. According to the Royal Collection, the tiara “takes the form of a tall circlet of lyres and S-scrolls, linked by festoons of rose and brilliant-cut diamonds.” The top row of the tiara was originally set with ten of the Cambridge emeralds, but were dismantled in 1922. The year after the Durbar, the tiara was modified to hold the two Lesser Stars of Africa- the Cullinan III and IV Diamonds. Cullinan III would have been hung at the top of the jewel (where there is a small space) and Cullinan IV in the oval space below.

Above, Queen Mary is pictured wearing the original version of the tiara with the Cambridge emeralds with no Cullinans. The next picture shows her wearing the tiara in all its Cullinan glory, with both diamonds set, whilst the Queen Mother wears it with only Cullian IV attached. Queen Mary lent the tiara to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth for the 1947 South African Tour. There are virtually no other photos of the Queen Mother wearing the tiara during her lifetime, even though it was in her possession until her death in 2002.

In 2005, The Queen lent the tiara to the Duchess of Cornwall, who wore it at a State Banquet. I think women with a grand presence really highlight this whopper, and Queen Mary, the Queen Mother and the Duchess of Cornwall all have it. It suits Camilla’s big hair, and looks just right for her. For example, Kate wouldn’t be able to pull this piece off- she’s too dainty. All in all, it is an overwhelming piece, but if the right woman wears it, nothing really screams State Banquet!! more than this one.