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Camilla’s mysterious tiara was a gift from the Queen but the Duchess of Cornwall has never been seen wearing it. In fact, the Teck Crescent Tiara hasn’t been seen in public since before World War II.
The beautiful jewel was owned by Princess Mary Adelaide, the Duchess of Teck, and was given to the Queen’s grandmother, Queen Mary.
The unique piece was created from other jewels Princess Mary Adelaide already had making this a priceless diadem.
With a row of 20 diamond crescents around three diamond-set roses, the tiara also features a slim band of diamonds as a base.
The Queen Mother donned the Teck Crescent Tiara many times but it appears Queen Elizabeth didn’t favour it as she never wore it for any public appearances.
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Her Majesty gave it to the Duchess of Cornwall as a long-term loan after her wedding to Prince Charles, but Camilla hasn’t used it yet.
Eddie LeVian, CEO of celebrity jeweller Le Vian, commented: “The Teck Crescent tiara is a jewel brimming with royal history.
“The first person to wear it was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was the granddaughter of one King (George III) and the grandmother of two Kings (Edward VIII and George VI).
“Today the tiara consists of a row of 20 diamond crescents hugging three diamond-set roses, with a slim band of diamonds at its base.
“The tiara has some flexibility in the way it can be worn – the crescents on the tiara can be worn facing backwards or forwards.
“Other wearers include Queen Mary as well as the Queen Mother. In more recent years the Queen has loaned this tiara to the Duchess of Cornwall ever since her wedding to Prince Charles.”
The Court Jellewerer said: “We got to see wonderful photographs of the piece in Hugh Roberts’s book, but alas, it’s sitting in the vaults right now. Here’s hoping we get to see this heirloom get an airing someday soon!”
However, the Duchess prefers other stunning pieces she owns, such as the Greville or the Delhi Durbar tiara.
Camilla favours the Greville tiara and she has donned it a few times during her time in the Royal Family.
It is a stunning piece that was passed to the Queen Mother in 1942 by the Hon. Mrs Greville.
It became one of the Queen Mother’s favourites pieces and she wore it many times during her lifetime.
Gemologist Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s Posh Pawn, Alexandra Michell, said about the Greville tiara: “This exceptional diadem was created by Boucheron, the Parisian luxury jewellery house in 1921 and it is no surprise that it became one of The Queen Mother’s favourite pieces.
“Camilla is often seen wearing the piece to important occasions and it is reported to be one of her favourite pieces to wear albeit it remains in the royal collection and is on ‘long term loan’ to the Duchess.
“Interestingly, Camilla’s grandmother, Sonia Keppel, was Dame Margaret Greville’s goddaughter.
“A difficult piece to put a value but set in platinum with its numerous stunning diamonds and given the fact it is a Boucheron piece, I would estimate it to be in the region of £2million to 3million.”
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