Princess Diana Spencer's Little Known Family Jewellery

Princess Diana passed away at the age of 36, with 15 of those years spent as the wife of a prince. Though not an extensive period, it proved sufficient for her legacy to endure and for conversations about her to persist to this day. In life, she embodied more than just her royal status, she was indeed the Queen of Hearts. Who could have foreseen back in 1981, as the young and radiant bride of the Prince of Wales walked down the aisle adorned with a tiara intricately patterned with hearts, that she would forever captivate the hearts of millions with her benevolent spirit. The uniqueness of this adornment lies in its origins, it was assembled from various components. The main part of the tiara was a wedding gift from Lady Cynthia Hamilton, Diana's grandmother, given by Lady Sarah Spencer in 1919 when Cynthia married Viscount Althorpe. The remaining elements of the tiara also belong to Lady Sarah's collection, dating back to the 1870s. In the 1930s, the jewellery house Garrard was tasked with transforming these pieces into a tiara for the Spencer family. Lady Di's wedding tiara, adorned with diamonds and featuring silver elements, initially did not exude such magnificence. It underwent enhancements in 1927 when it was sent for redesign by renowned English jewellers. Intricate swirls of stars and flowers were augmented with four additional floral motifs crafted from other diamond pieces belonging to the Spencers. Additionally, a diamond brooch was added to the dazzling tiara, received by Lady Cynthia Hamilton as a wedding gift from Lady Sarah Spencer in 1919. The brooch's second owner became Diana's grandmother, Lady Spencer. Once this precious centrepiece was incorporated into the elaborate headpiece, its transformation was complete. Another family heirloom is the honeysuckle tiara. Information circulating online suggests that the first owner of the accessory was Charlotte Seymour, who married the fifth Earl Spencer in 1858. One of the earliest depictions of Charlotte wearing the tiara, adorned with motifs of honeysuckle flowers and meanders, is considered to be a portrait published in The Graphic magazine in 1872. The publication noted, The Countess Spencer was dressed in a white satin gown adorned with pearl ornaments. Her head was crowned with a tiara encrusted with diamonds. The court lady's neck was adorned with a necklace of diamonds and pearls. Cynthia, the wife of the seventh Earl Spencer, decided to adorn herself with the ancestral tiara at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It is noteworthy that in the versions they wore, the diamond elements of the honeysuckle were at the same level as the meander, unlike future iterations of the accessory. Additionally, in Charlotte's version, there were five honeysuckle flowers at the front, whereas Cynthia's version had only three. At some point, the tiara transformed into a taller and more traditional diadem. It utilised rhomboid meander elements as its base, resembling the letter S. Meanwhile, nine diamond elements of honeysuckle were positioned above the geometric ornamentation. At the centre of the tiara's base, a single honeysuckle flower element was also placed. At the wedding of Lady Di and Prince Charles, the honeysuckle tiara sparkled with diamonds, adorning the high hairstyle of Countess Reign, the bride's stepmother. The most famous wearer of the accessory, of course, was Diana, Princess of Wales. However, she never wore it publicly. On the internet, one might encounter a photo of Diana in a tiara somewhat resembling the honeysuckle tiara. However, this is merely a montage, not an authentic photograph. It is also noteworthy that none of the wives of the current Earl Spencer utilised the family heirloom. Current Countess Spencer, Karen Villeneuve, expressed her views on the tiara in her blog, describing it as uncomfortable and practically impossible to wear. Another tiara belonging to the Spencer collection was Lady Delia Spencer's diamond tiara. A veritable anthem to the art of jewellery, it embodies refined geometry. It, too, became a wedding gift in 1914, presented by the 6th Earl Spencer to his daughter. Lady Delia's brother is the grandfather of Princess Diana. This transformative tiara consists of 800 large and smaller transparent crystals and can be converted into an extraordinary necklace. This masterpiece by the family's jewellers was also utilised during wedding festivities. For instance, the tiara adorned the hairstyle of the bride of the princess's nephew, Sandra Pohl. For unknown reasons, in 2016 the family heirloom was sold at auction for £70,000. Yet inexplicably a year later, the tiara resurfaced as a precious lot at another auction. Interestingly, it was advertised specifically as a royal accessory to drive up its value. Eventually, an undisclosed buyer acquired the item for a significantly more substantial sum of £180,000 sterling. Another tiara in the Spencer collection belonged to Reign, Countess Spencer, Diana's stepmother, and it had access to many splendid jewellery collections. However, this versatile tiara with pearls and diamonds was part of her personal jewellery collection. In 1976, Reign, Countess of Dartmouth, married the 8th Earl Spencer, becoming the stepmother, among others, to Diana, Princess of Wales, who dubbed her Acid Reign. Renovation and restoration of the family estate, Althorpe House, carried out by Countess Spencer, were equally unpopular among her stepchildren and nature conservationists. After the death of the Earl Spencer in 1992, the widowed Countess was evicted from Althorpe along with her designer clothes and trash bags, but she received an inheritance of £4 million sterling and a townhouse in Mayfair. In 1993, Countess Reign Spencer married Count Jean-Francois Pinton de Chambron, a marriage that lasted only until 1995, when Countess Jean-Francois Pinton de Chambron reverted to her former style of Reign, Countess Spencer. Towards the end of her life, the Countess reconciled with Diana, Princess of Wales, and was invited to her funeral, later being called to testify at the inquest into her death in 2007. Leading a high-profile life until the end, Reign Countess Spencer passed away in London in 2016. The tiara with large pearl buttons in an antique Victorian setting, which can be worn as a necklace, most likely originates from the collection of Lady Barbara Cartland, or was purchased from her Spencer inheritance since it was worn only by Reign Countess Spencer after the end of her three marriages. One of the first presentations of this item, as a necklace, took place at the Opera Ball in Vienna in 1998. In 2002, Countess Reign Spencer wore the pearl diamond tiara at a banquet in honour of Queen Margaret II of Denmark's return, hosted at the Natural History Museum in London during her state visit to the United Kingdom. The tiara was displayed at the but was soon sold to the Albion Art Collection, where it presumably remains to this day. Another tiara belonging to the Spencers is known as the Fermoy Tiara. Lady Fermoy was often depicted wearing this diamond tiara with columns of diamond-shaped leaves topped with round diamonds, which she particularly wore at the coming-out ball for her daughter, Honourable Frances Roche, in 1953, and at the Queen's Coronation the following month. She also wore the tiara at the Royal Caledonian Ball in 1959, while expecting the Queen Mother, and at a gala concert in 1968. In 1954, Lord and Lady Fermoy's eldest daughter, Honourable Cynthia Roche, wore the Fermoy Tiara when marrying Sir Anthony Berry. In the same year, her sister, Honourable Frances Roche, wore the tiara at her wedding to Viscount Althorp, heir to the Spencer Earldom, and they became the parents of Diana, Princess of Wales. The tiara was not publicly depicted on any subsequent Lady Fermoy or their daughters and daughters-in-law, but it likely still belongs to the family, who resides at Nethercote House. Aside from tiaras, there were other adornments, such as chokers. Diana was a huge fan of pearls, and her collection included dozens of different pearl ornaments. Take, for instance, the iconic sapphire and diamond choker that Lady Di complimented her revenge dress with. On her 18th birthday, Diana received a gift from her family, a triple-strand choker of small pearls with a floral element in the centre adorned with turquoise. Similar necklaces were also received by the Sisters of the Future Princess. Diana wore her favourite accessory several times, pairing it, for example, with a red dress with a lace collar in 1985, as well as a strict suit in 1994. Sometimes Diana hid the clasp at the back, leaving only three strands of pearls visible. Another equally famous piece is the pearl necklace. The history of the necklace dates back to 1613, when Elizabeth Stuart married Frederick V of the Palatinate. As a wedding gift, Elizabeth received three pearl pendants. The jewellery passed down to her son, the famous Prince Rupert, and later, in 1726, they were sold by his daughter Rupert to Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite of Queen Anne. Sarah remodelled the purchased jewellery into another necklace, combining pearls with diamonds given to her by Queen Anne. After her death in 1744, the necklace was inherited by her grandson John, the first Earl Spencer. The ornament was passed down in the Spencer family, and was first photographed on Charlotte Spencer Countess in the 1800s. Princess Diana appeared in this necklace only once in the 1980s. The jewellery was inherited by Lady Di, and after her demise, it was not spotted anywhere else. Which Spencer family adornment do you like the most? Share your comments.