Duchess of Cambridge's Lover's Knot tiara Archived Message
Posted by Beth  on June 26, 2016, 2:09 am, in reply to "Re: Kent amethyst parure which Queen Victoria left to the Crown-- Is there a tiara?"
The painting of the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal in 1858 shows that the Duchess of Cambridge was wearing her Lover's Knot tiara, (which Mauriz recognised in the 2014 discussion http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/archive/1409233888.html )
Detail from the painting
The press described the Duchess' jewels as -
This provides us with documentary and visual proof that, contrary to what L Field claims on page 113, the tiara was not given to the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz as a wedding present in 1843.
The Duchess of Cambridge continued to wear her diamond and pearl tiara frequently. The size of the pearls was frequently commented upon in the press, and one report in the Illustrated London News 8 May 1852 called the tiara magnificent.
The Duchess of Cambridge died in 1889 and it was either then, or perhaps earlier, that her daughter, Augusta, was given this tiara.
On the surface, it would appear that Augusta ended up with the more significant jewels (the Lover's knot tiara and the Cambridge sapphire parure) This may partially be explained by a codicil the Duchess of Cambridge made to her will in 1883. At the time the Tecks were seriously in debt and the Duchess of Cambridge, her son the Duke and her daughter, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz lent the Tecks considerable sums. The Duchess of Cambridge noted that she had given them ten thousand pounds and hinted at more to come. She also noted that her other two children had given large sums. Aware that the Tecks had no way to repay these loans she directed that they should be taken into account in the disposition of her residuary estate and, if that was not sufficient, money was to be taken from an account the Duchess had established to provide for the Tecks' children.
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