Our countdown of your favorite tiaras continues with...
#8. The Portland Sapphire Tiara
Here’s a surprise entry to the list, and our first tiara without a royal wearer in its history. If you’re feeling wordy, you can call this baby the Portland Antique Sapphire, Diamond and Natural Pearl Tiara, but for heaven’s sakes I think a simple “Portland Sapphire Tiara” name will do for our purposes.
The Portland Sapphire Tiara |
The tiara worn by a Christie's employee. In related news, I think I just found my dream job. |
Left: Winifred, Duchess of Portland, wearing a different Portland tiara for the coronation of King Edward VII (she was Mistress of the Robes and a canopy bearer at the ceremony for Queen Alexandra). Right: the stomacher at auction.
About the only representation publicly known of a family member wearing the Portland Sapphire Tiara is a miniature of Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, wife of the 7th Duke, and Winifred's daughter-in-law. Ivy and her husband William had two daughters but no sons to inherit the dukedom. The title passed to William's third cousin (and has since died out due to lack of male heirs; the earldom of Portland lives on instead), but he made sure that the family fortune (including jewels) stayed with his eldest daughter, Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck.Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, when she was Marchioness of Titchfield |
Other Portland jewels from the same auction, and the ruby ring which garnered the highest price
It’s always sad to see pieces auctioned, but I doubt this tiara would have made our list without the auction publicity. Surely we wouldn’t have this many photos or details about it, so there’s that. And for the rest, we’ll just have to hope that someone is giving it a good home and hasn’t broken it up or something ghastly like that.Does this make your personal favorites list?
P.S.: The countdown resumes Monday!
Photos: Christie's/Getty Images