Happy Tiara Tuesday! Today’s tiara is a more contemporary tiara, commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973 from Garrard & Co.
This is the Burmese Ruby Tiara, made with 96 rubies that were presented by the people of Burma to the Princess Elizabeth II upon her marriage to Prince Phillip in 1947. The number 96 is significant– the people of Burma traditionally believe that the human body can only hold up to 96 diseases at a time, so the 96 rubies are to protect the owner against diseases. The diamonds came from a tiara presented a wedding present, from the last ruling Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar.
Queen Elizabeth wanted this tiara to be more symbolic than just the Burmese rubies alone, so she had the rubies clustered to make the Rose of England, a mix of the White Rose of York (the diamonds) and the Red Rose of Lancaster (the rubies). These roses represent the two rival branches of the House of Plantagenet, who fought for control of the crown in a conflict called the Wars of the Roses.
The Burmese Ruby Tiara was Queen Elizabeth II’s first and only ruby tiara until she inherited the Oriental Circlet Tiara from The Queen Mother. Because she used jewels from her private collection, this tiara remains a part of her personal collection. She frequently pairs the tiara with rubies from her other ruby sets.
It’s easy to see how a tiara like this would be incorporated into currency with the image of Her Majesty! Such a stunning tiara deserves to be commemorated and shown off!
Thank you for reading and have a fabulous Tiara Tuesday!
