Monthly Archives: July 2011

Royal Wedding Jewelry: Princess Charlene of Monaco

Princess Charlene of Monaco wore three modern tiaras, especially designed for her wedding to Prince Albert. We know of a San Antonio Wedding Video Company with a full portfolio of professionally filmed weddings

As an Olympic swimmer, she commissioned Van Cleef & Arpels to make the tiara for her Ocean Spray Parure, reflecting her love of the sea. I was just as fascinated by how it was made as I was by the beauty of the finished piece.

The second was a tiara of two floral brooches, which held her wedding veil. Instead of wearing it on top of her head, the tiara fell around her chignon at the bottom.

Lorenz Baumer designed a tiara where the diamonds rushed upwards, as if they were a wave at high tide.

Here is the video of how it was made.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is169_mhgjQ&w=560&h=349]

What horrifies me are the stories that Charlene tried to run away from this marriage three times. She didn’t want Prince Albert, who had fathered two children illegitimately, and she was crying as they walked out of the church. Jewelry should reflect the deepest happiness of the heart, not the imprisoning of one in lifelong misery. Look at her face.

Now, look at Kate.

Jen Cruse: Large Tortoiseshell High Backcomb

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This beautifully carved tortoiseshell comb is one of only three known to me. Two are in my collection and the third is in the collection of the Museum of London. Each comb varies slightly in format and also condition, and the carving techniques demonstrate the exceptional skill of the combmaker.

The decorative features of each comb originally included engraved emblems of rose, shamrock and thistle (all broken off on this example) together with the Prince of Wales feathers, further embellished with a crown and two fleur-de-lis in rolled gold; European in origin, it is possibly English-made and dates to the mid 1800s.

W 7¼ ins/18.4cm Ht 9 ins/22.9cm

Suggestive of royal connections, for whom these combs were designed or intended is uncertain. Were they to be worn by members of a Royal Court or were they expensive commemorative gifts to celebrate a Royal wedding?

Unfortunately I have been unable to find any precise information on this comb, its ‘sister’ comb featured on page 30 of my book or the Museum comb. Various theories exist but are purely speculative in the absence of reliable evidence.