Royal jewels displayed in the Jewel Room at Kensington Palace, April 2025 (Photo © Lauren Kiehna)
Today at Hidden Gems, I’m sharing all the details from my recent visit to Kensington Palace to see the new fashion exhibition and the grand tiaras in the Jewel Room. As a bonus today, I’ve got a collection of articles all about the jewels on display at the palace.
Queen Victoria’s Emerald and Diamond Tiara, April 2025 (Photo © Lauren Kiehna)
Gala Fashion and Heirloom Tiaras: My London Travel Diary (Part 3)
[Hidden Gems Exclusive]
After marveling at the Cartier exhibition at the V&A and the Edwardians exhibition at the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, I had one more appointment during my recent trip to London: a stop at Kensington Palace to see their new fashion exhibition—and their spectacular room of tiaras.
The Fife Tiara displayed at Kensington Palace, 2018 (Historic Royal Palaces)
Tiaras Revealed at Kensington Palace
All of the jewels on display at Kensington Palace belonged to members of the British royal family. The diamond and emerald tiara, as well as its accompanying parure, was owned and worn by Queen Victoria. The two all-diamond tiaras on display belonged to her granddaughter, Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife.
Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife is pictured wearing the Fife Tiara, ca. 1911 (Grand Ladies Site)
Our virtual tour of royal tiaras in museums around the world today moves across the city of London to Kensington Palace. There, we’re going to spend some time with one of the most dazzling British royal tiaras of all: the Fife Tiara.
The Fife Fringe Tiara displayed at Kensington Palace, 2018 (Historic Royal Palaces)
Princess Louise’s Diamond Fringe
Today, we’re taking another look at the jewel collection of Princess Louise, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and wife of the 1st Duke (and 6th Earl) of Fife. Let’s have a gander at the diamond fringe that belonged to this British princess, shall we?
Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s The Royal Family in 1846 (Royal Collection Trust)
Queen Victoria’s Emerald and Diamond Tiara
Some of my favorite royal tiaras are the sparklers designed for Queen Victoria by her beloved Prince Albert. Today, let’s have a gander at the lovely little emerald and diamond tiara that he designed for his wife.
Princess Louise of Wales and the Duke of Fife on their wedding day, July 1889 (Royal Collection Trust)
Princess Louise’s Sparkling Wedding Tiaras
In July 1889, the British royal family gathered at Buckingham Palace for a special royal wedding, honoring a princess bride who had just received a pair of splendid tiaras from her aristocratic husband and royal parents.
Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife is pictured wearing her diamond fringe tiara, ca. 1914 (Grand Ladies Site)
Terrifying Tiara Tales: The British Royal Jewels That Were Swept Out to Sea
The year was 1911. It had been a year full of grief and celebration for the British royal family, who mourned the loss of King Edward VII in May 1910 and celebrated the coronation of his son and successor, King George V, in June 1911. The new monarch had three sisters: Princess Victoria, who lived as a companion to their mother, Queen Alexandra; Queen Maud, the wife of King Haakon VII of Norway; and Princess Louise, who held the title of Princess Royal.
Queen Victoria, ca. 1850s (Grand Ladies Site)
In 2019, the world celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria. To keep the festivities rolling, we took a look at some of the tiaras from her remarkable jewelry collection.
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