Meander Tiara: Only diadem in the royal collection from Prince Philip’s family revealed

Meander Tiara: Only diadem in the royal collection from Prince Philip’s family revealed - Express

Posted: 05 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST

The Meander Tiara is currently owned by Princess Anne, who was last seen wearing it for the Dutch State Banquet in 2018. Like much of the jewellery owned by the Royal Family, the Meander has a long history.

It came to the British Royal Family from Princess Alice, Prince Philip's mother, however it is not known exactly when she herself was given it.

Because of the Greek design, it is likely to have been a wedding present - she married Prince Andrew of Greece & Denmark in 1903.

However, the earliest portraits of her in the tiara are in 1914 - the year after the death of King George I of Greece, her father-in-law - so perhaps it was came to her as part of Prince Andrew's inheritance.

Alice was known to love the tiara, and wore it throughout her marriage, before gifting it to Princess Elizabeth when she wed Prince Philip in 1947.

Zara paired the item with an ivory silk dress by Stewart Parvin and a pair of diamond drop earrings.

It is called the Meander because this is another word for the Greek key design that makes up the band.

Made entirely of diamonds, the Greek keys are broken up with a central laurel wreath and two honeysuckle sections.

Geoffrey Munn, a jewellery expert, has said the tiara was probably made around the turn of the century in France, and is likely to be Cartier.

Deborah Papas, gemmologist and jewellery expert from Prestige Pawnbrokers, described the Meander as "the most glamorous" piece in Princess Anne's jewellery collection.

Commenting on the potential value, she said: "It is studded with diamonds set in a white precious metal more likely to be platinum because of the era it was made. It is perceived to be made by Cartier in France.

"It is not known how much the tiara is worth, but I estimate it to be worth over £1 million, and if it is a Cartier piece, it could be as much as £2 - £4 million."