Queen Camilla made a surprise fashion statement at this year’s Diplomatic Corps reception, choosing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara for the annual white tie event. The tiara, made of rose-cut pave diamonds set in platinum with seven unmissable cabochon emeralds, had only been worn once before by a member of the royal family, during Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding to Jack Brooksbank. Given the current scandal surrounding the York family, this fashion moment was a show of solidarity between the Queen and the princess.
The Queen’s subtle support of her niece may have raised eyebrows, but the estimated cost of the Greville Kokoshnik tiara is eye-watering. Maxwell Stone, a leading diamond expert at UK jeweler Steven Stone, reported, “we previously estimated the distinctive diamond and emerald headpiece––made by the French jeweller, Boucheron in 1919––to be worth £10 million, making it the most expensive of all the tiaras we’ve studied.”
“The center features a 93.7-carat cabochon-cut emerald, which is what makes it so valuable,” Stone explains, speaking of the enormous oval-shaped stone in the center of the tiara. Six smaller emeralds adorn the sides of the tiara, adding to its beauty and its incredible value.
“Its original owner was Dame Margaret Greville, a famous society hostess who, upon her death, left her jewels to the Queen Mother,” Stone explains of the tiara’s opulent provenance. “When the Queen Mother passed away in 2002, much of that collection, including the Kokoshnik tiara, went to Queen Elizabeth II. In 2018, the late monarch lent it to Princess Eugenie for her wedding day, making it the most extravagant “something borrowed” in royal history."
The financial cost aside, Queen Camilla’s meaningful choice of tiara isn’t just about who wore it first. Stone shares that “wearing emeralds is said to promote friendship, peace, harmony, and domestic bliss by enabling the wearer to both give and receive unconditional love.” The unconditional love of supportive family members must be invaluable in the turbulent recent weeks experienced by Princess Eugenie and her sister, Princess Beatrice, as revelations about their parents––ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson––continue to dominate headlines.
