get to know me meme (royalist edition) || (02/10) tiaras: The Poltimore Tiara

Made by Garrard for Florence, Lady Poltimore, in the 1870’s, this astonishing tiara was purchased for £5,500 at an auction in 1959 by either Queen Elizabeth II or Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother – acquired as a wedding gift for Princess Margaret in connection with her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon) in 1960. It was one of Margaret’s favourite tiaras and its splendour perfectly suited her personality greatly. The magnificent tiara consists of all-diamonds set in gold and silver and has a diameter of 19.2 centimetres. It is a convertible piece of jewellery that can be broken down into a necklace and eleven brooches. After Margaret’s death in 2002, it met a grim fate (as seen with the eyes of a royalist) when it was auctioned off at Christie’s in 2006 by her children Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto for a staggering £926,400 (the value had originally been estimated at £150,000–£200,000) due to its provenance. The sale of the tiara reportedly caused a row between Viscount Linley and his father, Lord Snowdon, because Lord Snowdon was opposed selling out of his late ex-wife’s jewellery. It is currently unknown as to whether its new owners remember to give it a spin in the bathtub from time to time.