If the jewelry of Queen Elizabeth II represented continuity and the weight of the state, the collection of her younger sister, Princess Margaret, represented glamour, modernity, and a distinct streak of independence. While the Queen was bound by the restrictions of the Crown, often wearing pieces dictated by diplomatic protocol, Princess Margaret enjoyed the freedom to curate a personal aesthetic that was bolder and more fashion-forward. Her jewelry box was a mixture of royal heirlooms loaned by her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and significant private acquisitions that she purchased herself, an act almost unheard of for a royal woman of her era. The resulting collection tells the story of a woman who used gemstones not just as ornamentation, but as assertions of her own identity within the rigid hierarchy of the House of Windsor.
The Lotus Flower Tiara: A Relic of the Jazz Age
One of the most defining pieces in Margaret’s early life was the Lotus Flower Tiara, also known as the Papyrus Tiara. Its origins are deeply rooted in the transformation of the monarchy during the 1920s. Originally, this piece was a necklace of diamonds and pearls given to the Queen Mother (then the Duchess of York) by her husband, King George VI, as a wedding gift in 1923. Finding the necklace somewhat heavy for the fashions of the flapper era, the Queen Mother had Garrard dismantle it and reconstruct it into a delicate tiara featuring Egyptian-inspired lotus motifs and diamond arches, capped with pearls.
When Princess Margaret began to undertake official duties, this tiara became her signature piece. Its lightweight, airy design suited her petite frame and her preference for the "New Look" fashion of the 1950s. She wore it consistently throughout her youth, cementing its image as a tiara for the "spare" rather than the sovereign. Unlike the heavy, closed-circle diadems of the Queen, the Lotus Flower sat lightly on the hair, allowing for the elaborate, high-volume hairstyles Margaret favored. In later years, the tiara was returned to the main royal vault and has since been worn by the Princess of Wales, serving as a visual link between the glamorous Margaret and the modern generation of royals.
The Art Deco Pearl and Diamond Bracelet: A Coming of Age
Few pieces of jewelry are as inextricably linked to a specific image as Princess Margaret’s Art Deco Pearl and Diamond Bracelet. This piece is the focal point of her official 19th birthday portrait, taken by the legendary photographer Cecil Beaton in 1949. In the photograph, Margaret wears a tulle gown by Norman Hartnell, looking every inch the fairy-tale princess, with this bracelet prominently displayed on her wrist.
The bracelet itself is a masterwork of 1920s design, featuring two rows of cultured pearls bordering a line of circular-cut diamonds, culminating in a geometric, openwork diamond clasp. It represents the transition from the heavy Victorian jewelry of her grandmother, Queen Mary, to the sleek, geometric aesthetics of the Art Deco period. For Margaret, this bracelet was not merely an accessory; it was a symbol of her entering adulthood and the public eye. The piece remained a favorite throughout her life, often paired with pearl chokers to soften the severity of formal evening wear. Its sale at auction in 2006, following her death, marked the end of an era, dispersing one of the most personal artifacts of her teenage years.
The Poltimore Tiara: A Declaration of Independence
While often confused with other diamond floral tiaras (such as the Harcourt or the various Teck pieces), the Poltimore Tiara stands alone as the most significant expression of Margaret’s autonomy. Unlike the vast majority of royal jewels, which are inherited or received as official gifts, Margaret purchased the Poltimore Tiara herself at an auction in 1959.
Created by Garrard in 1870 for Lady Poltimore, the tiara is a towering construction of diamond scrolls and floral clusters. Its engineering is ingenious; it can be dismantled into a necklace and eleven separate brooches. Margaret famously wore it for her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. By choosing a piece she owned outright, rather than borrowing a "crown" jewel from her sister, Margaret made a powerful statement about her new life as a modern woman separate from the throne. The tiara later gained infamy and iconic status through the 1962 photograph taken by her husband, depicting Margaret in the bathtub, wearing nothing but the Poltimore. This image shattered the conventions of royal portraiture. The Poltimore was not just a tiara; it was a prop in Margaret’s lifelong performance of rebellion and sophistication.
The Teck and Greville Legacies
Princess Margaret’s collection also existed in the shadow of the immense hoards left by Queen Mary (the Teck inheritance) and Dame Margaret Greville (the Greville Bequest). While pieces like the Teck Crescent Tiara, a complex arrangement of diamond roses and crescents remained largely with the Queen Mother and later the Queen, Margaret often favored the Teck Circle Tiara (sometimes called the Teck Ears of Wheat). This piece, with its rhythmic, circular diamond motifs, could be worn as a necklace, and Margaret frequently utilized it in this form. It aligned with her preference for geometric, symmetrical designs over the purely naturalistic floral sprays of the Victorian era.
Similarly, the Greville Bequest, a massive collection left to the Queen Mother in 1942, containing pieces like the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik provided a backdrop of immense wealth. While Margaret did not frequently wear the grandest Greville tiaras (which were the domain of her mother), the existence of such a vast reserve of gems allowed her to experiment with other pieces. The Greville influence was visible in the sheer quality of the diamonds she had access to; the "boulder-sized" stones favored by Dame Greville set a standard of opulence that defined the Windsor women's evening wear for the latter half of the 20th century.
Princess Margaret’s approach to jewelry was curatorial and deeply personal. She moved away from the "fender" tiaras (the large, wall-like diadems) of the 19th century, favoring pieces that were convertible, fashionable, and visually striking. From the delicate arches of the Lotus Flower to the towering majesty of the self-purchased Poltimore, her collection was a reflection of her complex position: a royal insider with the spirit of an outsider. Her jewels were not just symbols of rank; they were the armor of a woman determined to shine on her own terms, even if that meant breaking the rules of royal acquisition.
