The Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara
The Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara is a definitive masterwork of the Dutch royal collection, celebrated for its monumental scale and exceptional versatility. While early 20th-century tradition attributed its origins to Princess Sophie of Württemberg (the first wife of King Willem III), modern research in the archives of the Dutch jeweler Royal Begeer has clarified its true provenance. The diadem was commissioned in 1897 for the young Queen Wilhelmina ahead of her 1898 enthronement. It was designed to showcase an extensive collection of historic Orange-Nassau pearls, some of which are believed to date back to the 17th-century collection of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels.
Architectural Composition and Modular Design
The tiara is recognized as one of the most complex examples of modular jewelry engineering in Europe. Its structure consists of a dense, scrolled diamond framework interspersed with approximately thirty-five round pearls. Its most dramatic feature, however, is the series of eleven pear-shaped pearl drops.
The piece can be configured in four distinct settings:
- The Full Coronation Setting: All eleven pearl drops are mounted vertically on diamond spikes, creating a towering, crown-like silhouette of extreme height.
- The Five-Pearl Setting: A mid-sized configuration often favored for modern state banquets, featuring a smaller number of vertical drops.
- The Intermediate Setting: Utilizing a different number of pearls or lower-profile placements.
- The Diamond Bandeau: All vertical pearl drops are removed, leaving the ornate diamond and round-pearl base to function as a regal headband.
A Symbol of the Dutch Queens
Following the reign of Queen Wilhelmina, the tiara was infrequently used by Queen Juliana, who preferred lighter ornaments. It was Queen Beatrix who restored the piece to its status as a primary signature of the House of Orange-Nassau.
- The 1966 Wedding: Princess Beatrix famously selected the tiara in its maximum, eleven-pearl configuration for her marriage to Prince Claus von Amsberg. The diadem’s height was specifically chosen to anchor her voluminous silk tulle veil.
- The Abdication Dinner: In a poignant historical parallel, Beatrix wore the tiara for the gala dinner preceding her abdication in 2013. This appearance served as a visual bookend to her thirty-three-year reign, honoring the same jewel she wore as a bride.
Contemporary Usage by Queen Máxima
As of late 2025, Queen Máxima has become the primary wearer of the diadem. True to her reputation as a dynamic jewelry model, she has explored nearly every configuration of the piece. Most recently, for a state banquet in December 2025 honoring the President of Finland, Máxima paired the tiara with a five-strand pearl necklace, demonstrating the piece’s continued relevance. While she has yet to wear the "full" eleven-pearl configuration in public, her frequent use of the five-pearl setting has solidified the tiara as a central element of the modern Dutch monarchy’s visual identity.
