Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, who was born on this day in 1895! The illustrious aristocrat who was the Queen’s first Mistress of the Robes, we are featuring her Cartier Opal Tiara!
Devonshire Cartier Opal Tiara | Diamond Palmette Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Rivière
But first, lets learn a bit about the Duchess. The daughter of the 4th Marquess of Salisbury and Lady Cicely Alice Gore, Lady Mary Cecil married the Marquess of Hartington, the eldest son of the 9th Duke of Devonshire, in 1917, who succeeded his father as the 10th Duke of Devonshire in 1938. The Duke and Duchess had five children, including the Marquess of Hartington and the later 11th Duke of Devonshire, and remained married until his death in 1950. Since her mother-in-law was the Dowager Duchess, and her daughter-in-law became the new Duchess, she was titled as ‘Mary, Duchess of Devonshire’. The Duchess was the Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1967, taking a major role at the Coronation and at State Openings of Parliament, and was the Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 1955 to 1972. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1946 and a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1955. The Duchess lived in London where she passed away in 1988, at the age of 93.
Ahead of the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, the then Marchioness of Hartington commissioned this striking Art Deco Tiara from Cartier containing large black Opals set in an Art Deco Diamond design, which could also be worn as a necklace or brooches. The opals were quite fragile and contemporary reports say the Duchess often feared they might disintegrate under bright lights while upon her head.
Most notably, the Duchess of Devonshire wore the Cartier Opal Tiara as a Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara when she had a central role as the Mistress of the Robes at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
As the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess needed more Tiara options than the Diamond Palmette Tiara and Diamond Tiara for the plethora of Gala events held in the 1950s and 1960s, so she was seen with her Cartier Opal Tiara at a Coronation Ball in 1953 and the Queen’s first State Visit, to Norway, in 1955.
The Cartier Opal Tiara was also worn by the Duchess of Devonshire for an Army Dinner in 1956 and an RAF Dinner in 1958 among several occasions.
The Duchess of Devonshire wore the Cartier Opal Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara on State Visits to Sweden and The Netherlands, and with the Devonshire Diamond Tiara for the Coronation Gala Performance of ‘Gloriana’ at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 1953 and the French State Visit to Britain in 1950.
As the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess wore the Cartier Opal Necklace with the Diamond Palmette Tiara to various State Openings of Parliament in the 1950 and 60s among numerous State Occasions until she retired as Mistress of the Robes in 1965.
In the course of her duties, which included formal banquets for visiting heads of state and other ceremonial occasions, she used to fetch the jewels from the bank stowed in a Marks & Spencer carrier bag.
The Duchess could also break up the individual opal and diamond elements and wear them as brooches, not just individually, but also joining three of them together as a stomacher, which was worn to the Wedding of Princess Margaret in 1960.
The Cartier Opal Tiara was also worn by the Duchess’ daughter, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret and accompanied her on a Tours around the world, wearing the Tiara for a Banquet in Trinidad in 1955 and an Opening of Parliament also in Trinidad in 1958, as well as for a Banquet at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 1965.
More recently, the Cartier Opal Tiara was loaned by Lady Louise Burrell, the daughter of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Argyll, at the Royal Caledonian Ball in 2011 as well as on another year.
Currently, the Cartier Opal Tiara is on display in the landmark Cartier Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London until November 2025.
Devonshire Cartier Opal Tiara | Diamond Palmette Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Tiara | Devonshire Diamond Rivière
Devonshire Diamond Palmette Tiara
Devonshire Diamond Tiara
Devonshire Diamond Rivière
Devonshire Parure
Ruby Clasp
Craven Brooch
Insect Brooches
