An Art Deco Aquamarine Tiara for the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace

The Princess Royal celebrated her 76th birthday on Saturday with a big splash: her daughter’s victory at the British Open Championship. We’re adding to the festivities with a spotlight today on one of Anne’s treasured jewels, the unusual Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara.

Princess Anne has worn the tiara often in recent years, but one of my favorite Pineflower appearances came in December 2024, when she wore it for a state banquet given in honor of the visiting Emir of Qatar. The glittering dinner was held at Buckingham Palace, and it featured five British royal tiaras, including Queen Camilla’s debut in Queen Alexandra’s Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara.

Princess Anne arrived for the banquet wearing a sharp tailored skirt and jacket in a creamy floral brocade fabric. No surprise: it was a vintage piece from her wardrobe archive. The plethora of decorations on her jacket nod to her importance within the family. She wore the sash and star of the Order of the Garter, plus the stars of the Order of the Thistle and the Royal Victorian Order. She added the Royal Family Orders of her brother, King Charles III, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth II. And to top it all off, she pinned a tiny bejeweled pin in the shape of the flag of Qatar to her Garter sash.

Anne’s choice of jewelry for the evening echoed the blue and green hues of the Garter sash and the King’s Royal Family Order. Her tiara features diamonds and aquamarines in alternating shapes: simple, sleek rectangles and ornate pinecones.

Here’s a close-up picture of the tiara, taken by me during my visit to the big Cartier exhibition at the V&A in London in April 2025. The tiara was made by Cartier in 1937 and purchased by King George VI the following year as a gift for his wife, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). She gave the jewel to her granddaughter, Princess Anne, as a wedding present in November 1973.

Anne has a whole suite of coordinating aquamarine and diamond jewelry that she often pairs with the tiara. The aquamarine and diamond pendant, in particular, echoes the design of the tiara. For this banquet, as she often does, Anne suspended it from a strand of pearls.

She finished off the look with aquamarine and diamond earrings that also echo the geometric nature of Art Deco design. Her aquamarine bracelet, worn here on her right wrist, also features similar motifs.

Don’t forget that there’s more jewelry on the way in a few hours, when the free mid-week edition of Hidden Gems arrives in subscribers’ inboxes. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, including glamorous jewels in Aachen, a new royal baby with a jewelry-related name, and news of a major change in Liechtenstein. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!