Friday, August 19, 2011

Flashback Friday: Victoria's Tiaras

As you've no doubt heard, the Swedish court officially announced this week that Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are expecting their first child. Yay! We must celebrate. And you know I always celebrate in the sparkliest way possible, so how about a look at all of Victoria's tiaras to date? She made her first tiara appearance at the age of 18, and there have been many since. All told, she's appeared in eight tiaras; ten, if you want to get technical. Let's dig in:

Crown Princess Victoria's 18th Birthday Tiara
This is just the saddest little thing, that's why we have to get it out of the way first. A present from her parents for her 18th birthday, it includes sapphire and diamond...if you can see past all the wire, that is. She last wore it in 2007, and I hope it stays tucked happily away in her jewelry box forever after.

The Diamond Bandeau
Moving up on the sparkle scale, we have the Diamond Bandeau. I like this one on her for one simple reason: it means we actually get to see her hair down for a change.

Queen Josephine's Amethyst Tiara

And now we have proper bling, and my favorite amethysts at that. Gorgeous stones, but a risky tiara (which is actually a converted necklace) on the whole: heads aren't supposed to be flat on top. Placement, placement, placement.

The Four Button Tiara
There's a reason why this one is often likened to the lights on a Jeep. The button tiaras (see below for the sister gem) are not my favorite, but which one takes the Least Favorite prize ends up being entirely dependent on the hair behind the diamonds.

The Six Button Tiara
See, there's more bling here, but sometimes the base is a little funky-looking, and sometimes it's just...tall. Excellent history (another story for another day), unfortunate settings.

The Cut Steel Tiara
It may not be my favorite, but I absolutely agree with those of you that declared Victoria the winner amongst the Swedish royal family in terms of Cut Steel Tiara-wearing prowess. (See the full history of this piece here.)

The Baden Fringe Tiara
Many royal ladies have worn this one, but Victoria has made it her own. Definitely her signature piece, and my personal favorite here. The sun ray effect is stunning.

The Cameo Tiara
This is Sweden's bridal tiara, so naturally we saw it when Victoria and Daniel tied the knot. I hope we see it again on her; it might just take the #1 spot on a list of the most unconventional tiaras in use today.

Necklace Appearances
And here are numbers 9 and 10 on Victoria's tiara list: the ones she hasn't worn on her head. She wore the Modern Fringe Tiara (above left), which we usually see on Princess Madeleine, in its necklace state. She has also worn the diamond drops from the Connaught Tiara (above right) suspended on a chain as a necklace. We have yet to see her publicly wear either tiara properly, but I'm waiting.

You know what the best thing about this is? Victoria hasn't even dug into the real meat of the Swedish tiara collection yet. The largest of the tiaras are usually only worn by Queen Silvia. Ten tiaras and plenty of potential left: that's my kind of collection.

Which one is your favorite so far? What would you like to see on her next?

Photos: IBL/Royal Court/Corbis

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