Tiara owned by Queen Elizabeth II's Lady in Waiting heads to auction in London
Crafted by Garrard, the Crown Jewellers, the Airlie Tiara is expected to fetch up to £70,000 when it goes under the hammer with Lyon & Turnbull on 22 October.
A dazzling piece of royal history is set to turn heads in London this week as a pearl and diamond tiara once worn by Queen Elizabeth II’s Lady-in-Waiting goes up for auction.
The Airlie Tiara, crafted by Garrard, the Crown Jewellers, at the end of the 19th century, will be sold by Lyon & Turnbull on Wednesday, 22 October, in London.
The glittering heirloom, adorned with ivy and daisy motifs, is estimated to fetch between £50,000 and £70,000 at auction.
The tiara’s story is steeped in royal connections. Its first known owner was Lady Mabell Gore, who became the Countess of Airlie in 1886 and served as Lady-of-the-Bedchamber to Queen Mary from 1901 until the Queen’s death in 1953.
The floral motifs suggest the piece was a wedding gift to Lady Mabell, whose elegance made her a fixture in royal circles.
The current seller, Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, the Dowager Countess of Airlie, married into the family in 1952 at a wedding attended by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
A year later, she made history as the first American Lady-in-Waiting to a British monarch, serving Queen Elizabeth II for nearly five decades and wearing the tiara to grand occasions, including the State Opening of Parliament in 2008 and a banquet for the Sultan of Brunei in 1992.
Virginia, Lady Airlie, passed away in 2024, and her family has now chosen to part with the tiara - marking its first-ever public sale.
Tobias Kormind, Managing Director of 77 Diamonds, said: “Few jewels possess such a blend of craftsmanship and royal provenance. With 34.75 carats of diamonds and natural pearls, the Airlie Tiara embodies both grandeur and grace. I expect it to easily surpass its estimate.”
The Airlie Tiara will be auctioned by Lyon & Turnbull in London on Wednesday, 22 October.