The Poltimore Tiara

The Poltimore Tiara was made for Florence Bampfylde, Lady Poltimore, by the jeweller Garrard around 1870.

The tiara could be worn traditionally but could also be broken down into a necklace or even into brooches. Lady Poltimore wore the tiara to the coronation of King George VI and Queen Mary in 1911. It was her grandson, the 4th Baron Poltimore, who sold the tiara in 1959.

Princess Margaret bought it for £5,000 and wore it for her wedding the following year. However, she also wore it shortly after buying it during a visit to the Royal Opera House. Perhaps most famously, her husband photographed her wearing the tiara in the bathtub.

The tiara was sold by Princess Margaret’s children in 2006, and it was sold to a private buyer for £926,400.¹

1. Princess Margaret: A Life Unravelled by Tim Heald p.187