Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the birth of Queen Helen of Romania, who was born on this day in 1896! The Greek Princess who became the mother of the last King of Romania and was exiled many times from multiple countries, Queen Helen had some spectacular jewels, highlighted by the magnificent Romanian Greek Key Tiara!
Romanian Greek Key Tiara | Bolin Sapphire Brooch | Russian Sapphire Earrings | Fleur-de-Lys Brooch | Diamond Sautoir
A spectacular Diamond Tiara composed of large diamond ‘Greek Key’ motifs joined by diamond ‘batons’ on a flexible base, the exact origin of this jewel is unknown but it seems to date around the time of the Wedding of Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha and Edinburgh to Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich of Russia in 1905.
The Greek Key Tiara was originally set on a Kokoshnik, and worn by Grand Duchess Victoria Melita with her mother’s Sapphire Necklace in a portrait in 1913 with her two daughters, Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna, later the Princess of Leiningen and Grand Duchess Kira, later the Princess of Prussia.
During the Russian Revolution, the Grand Duchess’ jewels were smuggled out of Russia hidden within the stuffing of her daughters’ dolls, and faced with harsh financial difficulties in exile, she decided to sell her jewels.
Luckily for Grand Duchess Victoria Melita, a buyer was close at hand, Queen Marie of Romania, her sister, who had lost her jewels in Russia during WWI, and bought the Tiara for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Princess Helen of Greece. Queen Marie wrote to their mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna:
I spoke to Ducky about some of Aunt Miechen’s jewellery that Ducky wants to sell as these pieces represent the only fortune the family has left – thank God that the jewels of the old lady are fabulous! She was an extraordinarily greedy woman and she received, throughout her entire life, more than her share of anything. Nando gave me a generous sum of money to buy jewellery, since mine are lost forever… It is however a horrible feeling to take these treasures from a person I love more than anything in the world. But at the same time I know that I am a gift from God to her, as I am ready to pay for the pieces in full and right away without negotiating the prices. Oh, and heaven, these jewels are wonderful, as seldom one can find!”
Queen Marie bought the Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik for herself, the Greek Key Tiara for Princess Helen of Greece, the soon-to-be Romanian Crown Princess, and a Cartier Sapphire Sautoir for her eldest daughter, Princess Elisabeth, who was about to marry Princess Helen’s brother, King George II of Greece. However, Queen Marie spoke about her indignation with her cousin, Queen Sophia of Greece:
Tino and Sophie have sent no wedding present to Lisabetha! Not the smallest tiniest little item of anything! – nothing! I confess to feeling indignant! Sophie has all her jewels, while I lost all mine and yet we made tremendous efforts to send her daughter a beautiful diadem! Oh!—if only I had my jewels, with what delight I would have given one of my diadems to Lisabetha! Now I have given a diadem to my daughter in law, while my own daughter has none!”
After wearing the Tiara for her Wedding in Athens in 1921, Crown Princess Helen wore the Greek Key Tiara for a plethora of royal occasions and portraits though the 1920s, notably the Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania in 1922 and the Wedding of her cousin, Prince Philipp of Hesse, and Princess Mafalda of Savoy in 1925, before she and Crown Prince Carol got divorced and gave up his rights to the throne, making their son succeed to the throne as King Michael of Romania in 1927.
The now Queen Mother Helen wore the Greek Key Tiara for official portraits with King Michael in the late 1920s, though after her former husband’s return to Romania, she was exiled from Romania, settling near Florence. Queen Helen retained the Tiara and wore it at a Gala Performance at the Florence Opera House in 1939 and the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover in 1938.
When King Carol was ousted and exiled in 1940, Queen Helen went back to Romania, wearing the Greek Key Tiara for numerous portraits before it was worn for the Wedding Ball of her cousin, Prince Phillip of Greece, to Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth in London 1947, just a few weeks before the Romanian Monarchy was abolished and King Michael, with Queen Helen, went into exile.
Just a few months into exile, Queen Helen loaned the Tiara to Princess Anne of Bourbon Parma, along with Queen Marie’s Diamond Sautoir, when she married King Michael at the Royal Palace of Athens.
Queen Anne borrowed the Greek Key Tiara again for the Wedding Ball of King Baudouin and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at the Royal Palace of Brussles in 1960.
Queen Helen was a frequent guest in Athens during her years in exile, and wore the Greek Key Tiara, usually with her Russian Sapphire Brooch or her Fleur-de-Lys Brooch, for King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet in 1961 and the Wedding Ball of her niece, Princess Sophia, to the future King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962.
Queen Helen also wore the Greek Key Tiara for the Greek Monarchy Centenary Gala in 1963, and for the Wedding Ball of King Constantine of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark in 1964, retaining the Greek Key Tiara until her death in 1982, when it was inherited by King Michael and Queen Anne.
Queen Anne was not pictured wearing the Greek Key Tiara after the 1960s, but loaned it to her daughter, Princess Marie, for her wedding to Casimir Mystkowski in 1995.
The Greek Key Tiara was first worn by their elder daughter, Crown Princess Margareta, for the King of Sweden’s 50th Birthday Banquet in 1996. By the 1990s, the Royal Family were allowed to reenter Romania and were returned the ownership of some of their former properties in 1997.
Crown Princess Margareta wore the Greek Key Tiara for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm in 2006.
In 2010, Crown Princess Margareta wore the Greek Key Tiara with her Diamond Suite for the Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden in Stockholm.
The following year, the Greek Key Tiara was again paired with the Diamond Suite for the Wedding Ball of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in Monte Carlo.
The next year, Crown Princess Margareta wore the Greek Key Tiara for the Wedding Gala of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy.
As she began to take an increasing official role in Romania, Crown Princess Margareta wore the Greek Key Tiara for a couple of Gala Dinners and a few Official Portraits.
In 2016, the Greek Key Tiara was worn for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 70th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, before it was worn for the Wedding Ball of Crown Prince Leka of Albania in 2016.
Since King Michael’s death, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania has had a semi-official role in Romania, undertakes public duties for and with the Romanian Republic, residing in the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest. In 2023, the Tiara was worn for the spectacular Banquet to celebrate the Wedding of Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman.
Most recently, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania wore the Romanian Greek Key Tiara with the Fleur-de-Lys Brooch and Diamond Suite for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 80th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm earlier this week. There is no doubt we will continue to see the Greek Key Tiara worn for years to come!
Romanian Greek Key Tiara
Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara
Russian Sapphire Earrings
Russian Sapphire Brooch
Fleur-de-Lys Brooch
Diamond Sautoir
Greek Key Tiara
Cartier Essex Tiara
Diamond Suite
Fleur-de-Lys Brooch
Queen Anne’s Sapphire Parure
Schaumburg-Lippe Sapphire Tiara
