Royal Tiaras: The Kinsky Honeysuckle Tiara

I realized today, as I sat down to write my first new tiara post in a while, that I'd only shown one woman of color in a tiara, and that was Megan Markle after her wedding (I featured her in a social media post). Well, that changes today with Princess Angela of Liechtenstein and the Kinsky Honeysuckle Tiara.

I realized today, as I sat down to write my first new tiara post in a while, that I’d only shown one woman of color in a tiara, and that was Megan Markle after her wedding (I featured her in a social media post). Well, that changes today with Princess Angela of Liechtenstein and the Kinsky Honeysuckle Tiara.

Princess Angela met her husband, Prince Maximilian, while both were living in New York in the late 1990s. She was an aspiring fashion designer, having attended Parson’s School of Design and she designed her own wedding dress. She was also the first person of African descent to marry into a reigning European Royal Family. Her dress was lovely (and perhaps a model for Ms. Markle’s look???), but we’re here to talk about that tiara!

Princess Angela’s wedding day wasn’t the only wedding the Kinsky Honeysuckle tiara has graced. It was a popular choice among those marrying into and within the Liechtenstein royal family. But from where did the tiara originate? Well, it was created in the 1870s for Princess Marie Josepha of Liechtenstein as a wedding gift from her new husband, Prince Ferdinand Bonaventura, the 7th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. Made of honeysuckle motifs in diamonds, silver and gold (does it remind you of anything?) the maker of the tiara is sadly, unknown.

Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein, wearing the Kinsky Honeysuckle tiara at her 1999 wedding to Baron Philipp van Lattorff

And also unknown is exactly how it ended up in the hands of the royal Liechtenstein princely family. The best guess is that since the current Princess of Liechtenstein was born Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, that perhaps her husband bought it for her at some point in the 80’s or 90’s to honor her heritage. Its first official appearance on her head was in 1993 at a ball the night before the wedding of her son. But now it’s most often seen on the head of hereditary Princess Sophie, as her husband is the country’s regent.

I do wish we’d see more of this tiara, as it may well be my favorite of the honeysuckle motif. What do you think? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments.