Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Death of Tunku Puan Besar (Queen) Kurshiah of Negeri Sembilan, who passed away on this day in 1999! The illustrious Princess who served as the Tunku Ampuan Besar (Queen) of Negeri Sembilan for over 25 years and was the first Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia, Queen Kurshiah wore this striking Diamond Fringe Tiara!
Of unknown provenance, this Diamond Fringe Tiara was in the collection of Queen Kurshiah by the mid-1950s. Originally inspired by the Kokoshniks at the Russian Royal Court, examples of Diamond Fringe Tiaras can be found in the British, Swedish, Danish, Thai, Monaco, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Selangor, and the Greek Royal Collections.
The most prominent appearance of the Fringe Tiara came in 1957, when Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan was proclaimed the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia upon the Independence of Malaya after over a century of British Colonial Rule, making Queen Kurshiah the first Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen of Malaysia).
Queen Kurshiah was the Raja Permaisuri Agong for slightly less than three years, but wore the Diamond Fringe Tiara for numerous ceremonies and banquets, worn interchangeably with an earlier version of the Gandik Diraja Tiara.
Following the passing of King Abdul Rahman in 1960, the Diamond Fringe Tiara was worn by Tunku Ampuan Besar (Queen) Durah, the sister of Queen Kurshiah who was married to her stepson, who reigned as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan until his passing in 1967.
The Diamond Fringe Tiara was worn by Tunku Ampuan Besar (Queen) Najihah, the youngest sister of Queen Kurshiah and Queen Durah, who also served as the 10th Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia between 1994 and 1999. The Diamond Fringe Tiara was only worn by her in the 1960s, soon after becoming Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, with Queen Najihah passing away last year just days after her 100th Birthday.
The Diamond Fringe Tiara continued to be worn by Queen Kurshiah in her widowhood, for numerous ceremonies well into her old age, including when her daughter, the Sultan of Kedah served as the 5th Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia between 1970 and 1975, and seems to have been inherited by her younger daughter, Tunku Shahariah, who is married into the Johor Royal Family.
The Diamond Fringe Tiara continues to be a family heirloom, being most recently worn by Queen Kurshiah’s namesake great-granddaughter, Tunku Kurshiah Aminah Binti Tunku Abu Bakar, for her Wedding to Mohamad Zaini Bin Mohd Zaid in January 2019. There is no doubt this spectacular heirloom will be worn for years to come!
Tiara Mania