Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Queen Zein al-Sharaf of Jordan, who passed away on this day in 1994! The trailblazing Queen Regent and mother of the beloved King Hussein, Queen Zein, owned this spectacular Diamond Tiara which is now worn by her accomplished daughter, Princess Basma.
A dense composition of modern Diamond Scrolls, the Tiara is of unknown provenance, but was probably acquired around the time the Emirate of Jordan gained independence from Britain and became an independent Kingdom in 1946.
The most notable appearance of the Diamond Tiara on Queen Zein came at the first Wedding of her son, King Hussein of Jordan, to Princess Dina of Hijaz, at the Raghdan Palace in Amman in 1955. Queen Zein was the Jordanian Queen for only a year, but served as Queen Regent for her husband and later her son, King Hussein, continuing to dominate the Court of her son for the next four decades.
Queen Zein was photographed wearing her Diamond Tiara on several occasions, most notably portraits in the 1970s and the 1980s.
In 1970, Queen Zein loaned her Diamond Tiara to her only daughter, Princess Basma, for her Wedding to Colonel Timoor Daghistani, now the Jordanian ambassador to the United Kingdom. Later on in the 1970s, she wore Princess Muna’s Diamond Scroll Tiara so it seems the Diamond Tiara didn’t come into Princess Basma’s possession until Queen Zein’s death in 1994.
Princess Basma remains an active member of the Jordanian Royal Family and has accompanied King Abdullah and Queen Rania on State Visits, so in 2001, she wore Queen Zein’s Tiara for a State Banquet at Windsor Castle during the Jordanian State Visit to Britain.
In 2004, Princess Basma loaned Queen Zein’s Diamond Scroll Tiara to her elder daughter, Farah Al Daghistani, for her wedding to Saud Abdul Aziz Suleiman, a fitting link to her late grandmother.
Princess Basma has worn Queen Zein’s Diamond Tiara on numerous occasions in Brunei, where she attended the Wedding of the Crown Prince of Brunei in 2004 and quite a few of the Sultan’s Birthday Celebrations over the years in addition to the Jordanian State Visit to Brunei in 2008.
Most recently, Princess Basma wore Queen Zein’s Diamond Tiara for the Banquet celebrating the Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman last year. There is no doubt we will continue to see this Royal Heirloom worn for years to come!