She was the royal bride everyone wanted to see and her wedding to one of the most sought after princes in the world made headlines around the world. As befitted this very regal marriage, the presents included a dazzling diamond tiara that went on to become a family heirloom.

In the winter of 1934, London was alight with excitement over the marriage of a beautiful princess and a handsome prince. George, fourth son of George V and Queen Mary, was to wed Princess Marina of Greece and to mark the moment, some of the wealthiest people in the capital banded together to give the bride a stunning set of jewels.

The City of London presented Princess Marina with an all diamond diadem in the rather fashionable fringe style. They obviously knew the bride’s taste well for she was rather fond of a fringe. On her wedding day, as the brand new City of London tiara sparkled amidst the traditional display of wedding gifts, the princess wore one of her mother’s fringe tiaras to complete her bridal outfit.

However, the glittering and new soon became a favourite of this hugely popular royal bride after her wedding. And when the Royal Family needed some stylish sparkle at one of its darkest times, Marina reached for her wedding gift.

Soon after her royal wedding, Marina’s new family was rocked by the death of King George V. His passing, in January 1936, led to an even greater drama. Just eleven months later, his successor, Edward VIII, gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Marina’s shy brother in law was now King George VI. And at his Coronation, Marina wore the City of London fringe tiara.

She would continue to wear it throughout his reign and that of his daughter, Elizabeth II. By the time her niece took the throne, Marina was a widow as George, Duke of Kent had died in a plane crash during World War Two. However, his duchess remained one of the most high profile members of the Royal Family, carrying out many high profile engagements.

The City of London tiara was a favourite pick of hers for some of the most glamourous events. It’s a standard kokoshnik style tiara, of the kind that had become a bit of a go to for royalty in the first half of the 20th century.

But as well as being regal and rather classic, this tiara also took on a sentimental value. In 1964, Marina’s only daughter, Princess Alexandra, wore it on her wedding day and that tradition has continued. Marina died in 1968 but a decade later, the bride of her younger son also wore it. When Marie-Christine von Reibnitz wed Prince Michael of Kent, it was the City of London tiara that she chose.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s own daughter, Lady Gabriella, wore it for her wedding to Thomas Kingston in 2019.

It was a touching tribute to a grandmother she never met and another chapter in the story of a sparkling tiara that began as a very on trend wedding gift for the princess everyone wanted to see during a winter when the world was on edge.