The Cameo Tiara

cameo tiaraPhoto: Linda Broström/The Royal Court of Sweden




The Cameo Tiara, which belongs to the Swedish royal family, was originally a gift from Emperor Napoleon I of France to his first wife, Josephine, in 1809. It was part of a parure that also included a necklace, bracelet, and earrings. A brooch was later added.

The cameos on the gold tiara are surrounded by seed pearls, and there is not a single diamond.

cameo tiara

Josephine of Leuchtenberg wearing the tiara (public domain)

It was inherited by Josephine’s son, Eugene de Beauharnais, who then passed it to his daughter, Josephine of Leuchtenberg. She passed the parure to her daughter, Princess Eugenie, and she passed it to her nephew, Prince Eugen. Eugen then gave the parure to Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a wedding gift in 1932. She became the mother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and the parure has remained with the Swedish royal family since then.1

Over time, the Cameo Tiara has become a wedding favourite. It was worn by King Carl XVI Gustaf’s two sisters, Princess Birgitta and Princess Desiree, as well as his wife, Queen Silvia. It was most recently worn as a bridal tiara by his daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, for her wedding in 2010.

  1. The Court Jeweller

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