Grand Duchess Hilda’s Floral Tiara

Grand Duchess Hilda’s Floral Tiara once belonged to Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden, who was born a Princess of Nassau.

Hilda wore it for her wedding to Frederick II, the future Grand Duke of Baden, in 1885.

Hilda in her wedding dress (Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe 69 Baden, Sammlung 1995 F I Nr. 2164, CC BY 4.0)

The tiara features five large flowers and six smaller blossoms surrounded by foliage. Some of it can be detached and turned into a brooch, bracelets or a comb. It was commissioned by Hilda’s father, the future Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, on the occasion of her engagement to Frederick. It was made by the jeweller Jakob Speltz und Söhne.

Hilda wore the tiara for a portrait taken upon her husband’s accession in 1907 (public domain)

Hilda and Frederick did not have any children together. They were dethroned in 1918, and her husband died in 1928. She lived mainly on Mainau, a private island on Lake Constance, and was in close contact with her family. She was especially close to her brother’s daughters. When Hilda died in 1952, she left this tiara to her niece, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Grand Duchess Charlotte frequently wore the tiara during the 1950s and 1960s, including on this visit to the United States.

President John F. Kennedy and Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg descend the Grand Staircase for a dinner in honour of the Grand Duchess (public domain)

After the Grand Duchess’s abdication in 1964, the tiara disappeared from view. It became clear only later that it had been inherited by her daughter, Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg, Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg.

In 2025, the property was owned by Swiss dealer Thomas Faerber, so it had been sold at some point.¹

1. The Royal Watcher