The British royal family adores pearl tiaras, but they are not the only ones. The Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara, an heirloom gem possessed by Monaco’s royals, is a counterpart to Kate Middleton’s adored Lover’s Knot Tiara.
The legendary French jewelry firm created the tiara in the early twentieth century, and generations of princesses have worn it—with one significant exception. Princess Grace of Monaco (also known as actress Grace Kelly) never publicly donned the Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara. It is unclear whether she acquired it from her mother-in-law, Princess Charlotte of Monaco, after the latter died in 1977. It is currently included in the ‘Palais des Princes’ collection.
Grace’s daughter, Princess Caroline of Monaco, commonly known as Princess of Hanover, is the royal most closely linked with the tiara today. Caroline has worn the sparkling diadem multiple times since the 1980s, including at a 2012 gala in Luxembourg.
Discover the enigmatic history of the brilliant Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara.
The House of Grimaldi’s Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara is lavish, as are most royal headpieces. According to The Royal Watcher, it has a gold and platinum frame adorned with diamonds in a classic scroll design. Nine pearl drops are suspended between the arches of the tiara.
Princess Charlotte, born in French Algeria in 1898, followed an unusual path to royal life. She was the illegitimate daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and cabaret singer Marie Juliette Louvet; she was not considered a member of the Grimaldi line until her father adopted her in 1919, according to The New York Times. She was also given the title Duchess of Valentinois by her grandfather, Prince Albert I.
A year later, in 1920, the Duchess married Prince Pierre. Some sources say she received the Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara as a wedding gift, while others (like The Court Jeweller) say she had it made in the 1940s.
She divorced Pierre in 1944, relinquishing the kingdom to their son Rainier, but retained her opulent jewelry collection. According to The Times, Charlotte fled Monaco for France and began dating René Girier, a well-known former jewel thief.
The late Princess was photographed once wearing the Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara (via The Royal Watcher) on April 18, 1956, the day before her son’s wedding to Grace. That evening, she attended a gala concert at the Royal Opera House to celebrate the upcoming wedding.
