#lorimers: queen catherine

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The Royal Jewels of Iverny (part 1)

Queen Catherine's Emerald Diadem

Out of any tiara in the Ivernian royal collection, none are more closely associated with one specific member of the royal family than the emerald and diamond kokoshnik often worn by Princess Claudia, Princess Royal. While it is lovingly called "Princess Claudia's Tiara" by both the public and the royal family, the tiara is formally known as Queen Catherine's Emerald Diadem.

In 1891, Grand Duchess Yekaterina Alexandrovna of Russia, a great-granddaughter of Emperor Paul I of Russia, was betrothed to the third son of King Philip III of Iverny and Queen Mary Josephine, Prince Richard, the future Duke of Ettinger. As a wedding gift, the bride's parents commissioned a kokoshnik tiara set with emeralds from the collections of the bride's grandmothers, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna. The young Yekaterina was delighted, and the tiara became a beloved reminder of home as she entered in to a new chapter of life in Iverny as Duchess of Ettinger.

After the tragic and sudden death of her niece Queen Jane II in the fall of 1918, Catherine stepped into her new role as consort alongside her husband, the newly crowned King Richard V. Her emerald kokoshnik tiara was worn for countless state dinners, galas, balls, and portraits throughout her eight-year tenure as queen, and into the 1930s and 1940s in her role as Queen Mother.

In 1949, on the occasion of her granddaughter's 15th birthday, Queen Catherine gifted the tiara to King Arthur V's only daughter, Princess Catherine. The young Princess Royal was said to be "positively elated" by the gift from her namesake. The Princess Royal wore the tiara regularly up until the early 1970s, when she gifted it to her niece, Princess Claudia. Reportedly, the note given to Princess Claudia alongside the tiara read "from one Princess Royal to Another, from your dear Aunt Cathy."

Princess Claudia first debuted Queen Catherine's Emerald Diadem in 1972. Over the past fifty years, the Princess Royal has worn the tiara almost exclusively, from her brother's coronation in 1976 to her own wedding in 1988 to nearly every state dinner. It is unknown if the Princess Royal will continue to wear the tiara into her old age, or if she will pass it on to her own niece, the junior Princess Royal, Princess Caroline, Countess Hatheway, as many anticipate.

HRH Catherine, Duchess of Ettinger, wears the yet-unnamed tiara in a portrait photograph, 1893.

HM Queen Catherine's first official painted portrait in her role as Queen consort, 1921.

HRH Princess Catherine, Princess Royal, wears her grandmother's Emerald Diadem at the French State Dinner, 1957.

HRH Princess Claudia, Princess Royal, shakes hands with guests at His Majesty's Charity Benefit Gala in Gaucelin, 1980.

post inspired by @warwickroyals 💙

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The Duke of Ettinger, second son of the King of Iverny, slurped up the last prawn of his shrimp cocktail in a noisy display. It was the annual Advent Ball, and he and his royal siblings sat gathered around a table in the banquet hall, ignoring the dozens of foreign dignitaries and noble guests from around the world eager for a chance to speak to the very people that had invited them. Unfortunately, the Duke was preoccupied with other, more pressing matters.

"My God," he said, now drinking the rest of the cocktail sauce like you would a beverage, "Did you see what Lord Houston brought around the other day?"

Very pressing matters, indeed.

"Don't start, Rupert," said Antonia, weary before her brother even began telling the story. "Aunt Jo and Aunt Toria are in earshot and you know how displeased they get when you... speak your mind."

"Forgive me, sister," said the man who had never forgiven anyone in his life and wasn't going to start now, "but I don't care what our spinster aunt and her English companion (Tatiana scoffed at this.) have to say on this. You sit at the gentlemen's table, you pay the price."

Antonia huffed, desperately tired, as she watched her brother switch from drinking cocktail sauce to actual wine. "This is patently not the gentlemen's table and never was–"

"As I was saying," Rupert continued, eager to recount his exploits to his unwilling audience. "Last weekend after a rowdy evening with Earl Searn's brother and the Guillory cousins, we saw none other than Lord Houston, emissary of virtue himself, walking through Queen's Park with an awfully redheaded woman on his arm–"

Tatiana began to yawn.

"This is petty gossip," said Antonia. "You said yourself that such things are womanly and beneath you. As recent as last week, in fact."

"Go on, brother," said Philip, who was only seventeen but still should have known better.

Rupert drank another sip of wine before continuing. "I knew she was none other than Ernestine, from that O'Conner family that made a quick fortune in America and then lost it all in some kind of legal dispute,” he said, finishing up the last of his steak. “And now they're here, in Iverny, trying to rub elbows with the Houstons of all people! I was worried he’d bring her tonight, but he’s been sensible by bringing his sister instead."

Antonia blinked. "Corrinne or Jennie?" she asked, but her brother didn't answer.

"Oh, he’s a widower, Rupert. I think he ought to follow his heart," said Tatiana, ever the idealist.

"Well, she’s a large step down from Gisele, if you ask me. David’s making a mistake.” Rupert patted his mouth with a napkin. “They should really bring forth a morganatic rule through the Assembly, forbid these sorts of unwholesome unions."

Rupert laughed. "You know how it is with those sorts of brides. Weak stock."

The banquet hall, now only a third occupied this late into the meal, fell completely silent.

Antonia stared at Tatiana, who stared at Philip, who stared at Arthur, who stared at Rupert.

Arthur, the eldest son but not the eldest child, the Prince of Romilly, the Crown Prince, God-willing one day King Arthur the Fifth of Iverny, could have done any number of things in that moment, none of them befitting of a king or his progeny. His childhood weakness, said his father, was deferring to his elder sisters, and his cousin, God rest her soul. He knew Helena would have told him to be quiet and take the abuse, no matter how much it hurt. He knew Antonia would have told him to make a scene and dish it back, he could read that in her face right now. He knew Jane, taken from their family and their nation too soon, would have devised some clever way to undermine Rupert in the long-term without him realizing it.

But he was not Helena, nor Antonia, nor Jane.

He was Arthur.

He looked at his younger brother, and spoke softly, a one-word warning.

"Rupert."

Rupert smirked, but it was uneasy. "Struck a nerve, did I, brother?"

Frances not yet cold in her grave, barely a year and a half, her three sons motherless for all time, and his brother asks if he struck a nerve.

For just a moment, Rupert's smirk faltered.

Arthur rose from his seat. "Excuse me."

All eyes in the room fell upon the siblings' table in a way that would have been mortifying to Antonia if she weren't so angry.

"Look, now Mother is displeased," said Philip, watching his eldest brother walk past the table where the Queen sat, a baleful tension in her shoulders and brows. Aunt Jo and Aunt Toria followed suit.

"Our mother is always displeased," said Rupert, smile wiped from his face as he pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket.

"Ugh, you're such a rat, Rupert. This is why Artie doesn't sit with us anymore," said Tatiana.

"I so dearly miss Jane. She never tolerated any of your nonsense. Come on, Tanya, Philip," said Antonia as she rose from the table. "I think I've had quite enough of our second brother for one evening. Perhaps even for a month."

They left the Duke of Ettinger to his table, alone.

Part 2 later this week. Part 2.

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Lorimer: Decades of Style - 2010s

HRH Dahlia, The Duchess of Westcott, née Lady Dahlia Tindale (born June 2, 1985) married Prince Patrick at Herriot Cathedral in Gaucelin, Iverny on June 14, 2008. She is the younger daughter of Earl Stuart Tindale and his late ex-wife Lady Ramona Houston, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Laura and a prominent member of Ivernian aristocracy in her own right. The Duchess of Westcott’s mother was a notable socialite and activist for nearly twenty years up until her tragic death in 1999. Lady Dahlia and her sister Adella were childhood playmates of the King and Queen’s children, but Lady Dahlia did not become romantically linked to Prince Patrick until 2005. Following their 2008 engagement and wedding, the Duchess became an international fashion icon, renown for her timeless and elegant monochromatic taste. She shares with her husband the patronage of the Royal Ivernian Arts Council and follows in her mother’s footsteps as a champion of ending childhood hunger around the globe.

April 2011- The Duke and Duchess of Westcott attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton in London, England in place of HM The King. The Duchess wore a royal blue silk dress with a matching fascinator.

October 2012- The Duchess of Westcott, in a charming hunter green wool dress and mustard heels, speaks with physicians, nurses, and medical assistants at the Royal Lorain Hospital.

May 2013- The Duchess of Westcott wows at the annual Chanterry Film Festival in a bespoke strapless white gown and matching opera gloves. She paired the gown with Queen Joan's Pearl Garland Necklace.

July 2014- The Duchess attends an engagement on behalf of the Royal Children's Trust in a short-sleeved rose pink dress and matching hat. After the announcement of her third pregnancy in April 2014, the Duchess debuted a new shoulder-length bob hairstyle. The hairstyle was unfortunately short lived, as the Duchess returned to her signature long waves by 2016.

September 2014- The Duke and Duchess of Westcott attend the Caerinion State Dinner. The Duchess's appearance at this dinner was unexpected, and was her last appearance before the birth of her daughter Princess Frederica in October 2014. However, the Duchess still amazed in a seafoam green Grecian-inspired dress and the Maloret Garland Tiara.

March 2016- The Duchess of Westcott speaks to a young student at St. Anne's Primary School in Bethencort. The Duchess wore a beautiful red lace pencil dress and matching heels.

December 2017- The Duchess, wearing a shimmering metallic lavender evening gown, speaks with guests at the annual Advent Ball at Clemons Palace. The Duchess paired the bespoke gown with her late mother's Houston Arch Tiara, on loan to her from her grandmother, Sophie Styrne-Montague Houston, Duchess of Plamondon.

September 2019- The Duchess poses with her youngest child, Princess Frederica of Westcott, outside Wreatham Park Chapel before the wedding of The Prince Joseph and Miss Penelope Medeiros. The Duchess wore a canary yellow coatdress with pieces of the Pugh Ruby Parure.

other decades in this series