Extras - Courtney in a rejected version of the Gordon Aquamarine Kokoshnik. In my original plan, she actually got to wear the tiara somewhere following the wedding, but I didn't like this tiara all that much. Plus I prefer the idea of having an unseen tiara that's been sitting in the vault for over half a century. Someone will wear it eventually (probably!)
Many tiaras within the royal vault are instantly recognizable, being worn by noted members of the family for most of their adult lives. Some, however, are more mysterious and have yet to be worn in public at all. The Gordon Aquamarine Kokoshnik is one of the more evasive tiaras in the vault, with its existence only being hinted at for the better part of seventy years.
The tiara didn't enter royal hands through inheritance but through a substantial acquisition of jewellery. In 1962, King James II and Queen Katherine purchased an unknown amount of high jewels from their friend, Dame Martha Gordon. One of the acquired tiaras, the Gordon Lattice Tiara, became a favourite of the Queen, but a second aquamarine tiara was never worn in public. The reason for this is unknown, it's possible the tiara wasn't to the Queen's taste or that she did wear the tiara in private. Whatever the reason, evidence of the tiara was fickle until the early 21st century.
However, there is evidence of the tiara's previous owner wearing the jewel. The well-travelled Mrs. Gordon was a frequent guest in royal circles and she was noted to be wearing a "halo-shaped tiara of aquamarines and diamonds" to the 1954 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Glencairin. In 1939, Martha commissioned the tiara from Boucheron after she was awe-struck by a similar piece owned by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden. The tiara was recreated down to the enormous aquamarines and delicate lattice patterning.
In early 2004, the tiara had a rare opportunity to emerge from the vault when Courtney Borroughs-Parker, the fiancée of King Louis V's second son Prince Phillip, chose it as her preferred bridal diadem. Media reports around the time claimed that Courtney had "fallen in love" with a tiara "with huge aquamarines that complimented her blue eyes perfectly". Many assumed the aquamarine tiara was the more popular Georgiyevna Tiara, but it was later revealed to be a "mystery tiara" that had never been seen before.
However, in the weeks that followed, it was reported that Courtney had run into a roadblock in the form of Queen Irene's senior dresser, Diana Keating. Mrs. Keating, known as the gatekeeper of the royal family's private jewels, refused to clear the tiara for Courtney's use. Why Keating made this choice is unknown, but the ensuing drama cultivated in Queen Irene scolding her future daughter-in-law for "causing a scene". Ultimately, King Louis V purchased a tiara new tiara for Courtney. This tiara, known as the Woodbine Diamond Tiara, was the only tiara Courtney wore publicly during her marriage. The aquamarine kokoshnik once again returned to the vault, and hasn't been whispered of since. When or if the tiara will finally get its day in the sun remains a mystery, hopefully, we won't have to wait another 70 years.
Courtney, Duchess of Woodbine, poses in the tiara in an informal photograph that was later sent to her fiancé via email