Tiara Worn by Late Queen Elizabeth’s Lady-in-Waiting Smashes Its Estimate
The 19th-century dazzler sold for more than $251,000
A tiara with ties to the late Queen Elizabeth and her grandmother, Queen Mary, smashed its presale estimates this week when it sold for over $251,000. The Airlie Tiara, which belonged to Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, led the London Jewelry auction hosted by Lyon & Turnbull and was expected to fetch $93,000.
Ogilvy, who was the first American-born Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II, inherited the tiara once worn by her grandmother-in-law, Mabell Gore, Countess of Airlie. Mabell was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, who at the time was the Princess of Wales. Ogilvy wore the tiara to numerous openings of parliament, state openings, official overseas visits, state banquets, and more.
Other highlights from her collection included a Fabergé nephrite and ruby objet that sold for over $22,000, a circa-1925 Cartier cigarette case that sold for over $14,000, and a Lalaounis onyx bangle that sold for over $8,700.
According to the auction house, Ogilvy and her husband, David, were part of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s social circle, often joining the pair at Sandringham and Balmoral. She would become one of the Queen’s closest confidants. Ogilvy, who died in August 2024, fostered a deep devotion to the arts, serving on the Royal Fine Art Commission and as a trustee of the Friends of the Tate and the National Gallery. She was also chair of the American Museum in Britain and sat on the board of the National Galleries of Scotland.
“The results highlight a continued enthusiasm for exceptional craftsmanship and provenance, reaffirming Lyon & Turnbull’s position as one of the United Kingdom’s leading auctioneers of fine jewelry,” the auction house said in a statement.