Downton Abbey: Is jewellery in film inspired by royal collection? Similarities revealed

The Downton Abbey movie has been released and will follow on from the popular ITV period drama. The film follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants and some stunning pieces of jewellery can be seen in the film, which is set in the early 20th century. Three tiaras fit for a royal were supplied by the Mayfair dealership for the film and they have some key similarities with royal pieces. Tiaras and lavish pieces of jewellery are often associated with the Royal Family, did the film take inspiration from the royal collection?

The film shows the characters wear a late Victorian diamond tiara, an Edwardian diamond tiara and a Victorian diamond foliate tiara.

Late Victorian diamond tiara

The tiara has nine diamond-set fleur-de-lis motifs with brilliant-cut diamond tops.

The diamonds are estimated to weight a total of 15cts and are set in silver to a yellow gold mount.

However, this design seems to draw some similarities to a prominent tiara in the royal collection, which also has a fleur-de-lis design.

Eddie LeVian, CEO of jeweller Le Vian, told Express.co.uk: “The tiara Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wore for her wedding day, the day she became a royal, was commissioned for her by the Queen and is widely believed to have been made up of four pieces of Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet.

“Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet was made with a set of detachable fleur-de-lis, Maltese cross, and anthemion elements that could be swapped out and rearranged.”

Edwardian diamond tiara

This tiara also draws similarities to the design worn by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and it has floral motifs which continue out from the centre.

Describing Sophie’s tiara, Eddie said: “The tiara is composed of four anthemion elements – these are sections composed of twisting diamond floral motifs, set on a gold frame.”

The Edwardian tiara was set with old brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds and weighs an estimated 8cts.

It has a yellow gold mount with a detachable frame and can be concertised into a coronet.

Victorian diamond foliate tiara

The design featured a central diamond surrounded by a graduating foliate and scroll design.

It is set with old-brilliant-cut diamonds weight a total of 16.5cts and is set in a silver to yellow gold mount with a detachable gold frame which can be converted into a necklace.

At her wedding, Kate Middleton borrowed a Cartier halo tiara from the royal collection. This was originally called the Cartier Scroll tiara and featured a similar scroll design.

Like some of the designs chosen for the film, Meghan also wore a tiara from the royal collection which had a detachable element.

She wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara which was had a central detachable brooch surrounded by 10 round diamonds.

The film is set inside Highclere Castle, a Grade I listed property thought to be worth £137 million.