As a brooch Queen Victoria had made to celebrate her daughter's engagement comes up for sale... how Princess Louise's wedding tiara was worn by model Jodie Kidd on her own big day 130 years later
It was a union that caused a family scandal and left the future King Edward VII fuming.
In 1871, the Prince of Wales's younger sister, Princess Louise, controversially married a commoner (the first time a royal had done so since 1515) - albeit a very wealthy one, the Marquess of Lorne.
But Queen Victoria, who adored Louise, was less upset - even if she had endeavoured to marry off her nine offspring to the royal families of Europe.
Now, an engraved granite brooch that the monarch had made to celebrate her daughter's engagement in 1870 is set to sell at auction today.
The piece, which has a green enamel border, is engraved with the Queen's initials, the date and the location of the Marquess's proposal: Dhu Loch on Her Majesty's beloved Balmoral estate in Scotland.
The brooch, which also boasts a gold garland wreath, is one of several matching ones that the Queen gave to those closest to Louise.
In 1871, the Prince of Wales' younger sister, Princess Louise, controversially married a commoner (for the first time since 1515) - albeit a very wealthy one, the Marquess of Lorne
An engraved granite brooch that Queen Victoria had made to celebrate her daughter's engagement in 1870 is set to sell at auction today
It is thought that the brooches were made by a local jeweller: M Rettie & Sons of Aberdeen.
The one up for sale is tipped to sell for up to £400, via Fellows, an auction house based in London and Birmingham.
Princess Louise's wedding took place in March 1871 at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
The Illustrated London News described Louise's 'rich white satin dress and veil, trimmed with Honiton lace trim and decorated with blossoms'.
The Princess was given a spectacular collection of bejewelled presents; many of which remain in the Royal Family.
She left her jewellery collection to Prince George, Duke of Kent.
As a wedding present, Victoria gave her daughter a large emerald and diamond set in a bracelet.
Although there are no paintings of photographs of Louise wearing the piece, it was converted to a brooch and frequently worn by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent and most recently Princess Michael of Kent.
Both wore the emerald with a huge baroque pearl, the Vladimir Pearl, suspended from it as a brooch.
Victoria also gave Louise a tiara. Fast forward more than a century, and when Jodie Kidd married Aidan Butler in 2005, the model wore a tiara that she said was Louise's.
When model Jodie Kidd married Aidan Butler in 2005, she wore a tiara that she claimed Victoria gave to Louise when she married in 1871. Above: Kidd wearing the tiara on her wedding day, at St Peter's Church in Twineham, West Sussex, September 2005
Princess Louise's husband, the Marquess of Lorne, became the 9th Duke of Argyll in 1900. He died in 1914
The one up for sale is tipped to sell for up to £400, via Fellows, an auction house based in London and Birmingham
Princess Louise's wedding took place in March 1871 at St George's Chapel, Windsor
Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne, later Duchess of Argyll. She passed away in 1939
Princess Louise (left) seen with her mother Queen Victoria and sister Princess Alice at Balmoral in 1863, two years after the death of Prince Albert
Kidd said: 'My grandmother Bumby left it to me when she passed away in 1988.
'I think she wore it to her wedding--or one of them, she married quite a few times! Queen Victoria gave it to her fourth daughter Princess Louise when she married the 9th Duke of Argyll, and when my grandmother married the 11th Duke in 1927, it was passed on to her. I feel honoured to be wearing it.'
Louise's three younger siblings, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold, and Princess Beatrice, gifted her three Garrard diamond set daisies - one of which was worn by the Princess on her wedding day, to secure her veil.
The set consisted of one large daisy and a pair of smaller ones. She also wore them pinned in her hair in a beautiful portrait, painted by Heinrich Von Angeli for Victoria.
After her death in 1939, the diamond daisies were often worn by Princess Marina as brooches - the largest with the Vladimir pearl suspended.
Princess Michael of Kent playfully turned the two smaller daisies into earrings and all three into a Daisy Diadem.
The Princess, perhaps partly because she was marrying a Scottish peer, was so beloved by the people of Balmoral that they collaborated to raise £250 (the equivalent of more than £25,000 now) to purchase a pearl and diamond necklace and earring set.
The piece comprised of 24 Scottish river pearls, surrounded by tiny diamonds and interlinked with brushed gold and blue enamel accents - a design repeated in the earrings and brooch.
It was created by Sanderson & Son's of Prince's Street in Edinburgh.
As a wedding present, Victoria gave her daughter a large emerald and diamond set in a bracelet. Although there are no paintings of photographs of Louise wearing the piece, it was converted to a brooch and frequently worn by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent and most recently Princess Michael of Kent. Both wore the emerald with a huge baroque pearl, the Vladimir Pearl. Above: Seen on Princess Michael of Kent in 2016
Princess Michael of Kent playfully turned the two smaller daisies gifted to Princess Louise to for her wedding into a daisy diadem. Above: Princess Michael wearing the diadem with her husband Prince Michael
From her in-laws she received a necklace set with diamonds and pearls.
The necklace appears like a lace ribbon. It is set with 190 diamonds in interlocking rectangles, which are interspersed with 13 rosettes of natural pearls, surrounded by a halo of more diamonds.
A locket is suspended from the lowermost rosette; the central pearl, encircled by two halos of a mixture of cuts of diamonds.
And from this a pear-shaped sapphire and pavé diamond set pendant hangs from a twig of myrtle set with emeralds - the Clan Campbell's emblematic plant.
Princess Louise and her husband, who became the 9th Duke of Argyll on his father's death in 1900, never had any children.
The Duke died of pneumonia in 1914.
Widowed Louise lived in Kensington Palace until her death and she left her jewels to Prince George and Princess Marina, the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
Her jewels have not been seen for a while - but of course, like with the Queen Mother's Strathmore Tiara - they will never be forgotten and hopefully, will be worn again.
