To mark the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Eileen, the 5th Duchess of Sutherland today, I've published my research on the Duchess of Sutherland’s Tiara today, HERE. While I was able to find a variety of fascinating pictures of the Duchess and the 5th Duke's second wife wearing the tiara (or parts of it), I also discovered three thefts that took place in the early 1950s, at which the Tiara was likely stolen and is thus lost to us!




The only description of jewels given at the time of the first theft from Sutton Place in 1950 is "many of the missing pieces are Sutherland Heirlooms. They include the famous Marie Antoinette Jewels which had have been in the family for 150 years."

However, it seems that a Diamond Rivière composed of massive Diamonds (which were given to the 1st Duchess, wife of the then British Ambassador to France, by Queen Marie Antoinette when she was arrested) survived the thefts and was exhibited through the 50s and 60s. Some of Marie Antoinette's jewels also formed the necklace which came up at auction a few years ago.