The jewels of the Fox Strangways have not received much, if any, attention.
For those like me who know little about the family surnames of most of the aristocratic families in the UK, Fox Strangways is the surname of the Earls of Ilchester.
I have only looked at the wedding gifts given to two brides -- Lady Mary Dawson who married the 5th Earl in February 1872 and Lady Helen Vane Tempest-Stewart, daughter of the 6th Marquis of Londonderry, who married the 6th Earl of Ilchester in 1902.
The gifts given to Lady Mary Dawson were lavish. Whether all the jewels given by her husband were newly acquired for her (like Empress Eugenie's black pearl necklace) or were family jewels is something I would like to explore further.
Some indication of the gifts given to Mary, Countess of Ilchester.
Her bridal jewels including some from her parents.
Her wedding gifts.
And
As I mentioned in the post below, I have never found any images of Mary, Countess of Ilchester, much less any showing her in grand jewels. This is important as I cannot find any point of reference for deciding who originally "owned" the tiara which can be seen in later photographs of her daughter-in-law.
The daughter-in-law was Lady Helen Stewart, daughter of the 6th Marquis of Londonderry. For her wedding in 1902 she was given some significant jewels by her family and the Ilchester family.
Lady Helen's bridal jewels which included wedding gifts.
Wedding gifts
This item includes information that her father's present included the Antrim jewels which had been reset.
It is significant that the remodeled Antrim jewels included a diamond tiara, described as a "high tiara".
Another report
Helen, Countess of Ilchester features prominently in the press but, except for photos of her at hunt meetings etc, I have not found photos of her wearing grand jewels until the late 1930s.
In all the instances where she is featured wearing a tiara, it is the same one. Was this the Ilchester tiara given to Lady Mary when she married or was it part of the remodeled Antrim jewels which she, formerly Lady Helen, received as a wedding gift? So far I have no clues about this.
1937
1935
The next time I found this tiara being worn was by her granddaughter, Lady Teresa Fox Strangways for her wedding to Viscount Galway in November 1953.
Detail
I know that on her site Ursula has classified this tiara as a Galway jewel, arguing that it was a "altered lower version" of a tiara worn by the grandmother of the groom,
See
https://royal-magazin.de/england/nobles/galway-viscountess-tiara-damond-bandeau-tiara-jewelhistory.htm but the photographic evidence proves that it was worn by Lady Teresa Fox Strangways' paternal grandmother, Helen, Countess of Ilchester.
What I have no knowledge of is whether this was the tiara given to Mary, Countess of Ilchester for her wedding or was one given to Helen,Countess of Ilchester for her wedding.
Perhaps others who know more about how to date styles might be able to give us some clues.