The Boucheron Lotus Flower Tiara| Royal Jewel History Curzon Earl of Howe

A Historic Wedding Jewel Identified in a Photograph of Fiona Howard Bent, 1966

An exquisite diamond tiara by the celebrated Parisian jeweller Boucheron, dating from the late nineteenth century, has reappeared more than a century after its creation. The rediscovery of this remarkable jewel has also revealed a fascinating connection to a fashionable wedding in British aristocratic society.

The Boucheron Lotus Flower Diamond Tiara has been identified in a historic wedding photograph showing Fiona Howard Bent, who married Noel Davies-Barker, stepson of the 6th Earl Howe, in London in May 1966.

The identification provides an important new chapter in the history of the jewel. While its earlier ownership remains to be established, the photograph documents the tiara being worn by a named bride on a particular occasion.

The discovery is especially interesting because the distinctive floral composition of the Boucheron tiara can be recognised in the historical photograph. Its central diamond-set ornament, sweeping scrolls, delicate branches and individual diamonds mounted on slender stems correspond to the surviving jewel.

An Elegant Creation by Frédéric Boucheron

The tiara represents an exceptional example of the artistic transition from traditional nineteenth-century jewellery to the emerging Art Nouveau movement.

Frédéric Boucheron was fascinated by the natural world and by the new artistic forms that developed towards the end of the nineteenth century. His creations frequently combined the technical refinement of traditional French high jewellery with increasingly fluid and naturalistic designs.

The Lotus Flower Diamond Tiara reflects this development.

Its elaborate composition features intertwined diamond-set scrolls, stylised foliage and delicate floral sprays. The central ornament rises above the surrounding branches, creating an elegant arrangement of leaves and diamond-tipped stems.

The slender knife-edge settings allow individual diamonds to appear almost suspended above the floral design. The openwork construction gives the tiara a remarkable sense of lightness, while the sweeping curves introduce the movement and naturalism associated with Art Nouveau.

The composition combines the symmetry and refinement of traditional tiara design with the more expressive floral forms that became increasingly fashionable around the turn of the century.

The jewel is signed Boucheron Paris and bears the maker's mark of the jewellery house, together with an additional mark, MD.

The diamonds have an estimated combined weight of approximately 20 to 22 carats. According to the recent technical description, their colours are predominantly H to I, with some J to K stones. Clarity ranges from VS to included examples.

The tiara measures approximately 60 mm at its highest point and has a gross weight of approximately 90 grams.

Like many important jewels created during the late nineteenth century, it was designed to be transformable.

The diamond-set ornament could also be worn as a necklace, allowing its owner to adapt the jewel to different occasions and styles of dress.

The present tiara frame is a later replacement. The original frame is no longer present, and the fittings used to attach the backchain have undergone alterations. Evidence of soldering is also visible on the reverse of the central motif.

These construction details are important when studying the jewel's history and comparing its present appearance with historical photographs.

The Boucheron Tiara at a Society Wedding in London

The historical photograph provides a remarkable connection between the surviving Boucheron jewel and British aristocratic society during the 1960s.

It shows Miss Fiona Howard Bent and Mr Noel Davies-Barker, whose wedding took place at Farm Street Church in Mayfair, London, on 25 May 1966.

Fiona is pictured wearing a delicate floral diamond tiara beneath her bridal veil, together with a pearl necklace.

The jewel can be identified as the Boucheron Lotus Flower Diamond Tiara through its distinctive arrangement of diamond-set scrolls, floral ornaments and elevated central motif.

Particularly recognisable are the slender stems rising above the central ornament, each crowned with a diamond, and the graceful branches extending towards the sides.

These characteristic details distinguish the tiara from other floral diamond ornaments of the period.

The historical photograph therefore provides a valuable visual record of the Boucheron jewel being worn at a wedding in 1966.

A contemporary society report independently confirms that Fiona Howard Bent wore a diamond tiara on the occasion.

The journalist described the bride's wedding dress and recorded that her veil was held in place by a diamond tiara.

The combination of the photograph and the contemporary written description provides an important foundation for reconstructing the jewel's later history.

Fiona Howard Bent, a London Debutante

Fiona Howard Bent was the daughter of Mr and Mrs John Howard Bent, whose family was associated with Buckinghamshire.

Her father was described in contemporary society reporting as a company director.

Fiona had been one of the attractive young debutantes of the preceding London social season.

During her season she participated in the Berkeley debutante dress show, one of the fashionable events associated with the presentation of young women entering British society.

In May 1966, a society column reported that the eighteen-year-old Fiona was expected to become engaged shortly to Noel Davies-Barker.

The announcement described her as one of the previous year's most attractive debutantes and identified her future husband as the stepson of the Earl Howe.

Noel was employed by a large can-manufacturing company.

When questioned about the forthcoming engagement, he explained that the couple hoped to become engaged soon, although the precise date had not yet been decided.

The report also mentioned that Noel was the half-brother of Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon.

The couple's forthcoming marriage consequently attracted attention within the society columns, particularly because of Noel's connection to the Howe family.

The Wedding at Farm Street Church, Mayfair

The marriage of Fiona Howard Bent and Noel Davies-Barker took place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair, one of London's best-known Roman Catholic churches.

A contemporary society correspondent attended the ceremony and recorded numerous details of the occasion.

The bride was given away by her father, John Howard Bent.

She wore a beautiful wedding gown of white spotted net, with her veil secured by the diamond tiara.

The journalist described Fiona as a pretty bride and specifically drew attention to the tiara holding her veil.

The wedding photograph shows how the delicate floral ornament was arranged above her forehead, its diamond-set branches rising beneath the soft folds of the bridal veil.

The combination of the tiara, veil and pearl necklace created an elegant bridal appearance.

The church was decorated with magnificent white flowers, providing a splendid setting for the ceremony.

The marriage service was conducted by L'Abbé Louis Richard, assisted by the Very Reverend J. R. Brooks, SJ.

The Six Bridesmaids

Fiona Howard Bent was attended by six bridesmaids, all wearing long pale-blue dresses with matching headdresses.

The contemporary wedding report names all six:

Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon

Lady Charlotte Anne Curzon

Miss Sally Gledhill

Princess Alexandra Galitzine

Lady Jacqueline Rufus Isaacs

Miss Loti Lucas

Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and Lady Charlotte Anne Curzon were Noel Davies-Barker's maternal half-sisters.

Their participation reflected the close relationship between the bridegroom and the family of his stepfather, Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe.

Princess Alexandra Galitzine represented another connection to aristocratic society, while the other bridesmaids belonged to the couple's wider family and social circle.

The pale-blue bridesmaids' dresses and matching headdresses provided a striking contrast to the bride's white wedding gown and diamond tiara.

The Two Wedding Pages

Two young pages also attended the bride:

Brian Mitchell and Mark Luscomb-Whyte.

Together with the six bridesmaids, they formed the bridal procession described in the contemporary society report.

Their presence contributed to the traditional character of the wedding ceremony, which brought together members of several prominent British families.

The Wedding Guests and Family Members

Among the family members and distinguished guests specifically mentioned in the contemporary wedding report were:

Mr John Howard Bent, the father of the bride, who accompanied Fiona to the altar and gave her away.

Mrs John Howard Bent, the bride's mother, who joined her husband in hosting the wedding reception.

Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe, the stepfather of Noel Davies-Barker.

Grace Lilian, Countess Howe, Noel's mother, whose second marriage had connected the Barker family with the Curzon family.

The Marquess of Reading and the Marchioness of Reading, who were also present at the ceremony.

The wedding report additionally refers to numerous other relatives and friends attending the service, although their individual names are not recorded in the available account.

The presence of the Earl and Countess Howe, the Marquess and Marchioness of Reading, Princess Alexandra Galitzine and members of the Curzon family illustrates the social connections surrounding the marriage.

The wedding was therefore not simply a private family celebration but an occasion attended by representatives of several prominent aristocratic circles.

The Wedding Reception at the Hyde Park Hotel

Following the ceremony, the bride's parents hosted a wedding reception at the Hyde Park Hotel in London.

The contemporary society correspondent explained that the day had been particularly busy, with several important events taking place across the capital.

The writer had travelled from Burlington House to Farm Street Church in Mayfair to attend the marriage of Fiona Howard Bent and Noel Davies-Barker.

After witnessing the ceremony, the correspondent departed directly for Merchant Taylors' Hall in Threadneedle Street, where another social engagement was taking place.

Consequently, the journalist was unable to attend the wedding reception at the Hyde Park Hotel.

The surviving report therefore provides a detailed account of the ceremony, the bride's appearance, the wedding attendants and several distinguished guests, but does not include a complete list of those who attended the reception.

Noel Davies-Barker and the Howe Family

Noel Davies-Barker was the son of Captain A. N. Barker and Grace Lilian Wakeling.

His mother subsequently married Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe (1908 to 1984), becoming his second wife.

The marriage took place on 30 April 1946.

Grace Lilian was the daughter of Stephen Frederick Wakeling of Durban, Natal, South Africa, and Mary Anna Hartley Tarr.

Through his mother's marriage to the Earl Howe, Noel became the Earl's stepson and entered the wider family circle of the Curzons.

Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe, had previously been married and was the father of daughters from his marriages.

His second marriage to Grace Lilian produced two daughters, Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon and Lady Charlotte Anne Curzon.

Both daughters participated in Noel's wedding to Fiona Howard Bent as bridesmaids.

Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon later became known through her own family connections. She was the mother of Isabella Calthorpe and Cressida Bonas.

Although Noel Davies-Barker was closely connected with the Howe family through his mother's marriage, he was not a hereditary heir to the earldom.

When Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe, died in 1984, the title passed to a collateral branch of the Curzon family.

The successor was Frederick Curzon, 7th Earl Howe.

The family history explains Noel's position within British aristocratic society and the presence of members of the Howe and Curzon families at his wedding.

It does not, however, establish whether the Boucheron tiara belonged to the Bent family, the Barker family or another relative.

The Historical Identification of the Boucheron Tiara

The most significant aspect of the rediscovery is the identification of the Boucheron tiara in the historical wedding photograph.

The jewel's distinctive design provides the basis for the comparison.

The central floral arrangement, diamond-set scrollwork, elevated diamond-tipped stems and delicate openwork branches are recognisable in the photograph of Fiona Howard Bent.

The contemporary wedding report supplies independent documentary evidence that Fiona wore a diamond tiara during the ceremony.

This combination of photographic and written evidence identifies an important occasion in the history of the Boucheron jewel.

The photograph also establishes that the tiara was still being worn as an elegant bridal ornament during the 1960s, several decades after its original creation.

Its appearance at the wedding demonstrates the continuing appeal of late nineteenth-century French diamond jewellery among members of British high society.

However, the precise circumstances in which Fiona obtained or wore the jewel have not yet been established.

It remains unknown whether the tiara was a family heirloom, a wedding gift, a recent acquisition or a jewel lent for the occasion.

Nor is there currently documentary evidence connecting its original purchase directly to the Howe family.

These questions remain important subjects for further research.

A Remarkable Jewel Reappears The Boucheron Lotus Flower Tiara| Royal Jewel History Curzon Earl of Howe

The Boucheron Lotus Flower Diamond Tiara resurfaced in November 2026 when it was offered at Sotheby's Geneva.

The jewel was presented as a late nineteenth-century Boucheron creation, distinguished by its floral ornamentation and transformable construction.

At the High Jewelry sale on 11 November 2026, it achieved CHF 166,400, considerably exceeding its estimate of CHF 35,000 to CHF 50,000.

Although the auction brought the jewel back into public view, its historical importance extends beyond the sale.

The identification of the tiara in the wedding photograph of Fiona Howard Bent provides a tangible connection between the surviving piece and its life as a fashionable ornament worn in British aristocratic society.

The photograph captures a particular moment in the jewel's history, showing how a creation by one of Paris's most celebrated jewellers was worn as bridal jewellery in London during the 1960s.

The Boucheron tiara is therefore more than an outstanding example of late nineteenth-century jewellery craftsmanship.

It is also a jewel with a developing provenance, one whose history can be reconstructed through contemporary photographs, society reports and family connections.

The discovery of its appearance at the wedding of Fiona Howard Bent and Noel Davies-Barker adds an important historical chapter to the story of this elegant diamond tiara.

Historical Sources and Documentation

Contemporary engagement announcement, May 1966

Society report describing Fiona Howard Bent, aged eighteen, as one of the preceding year's attractive debutantes, her participation in the Berkeley debutante dress show and her forthcoming engagement to Noel Davies-Barker, stepson of the Earl Howe.

Contemporary wedding report, 1966

Society account of the wedding at Farm Street Church, Mayfair, describing the bride's white spotted-net wedding gown and diamond tiara, the six bridesmaids, two pages, officiating clergy, distinguished guests and reception at the Hyde Park Hotel.

Historical wedding photograph

Fiona Howard Bent and Noel Davies-Barker, showing the bride wearing the identified Boucheron floral diamond tiara beneath her veil.

Sotheby's Geneva, High Jewelry, 11 November 2026

Boucheron Diamond Tiara. Technical description, maker's marks, diamond weights, condition report and auction result.

Royal-Magazin.de

Historical identification, photographic comparison and provenance research by Ursula Butschal.

Research and historical identification: Ursula Butschal, Royal-Magazin.de