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19 March 2014

The Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia

The Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Older of Russia, also known as the Grand Duchess Vladimir.

The Grand Duchess Vladmir had perhaps the most expansive jewelry collection of all the royals. When she died in 1920, her jewels were auctioned, and many of her important pieces were snatched up by Queen Mary of England, grandmother to the present Queen of Britain.

A young Grand Duchess in fancy dress costume, with a concentric circles diamond tiara and wearing a diamond necklace with a large pearl drop as a headband.

The Grand Duchess wearing rows of pearl and a large diamond kokoshnik tiara, a style that all Russian Grand Duchesses owned.


Grand Duchess Vladmir  was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 14 May 1854, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz. She died on 6 September 1920 in Contrexéville, France.


The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir.


The Grand Duchess Vladimir on her wedding day.


Grand Duchess Vladimir in her impressive pearl and diamond suite. Her tiara of concentric diamond circles and large pear pearls is in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II, who wears it often.

Grand Duchess Vladimir was the mother of Grand Duchess Yelena "Helen" Vladimirovna, aka Princess Nicholas of Greece, who was the mother of Princess Marina of Kent, who was the mother of the still-living Prince Michael of Kent.