A Cartier diamond tiara, owned by the trailblazing MP Lady Nancy Astor, is heading to auction this June — and it’s set to cause a stir. Valued between £250,000 and £350,000, the exceptionally rare headpiece will be available for public bidding for the first time in nearly a century.
Bonhams, the London auction house overseeing the sale, revealed that the Cartier diamond tiara has “impeccable provenance” and dates from a golden era of design excellence at Cartier London.
The tiara, commissioned in 1930 by Lord Waldorf Astor, Nancy Astor’s husband, features a unique blend of Western craftsmanship and Eastern artistic motifs. According to Bonhams, the piece boasts single, rose-cut, and brilliant-cut diamonds alongside three fluted turquoise plumes mounted on diamond-set stems.
“With impeccable provenance and a compelling marriage of Western and Eastern influences in the design, the tiara is exceptionally rare,” said Jean Ghika, Global Head of Jewellery at Bonhams.
The Cartier diamond tiara was notably worn by Lady Astor at the premiere of City Lights at London’s Dominion Theatre in 1931.
Nancy Astor holds a significant place in British history as the first woman to take a seat in the House of Commons. Born Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Virginia, USA, in 1879, she moved to the UK in 1905 and married Waldorf Astor a year later.
When her husband vacated his parliamentary seat in 1919, Nancy Astor successfully ran for office, representing Plymouth Sutton. She was re-elected seven times over her 26-year political career before retiring in 1945.
Though not without controversy — critics have labelled her anti-Semitic and a Nazi sympathiser — others defend her record, citing her efforts to advance women’s rights. These include:
- Successfully pushing the 1923 Intoxicating Liquor Act (Lady Astor’s Bill), raising the legal drinking age to 18
- Advocating for gender equality in voting, helping to lower the female voting age from 30 to 21 in 1928
She passed away in Lincolnshire in 1964 at age 84. Jean Ghika emphasised the tiara’s extraordinary rarity and the honour felt by the auction house to present it after nearly 100 years out of the spotlight.
“The tiara is exceptionally rare,” she reiterated. “We feel honoured to have the opportunity to present it for sale.”
The Cartier diamond tiara will go under the hammer at Bonhams, New Bond Street, London, on 5 June. Collectors and historians alike are expected to take a keen interest.
Key Highlights
- Estimated value: £250,000 to £350,000
- First time on the market since 1930
- Owned and worn by Lady Nancy Astor
- Auction date: 5 June at Bonhams, London
The sale not only spotlights the artistry of Cartier diamond tiaras but also revives the legacy of one of Britain’s pioneering female MPs.
