Princess Margaret was such a stunning royal bride -- maybe one of the most beautiful of the 20th century.  Her dress and her veil were both very much of the era, but her tiara was a nineteenth-century stunner.

This is, of course, the famous Poltimore Tiara.  It's an antique piece, made by Garrards in 1870, but it's not an heirloom Windsor tiara; instead, it was bought for Margaret.  The tiara was originally made for Florence, Lady Poltimore, the wife of the 2nd Baron Poltimore.  Lady Stucley, the daughter of the 4th Baron Poltimore, was the member of the family who sold the tiara.

It's sort of surprising, because this tiara is just so massive, but it actually can be converted and worn in other configurations -- as a massive diamond necklace, as well as a set of brooches.  Alas, no British royal brides will be donning the Poltimore any time soon; it was sold in 2006 as a part of an auction of Margaret's jewelry after her death, apparently purchased by a Chinese collector.

Of all of the foreign royals who attended this wedding, the only one I was able to track down a decent photo of was Queen Ingrid of Denmark, mother of our beloved Daisy.  Ingrid's got some retro '60s feathers happening here -- I just wish we knew what color they were!  Bets?  For some reason, I'm thinking green -- perhaps similar to the feathers she wore to her daughter's wedding a few years later?

Aw, look at little Princess Anne in her bridesmaid's outfit!  Precious.  And she's already practicing her trademark steely gaze...

If there's one thing I've learned over the last few years writing this blog, it's that it just really isn't a royal wedding unless the Queen Mum shows up in feathers!  I'm really going to miss her feathery-ness at William and Kate's big soiree.  Sigh.

But even when looking at the color group photo, I can't exactly tell what color all these feathers actually are.  Ivory?  Silver?  Gray?

It's a mystery...

Here's our dear HM at her little sister's wedding, along with her miniature Scottish date.  This hat just screams early '60s, doesn't it?  It's delightfully flower-pot-like.  Here's another view:

It's sort of in fascinator-plus-enormous-amounts-of-netting territory, I think -- the more I look at it, the more I think one of these days Beatrice or Eugenie will pop up at Ascot in something similar.  But the roses, really, are a nice touch, since she's attending Margaret Rose's wedding, after all.

Also, it's all bright blue -- even the flowers!

Do roses come in that color in nature?